“I have been interested in permaculture and wanted to do a course but am not in a position to do the more intensive one. This was a great option for me, very accessible.

“I realised we are doing a lot of things that fall under the permaculture umbrella, but this helped me to identify gaps and areas where we need to make more of a commitment and take more action. It is well worth it.”

— Hannah, Victoria, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“My’ ah-ha’ moment came when I realised that if every household made important changes, we could together make a huge impact on climate change and help our beautiful planet in so many ways.

“This journey with Milkwood has helped me so much. I will continue to evolve as I grow from the knowledge and from the tools learned in this course, and the marvellous thing is that I get to continue learning and sharing, as I have access to these beautiful people forever.”

— Marina, Auckland, New Zealand
Permaculture Living student

“I studied agriculture but in our university, we did not even hear the word ‘organic’. My teachers insisted on chemical agriculture.

“I’m very happy when I took the premium Permaculture Living course at Milkwood. At the same time, I started an organic strawberry farm and used permaculture lessons. Now I am very satisfied. I hope I can promote this technique in my country to ensure the health of soil, people and animals. I am glad to have found a better way.”

— Rahim, Kabul, Afghanistan
Permaculture Living student

“I took the plunge after doing a Holzer Permakultur course here in Austria. It was awesome but out of our league at present. I’m very happy I did the Milkwood course. It felt approachable, doable.

“The video lessons are down-to-earth, the information shared with a definite ‘you can do it’ feel. Support is also super; comments and questions were answered in a flash. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone wanting to dip a toe into the world of permaculture.”

— Karin, Steiermark, Austria
Permaculture Living student

“Being a personal trainer with a growing client base, I worked 24/7, while serving ready-to-go food for my family. Then at one point I thought: ‘How crazy is that?! I try to inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle, but fail to implement it in my own family or for myself.’

“Luckily a good friend pointed me towards a permaculture course with Milkwood. The day I signed up, everything changed. We all enjoy our homegrown greens and homemade cheeses. I still teach exercise as a way to stay healthy, but much more along the lines of community, mindfulness and health. I haven’t looked back once! Lovin’ our new life.”

— Tanja, Victoria, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“I loved doing this course and I am glad that I chose the option to keep accessing the course material as there is so much to learn. I signed up for the course for two reasons – to learn as much as I could about permaculture but also to stimulate my brain. The online access and navigation was easy and engaging.

“My biggest ‘a-ha moment’ was when I realised that I was already on my permaculture journey and didn’t know it. The course gave me structure and made me think about the choices we make every day. I would definitely recommend the course to others.”

— Marisa, Kyneton, Victoria, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“This was my first-ever online course, and I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging it was. The course is delivered in a very organised, well structured, thoughtful way, and the actions each week are a great practical way to keep engaged and reflecting on the information delivered. Such an important course for these days, I will continue to delve into the ideas for life.”

— Lucy, Broome, Western Australia, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“This is the way we all should be living. This course is so gently taught – every action we take to look after the planet and each other is one step closer to a better world. Thank you to Kirsten, Nick and David! I hope to have my own permaculture property in the future, but until then the things I have learnt have already shaped the way I do things. If you’re thinking about taking this course, do it – you won’t be disappointed.“

— Sheridan, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“Milkwood’s Permaculture Living course is like stepping into a virtual almanac, where you learn through doing, watching, and seeing immediate and long-term results. No written submissions or assessments, it’s completely self-driven at your own pace with almost daily support from tutors, who are walking the walk of sustainable living and People Care.

“I would recommend it for all learning styles and all living environments. It’s a very adaptable and relevant course for now and in the future. Most of all, this course brings a sense of self-empowerment and hope for the future on a personal level. Milkwood’s Permaculture Living course embodies all that you need to know to get your lifestyle moving towards a wholesome and abundant life with security and community.”

— Katrina, Warrugul, Victoria, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“I thought it was a wonderful course, which shows you how to integrate the principles of permaculture into your daily life. The course was super easy to navigate through and there were a lot of examples of how you can live regeneratively. I’m definitely going to be taking away how easily you can become self-reliant and how important it is to think through your daily actions.

“I would 100% recommend this course to anyone regardless of if you want to start a farm or not (I’m learning that permaculture is actually different to growing and starting a farm).”

— Abhi, New York, United States
Permaculture Living student

“I am from Afghanistan where is war more than 40 years, our land destroyed by different wars. Last year Rosemary introduced me to Milkwood permaculture course. It was really, really helpful – what they showed us was practical work. I started to plant where I live, everywhere, in pots, plots of land. I made a greywater system for my small garden. I am planning to grow mushroom in my house and am composting from my kitchen every day. My garden looks happy and healthy.

