Brogo Permaculture Gardens

South Coast NSW

Brogo Permaculture Gardens

View our 2018 video then see how we built our off grid permaculture home,farm and business

Brogo Permacuture Gardens

Brogo Permaculture Gardens is on the south coast of NSW. The property features an off the grid, solar powered ,owner built house. Water and solar are harvested and greywater and human waste utilised within the closed system.

A range of permaculture gardening techniques are used; mulch is grown to use on the farm, certified organic farming is undertaken examples of raised beds, composting and kitchen garden as well as poultry systems and a food forest are on site.

At Brogo Permaculture Gardens our aim is to inspire others to develop an understanding of permaculture and to look to permaculture to promote self and community resilience.
20 plus years of living permaculture, we know that it works. As well, we aim to run some of the best permaculture courses in NSW.

The Early Years

Our first years were spent designing the permaculture farm we wanted and working on our owner built, off grid, mudbrick home while raising our 5 children

Brogo Permaculture Gardens

In 1985 the land was purchased

Permaculture dreaming

Cattle farm to become permaculture farm

Off grid Living

Solar access and gravity for water was critical

Permaculture Kids

Tree houses are a necessity for permaculture kids

Mumbulla Mountain

The mountain that brings us home

Owner building, earthworks

Good access is critical, driveway taking shape

Owner building earthworks

Earthworks can be confronting for owner builders

Owner building, pegging the site

The plan started to become reality

Mudbrick making, owner built home

4000+ bricks, a never ending job

owner building, off grid living

Did we ever mention when we thought we might give up?

Off grid permaculture farm

Owner building can take time.

Off grid. Water collection, Solar

Off grid living. Water collection and solar access.

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Starting Brogo Permaculture Garden

Our aim for the property was to raise our 5 kids in the most sustainable lifestyle possible. As wel as our off grid owner built home we wanted to develop permaculture gardens to feed our family of seven and to demonstrate what could be achieved with permaculture

Shelterbelt on permaculture farm

Developing the shelterbelt was critical for wind protection as well as a barrier for traffic noise and dust from the road

Fruit Tree Orchard with understory

During the building phase we took time to establish our fist orchard

Covered Orchard, permaculture design

We did make the decision to cover the orchard as we moved on

Tyres for wallaby protection

Prior to fencing the tyres allowed the trees to grow despite the attraction for wallabies

Citrus Orchard

Slow beginnings and a long drought impacted on the citrus orchard but now we have an oversupply

Covered Orchard

Walk in anti-aviary covered orchard works well for us

Third Orchard and Chook Pen

Because you can never have enough fruit right

Espaliered Fruit Trees

Our third orchard with espaliered fruiting trees

Permanent Vegie Garden takes shape

We grew vegetables from the beginning but once the building was completed we moved on to a more permanent garden

Useing Resources

Scavenged fridge boxes -perfect for reuse

Water Storage starts

In drought prone country it's important to use all water storage options

Water-Critical Element

No town supply where we are so we have a number of small dams and ponds as well as tank water

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John talks about the property

2009