Description
Sustainable building.
Edible landscapes.
Educational workshops.
Permaculture design.
Community project management.
Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes offer earth building, permaculture design and landscape construction services using ecological principles and world’s best sustainability practices. Our Earth-centered services include:
• experiential and educational workshops (building, gardening, permaculture)
• start-to-finish-to-maintenance building, landscape and horticulture projects
• permaculture design, consultation and implementation
• Establishing/managing backyard and broad-scale food production systems
• basic gardening and maintenance
• horticultural and gardening consultation
By using a permaculture (a holistic, ecological and integrative approach to design and construction) we can help develop landscapes that are artistic, aesthetically pleasing, while also being organic, sustainable and productive.
In a era of rising food prices and cost of living pressures, Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes will provide clients with the infrastructure and knowledge to become independent and self-reliant in food production and other lifestyle areas.
Tell your friends
RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comStrawtec
Of The Earth and Strawtec have officially teamed up! I'm very humbled to be welcomed by Frank and the team into a company that has a long, respected history of building some of Australia's finest straw bale homes. I look forward to many years of fruitful, constructive collaboration in natural building and permaculture projects. Peace and mud, Kegan
Artemisia Custom Tattooing
When I have down time between natural building, garden design and landscaping, I'm lucky enough to work for my friend, Amy Duncan, in her Tecoma tattoo studio, Artemisia Custom Tattooing. Amy is Australia's leading botanical tattooist and has recently expanded to include other amazing, unique tattooists in her studio. It's wonderful to help close friends pursue a mutual love of natural, beautiful, living subject matter. Please check out and 'like' the new Facebook page for the studio. And if you're interested in getting a custom tattoo of a beautiful plant, flower, bird, garden, animal or some other original artistic creation, visit Amy's website to fill out a consultation form here: http://www.amycduncan.com/#!faq/cbg9
of-the-earth
www.oftheearth.net // kegan@oftheearth.net.au Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes offer natural building, permaculture design and landscape construction services using ecological principles and sustainable materials. Our Earth-centered services include: - Construction and consultation with owner-builders on natural building projects that includes straw bale walls, rammed earth tyre walls and lime/earth renders. - Start-to-finish-to-maintenance landscape, horticulture and building projects. - Permaculture design, consultation and implementation. - Educational workshops. - Garden design, consultation, implementation and maintenance.
Timeline Photos
The season for natural building workshops has arrived! Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes is happy to again be running a 7-day Earthship construction workshop in the stunning Southern Highlands of NSW (between Sydney and Canberra) from Sunday September 25th. Located in Marulan, NSW on the budding Well-Grounded Sustainability Farm, this building is Australia's first council approved Earthship home, set on a beautiful 20 acre property with bush kitchen, bathrooms and excellent camping facilities. The future projections for the land include a whole property permaculture design, a WWOOFing program and farm stays for people interested in organic food production, off-grid living and Earthship homes. In cooperation with the fine folks of Earth Hub Australia this workshop will include tyre wall construction to council regulations, Earthship principles, bond beam construction, thermal theory and design with experienced Earthship builders, carpenters and graduates of the Earthship Biotecture Academy. For more information about the workshop and how to join up, please visit www.earthhub.org.au/workshops OR Message me at kegan@oftheearth.net.au
Timeline Photos
We're very pleased to announce that Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes will be teaching a 7-day straw bale building workshop in Inverloch, Mornington Peninsula beginning on Monday October 10th, in association with Agari Farm and Evergreen Homes Australia. Home to the Bunurong people, the location is incredibly special for it's communal focus on protecting local wildlife, flora and habitat. The community that has been established in this hamlet reflects those values and practises them in their guidelines for living on the land. Owner-builder, Peter Ghys, is developing the property with organic, permaculture principles in mind. The 7 days will consist of raising the straw bale walls using a method developed by American straw bale builder Andrew Morrison See his work at www.StrawBale.com. There will also be classroom time with Adam Ben Hickman, Peter Ghys and myself, talking about different straw bale techniques, natural building, solar passive design, council permits, permaculture, finishes and carpentry. 5 minutes from an beautiful surf beach and near the Bunurong Marine National Park, this workshop will be more than just a workshop. It will be a chance to gain a deeper insight into your own lives with plenty of space for meditation, nature exploration, conversation and one-on-one skill/story sharing. If you'd like to find out more please contact me at kegan@oftheearth.net.au or... Apply at: hello@agarifarm.org or dani@agarifarm.org
Photos from Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes's post
Suburban Permaculture Garden Design Stage One//Tree Removal Of The Earth has been contracted to develop a whole property permaculture garden design plan for a suburban block in Brahma Lodge, SA. The client wants a flock of chickens incorporated into a multi-layered food forest that has a combination of fodder plants, fruit trees and herbs. As part of the project a number of trees must first be taken out to allow more sunlight into the yard, to prevent further damage the trees are doing to the houses foundation and to help remediate a nutrient deficient soil. This job is also very special because it will be the first time that my partner, Kelly, and I will be collaborating on the permaculture design. For those that don't know, Kelly is an accomplished artist and craftsperson, whose skills are ideally suited to developing beautiful, accurate permaculture design drawings. We'll be working on the designs and an implementation plan over the coming weeks. Also a shout out to arborists Will and Mark from www.arboz.com.au for their friendly and super-efficient work on the day. What a breeze the job was! More drawings and pictures to come as this job progresses. Peace, Kegan
Timeline Photos
Taking soil samples with Rick for the future market garden at the #EPICproject in Sherbrooke, Victoria. Admiring the large and highly productive chestnut trees that will provide immediate yield for the community garden. Also pleased to find a very healthy, thick layer of top soil that has a pH of 6.5 (perfect for most vegetables) and a sandy-clay loam structure. This project truly is epic!