“This year, because of my knowledge, I and my husband are teaching permaculture at a private school for the first time in Afghanistan. We all are very very happy with this system, to be part of the people who care about Earth.”

— Zarghuna, Kabul, Afghanistan
Permaculture Living student

“Taking this course at home, where I love to be, has been encouraging, inspiring and motivating. In my goal statement, I wanted to become more food independent and I am on way – woohoo! I am building a stock of preserves, jams and dried fruits. I am baking, making our food and picking from my garden to include fresh foods as often as I can.

“I am about to establish a crochet club in my new studio for my local community to learn how this wonderful craft can enhance your life, making reusable cleaning clothes and personal use items such as face cloths and clothing.

“My approach to not only my garden but everything I do has changed for the better. The best way I can describe a permaculture life is one that is rich in rewards to mind, body and soul. I know I have so much more to learn and look forward to.”

— Barbara, Queensland, Australia
Permaculture Living student

“Signing up to the Permaculture Living course was my partner’s idea. I was wrapping up a long and challenging chapter of my life, and he imagined it to be an ideal catalyst for transition. As soon as the first module kicked off, an anchor was cast in my life. I’d never known such a delight in weeds and hawthorn berries before, and as each week brought new discoveries, I realised I was acquiring new tools to adapt to an uncertain and rapidly changing world.

“I hadn’t previously realised the depth and breadth of permaculture as a living system, and my journey has far from ended. Inspiring, practical, community building and committedto  the realisation of a better world; this is a course that has been clearly made with love.”

— Mirranda, Victora, Australia
Permaculture Living student

Read our student ‘case study’ article on Mirranda and the beaut graphic illustrations she created while studying with us.

“To celebrate my first harvest of oyster mushrooms, I made a mushroom radicchio risotto. Not much to look at (most risotti aren’t) and yet it made me incredibly happy to have gotten this far. I stumbled onto the Milkwood Home Mushroom Cultivation course quite by accident. There’s a lot to absorb, and it can feel overwhelming at times — but then I’m someone who sees everything at once and only slowly do I make sense of the whole.

Like Alice down the rabbit hole, I sometimes felt that for every two steps forward I was taking one step back. Mushroom cultivation is both incredibly simple — and complex. Very smartly, Kirsten and Nick pace the course in such a way that one thing builds on the next.

Each week I looked forward to more from this genial and knowledgable duo, and was grateful for the support of their team, who were right alongside me as I worked through the modules. Had I not done the course I likely would have been limited to mushroom grow kits. Instead, I am scaling what I’ve learned to suit my needs, looking to see where I can create a mushroom log grow in the garden, and learning to dry and ferment my harvests, the better to take advantage of what I am growing. As I head off on my own exploration of mushroom growing, I have Milkwood to thank for getting me started”

— Jenny Stein, County Wicklow, Ireland
Home Mushroom Cultivation student

I loved the mushroom cultivation course! Weekly online tutorials were so enjoyable, easy to understand and well presented. I liked that we were given different ways of adapting techniques and methods, it made mushroom growing seem much more achievable.

The extra resources and links each week were fabulous too, great for additional interest or learning. And the bonus courses of growing on logs and in the garden were awesome! I’ve grown on recycled cardboard, my buckets and garden grow are well underway.

Aside from the actual growing aspects, I loved the initial introduction to fungi and background knowledge. An excellent course!

— Lisa Forrest, NSW, Australia

Home Mushroom Cultivation student

“My search for alternative foods to eat began and mushrooms became my favourite meat substitute because I can cook so many varied and delicious meals with them and they don’t upset my stomach or gut health. This left me with a problem though, I needed more mushrooms and they’re not cheap or fresh in the supermarket. The solution was simple… learn how to grow them.

I researched and looked over many hours of YouTube mushroom grows but I really wanted to grow mushrooms properly and without too many failures. I came across the Home Mushroom Cultivation Course – well that was it, I put my name on that waiting list and the rest as they say is History!

This course gave me the confidence to grow wonderful mushrooms easily and sustainably, it added to my permaculture sustainable lifestyle, allows me to take better care of my health and best of all it gives me so much joy. For me mushroom growing is so rewarding!

Kirsten and Nick made this self paced course so much fun and I had many laughs along the way. The Milkwood team are so quick to answer questions and give guidance if you ask, the forums are full of information and great people. Seriously if you want to grow your own mushrooms just sign up to the Milkwood Home Mushroom Cultivation Course – its the best :)”

— Fiona Wall, NSW, Australia
Home Mushroom Cultivation student

“I love Mushrooms! Totally excited that I took this course. Life is busy and I needed to get the ”Right” answers on how to grow mushrooms. Well, this is the course if students want them too.

