VISION AND VEGIES

Universities are hubs of innovation, environments that encourage thinking outside the square. While gardening is not conventionally thought of as a valuable study resource in tertiary education, the Monash Permaculture leaders think it definitely is.

Monash Permaculture is a collective that runs a permaculture garden at the Clayton campus and a community farm opposite the campus. The farm provides opportunities to develop skills in selfsufficiency and, at times, an abundance of produce for members to take home.

Although begun in 2007, the Monash Permaculture garden is “now undergoing its fourth incarnation”, says Arunika Weeratunga, the current president and committee convener.

“In a student-driven environment we have a massive dropout rate and there’s a large governance requirement to keep the gardens