Photos from Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes's post
First site visit to a future straw bale home in Inverloch, Victoria, where Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes and Agari Farm will be running straw bale building workshops in September. Features of the site include an internal rammed earth wall, an abundance of wildlife and water, and hopefully some of you all! Dates and details to be announced in the coming months. Please get in contact if you'd like to be added to the mailing list for this project. Peace, Kegan
Timeline Photos
On our first day off in three weeks Kahlil, Henry and I took a stroll along the Coastal Walking Trail in Kiama. Green, lush grass overlooking dark, harsh cliffs. Wonderful day of puppy playfulness and gentle trundling.
Photos from Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes's post
Since December last year I've been working as foreman on an Earthship in Marulan, NSW. It's been a wonderful experience that's providing me with many new insights into construction processes and building techniques. I'm looking forward to the next 2 years completely this magnificent creation, the first Earthship home in Australia. Over the last month we've made a lot of solid progress. Forming up the bond beam and steelwork on top of the main tyre wall ready to pour concrete, preparing trenches for the front stem walls, pounding the remaining tyres, and getting everything ready for the first visit by the certifiers, which will signify a massive mile stone in the process to completing this home. There is still along way to go before the Earthship is finished, but the end of Stage 1 is very much in sight. I anticipate this to be the first of a flood of Earthships that will be built around Australia over the next 5 years. It's an exciting time to be involved in alternative, natural building.
Photos from Of The Earth: Building Permaculture Landscapes's post
Stage 1 of the Belgrave Home Permaculture Garden is complete. Installed 30 metres of drainage 500mm deep by hand around the perimeter of the house to prevent flooding of Shaun's burgeoning picture framing workshop under the house, rejigged the area immediately next to the backyard deck to include a childs play area for Miles and raised garden beds for Amy to grow herbs and veggies, and planted kiwi vines, fig, persimmon, mulberry and blackberries. The next stage will include replacing the entire back deck with fresh timber and roofing, paving, more fruit trees, trellises for kiwi vines and berries, and retaining walls. Thanks to Amy, Shaun and Miles for all their hospitality and ideas. It was a pleasure. Looking forward to Stage 2 and beyond. And here's a few kind words Amy has to offer: 'Kegan is currently working on turning our sloping, weed - covered hills block into a usable outdoor space and permaculture garden. We're so impressed with the progress he's made so far and with his vision, knowledge and resourcefulness. He has graciously accommodated all of our ideas whilst contributing many of his own, and has managed to turn scrap building materials and fallen trees on the property into useful items for garden bed construction and a wonderful play space for our son Miles. We never thought so much would be possible with a block that we previously considered to be fairly useless; working with Kegan has been a joy and we can't recommend him enough.'
Timeline Photos
As in life, building plans continually change. This is especially so with #earthships due to their revolutionary, experimental nature. But with communication and coordination between different professions and trades, solutions can be found. Case in point is this interesting tyre wall detail at the entrance of #earthshipmarulan #earthshipwellgrounded where three tyre walls meet up. The architect, Daniel, has done a great job at explaining the detail. Look forward to ramming this one out next week #naturalbuilding #tyrepounding #permaculturehouse #oftheearth #dirtlife
Quiz