I now am growing them in buckets in my fruiting chamber! Yay!! I have made a lot of mistakes (which you covered those areas nicely too). My á ha’ moment came when I got frustrated and threw out my cardboard spawn (mold growing along with mycelium) and then it rained. Well to my surprise, mushrooms started growing all over the cardboard…just like you said. Then I check my buckets, and they were busting out with pinning shrooms! Needless to say, I was extremely happy.

This is changing my Life in so many ways. I know that if someone wants to save themselves a lot of money, they need to get on board with this Mushroom Cultivation Course. The cost of all those mistakes I have made in the past were far more expensive. Thank you, Kristen & Nick!”

— Tina Weaver, Florida, USA
Home Mushroom Cultivation student

“I am Bemeriki Bisimwa Dusabe a refugee from DRC living in Uganda, as a permaculture practitioner and teacher, I found this course of home growing mushroom very important, especially for people who are living in refugees camps and settlements where the land is small.

I have been much involved in teaching permaculture, growing vegetable and herbs, now mushroom is the good and easy approach to the refugee and people like me. For a decade and half living in Uganda as a refugee, I have never seen a good approach of improving lives of people through small scale growing food like mushroom.

I recommend this course to more people, especially youths and women.”

— Bemeriki Bisimwa Dusabe, Kamwenge, Uganda

Home Mushroom Cultivation student

“After spending nearly 10 years in the sustainability field and fully immersing myself in our social enterprise, Food Connect, I wanted a space where I could consolidate a lot of my knowledge and to learn new ways of creating an ethical future. Milkwood’s PDC allowed me to place all this stuff in my head into a simple design framework, and equally affirmed many design elements within our enterprise.

“The expertise of the teachers was second to none, and their method of creating community through meaningful connections over the two weeks fulfilled all of my expectations. I’m ready to take this ethical design framework to the masses – the future is now!”

“The autumn PDC at Govinda Valley was an unforgettable experience that continues to resonate long after its completion. Not only was I hugely inspired and impressed by the absolute dedication, unsurpassed knowledge and passion of the teachers and speakers, I also had the opportunity to be in an intensive learning environment with a fascinating and multitalented collection of individuals, whose friendship I now treasure. It was a genuinely life-changing two weeks.

“The knowledge, skills and insights into the whole permaculture ethos which I gained on the PDC have continued to inform my design practice as well as my day-to-day interactions in ways that I didn’t anticipate, but fully appreciate. So many of the principles work as functional guidelines for the broader challenges we face as designers, educators, parents … humans. I signed on for fun and skills, and I got those – and much, much more. If you have been hesitating, wondering whether the PDC is for you, I urge you to stop wondering and just do it!”

“What a refreshing experience! I had grown so accustomed to the typical university lecture room (someone snoring in the row behind me, someone shopping on eBay in the row in front of me) that I was perhaps a little shocked by how enthusiastic a classroom of people could be. But no wonder, the Milkwood crew and their guest educators were such eloquent speakers and experts in their fields, and despite this, very down-to-earth human beings too!

“I was very impressed by the diverse content on the course and how the days were structured (it was very unique, progressive in fact, like education from the future). And boy it was pleasant to be in a room full of so many like minds! I am very fond of all the folks I met on the July 2014 PDC and look forward to running into them all again. Since completing my PDC I have looked into starting my own Permaculture Design business and will be attending the next Advanced Permaculture Design Course to really hone in those more specific skills for business, site and client management. I really can’t wait! Milkwood has opened a door in my mind that I wasn’t aware was there.”

“I’m so happy with the PDC I did with Milkwood it has been one of the raddest experiences I’ve ever had. Nick is a great educator – always engaging and passionate and delivers the content dynamically. Brendan is very engaging, extremely interesting, and dynamic. Narelle was very willing to give one on one feedback – creates a comforting relaxed vibe – excellent and forthcoming educator.”

“I’ve been studying and practicing permaculture since my early 20s, which is about 30 years ago. I did my Milkwood PDC in January 2016 and enjoyed every bit of it. Awesome teachers, great content and so much fun spending two weeks with like-minded people. For a life-changing, mind-bending, soul-renewing experience, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Milkwood PDC.”

“This course is highly likely to change your life. It’s that good. Amazing course content, brilliant teachers and the chance to hang out with a group of like-minded people. It’s a total luxury. I can’t think of a better stepping stone for making a positive change in your life towards something more sustainable, more healthy, more satisfying and more connected. Don’t think about it. Do it. You won’t regret it.”

“I’ve been researching mushroom cultivation by myself for the last couple of years, completed a basic intro course, started an online commercial course and have spent a LOT of time reading and listening to everything I could get my hands on. Doing the Milkwood course with Nick has really flipped everything from being overwhelming to really, really easily achievable. I honestly feel way more confident and prepared, and recommend this course to anyone interested, especially those getting bogged down in the theory, so they can make the leap to mushy reality!”