Syntropic Agroforestry Traineeship Program...

Building the necessary skills to regenerate and prosper!

This is about professional development in the business of

ecological restoration and agroforestry production!!!

This is an ambitious skills and knowledge building program.

The traineeship program has been designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, experience and network necessary to create and sustain a resilient Agroforestry pathway.

In this one-year program, the focus is on building a solid skills foundation while forging professional relationships with experienced practitioners.

It is pretty simple and natural (just ask any tree)...

Before we can grow, fruit and prosper, we must build a foundation that is able to withstand the turbulence of current reality, while offering a supportive substrate for life to accumulate and evolve. In addition, we must forge relationships with other (human) beings, so we can gain a holistic view of the tasks at hand and be supported in areas that we lack expertise.

Thus, the focus in the first year is on learning professional skills and practices, gaining practice in agroforestry management, and having first-hand experience in many Agroforestry-related industries through meaningful engagement with professional practitioners in our region. 

With a stellar cast of local regenerative legends, we will engage meaningfully with many Agroforestry-related industries and professional practitioners. The following professional areas will be explored and developed:

• Perennial crop production, management, commercialization and propagation;
• Meat chicken production;
• Holistic animal management;
• Native plant propagation and planting;
• Vegetable seedling nursery;
• Permaculture design;
• Successional market gardening;
• Pecan production; and
• Organic production of avocados, banana, papaya, mango, dragon fruit and other subtropical crops.

Well, what else can I say... I am excited, are you?

• Instigate professionalism in our industry through high level, holistic training;
• Present and discuss numerous theories and practices related to syntropic agroforestry, holistic management, ecology, plant propagation and identification, soil health, water dynamics, nature’s rhythms and patterns, and numerous agroforestry-related industries;
• Provide high level agroforestry management training in a wide range of settings and contexts;
• Equip participants with a range of professional level skills;
• Develop sensitivity and observational skills for reading landscape nuances;
• Through numerous site visits and meaningful interactions with professional practitioners, participants will be exposed to the working realities of a wide range of agroforestry-related industries.

2 days/month   +   Online Content   +   Site Visits   +   Professional Skills

• 22 Face to face, 7am to 5pm, skills development training days - 2 days per month + Tractor training days;
• Online theory delivery and lifetime access;
• Monthly professional development site visits;
• Monthly agroforestry management training;
• Nationally accredited training (2 days) - Tractor operations - Wollongbar Tafe;
• Nationally accredited training - Chainsaw maintenance and use - Australian Institute of Arboriculture;
• Private Telegram group.

​​​​

• The following skills will be developed practically and professionally:
  • Syntropic Agroforestry:
    • Design,
    • Implementation, and
    • Management.
  • Holistic Management;
  • Plant identification;
  • Safe Tractor operation (AHCMOM202 Operate tractors and AHCMOM304 Operate machinery and equipment);
  • Safe Chain saw operation (FWPCOT2239 Trim and cut felled trees);
  • Soil testing, interpreting and amending;
  • Irrigation;
  • Biofertilizer production and application; and
  • Ecological restoration.
• Trainees are to be working/volunteering for at least 1 day (or 8 hours) a week.
• Trainees to engage with the online content as well as carry out the homework tasks

• Professional development and engagement visits, getting to know our local regenerative legeneds:
  • Bunya Halasz - Growing Roots Permaculture - Perennial/"sturdy" crop production, management, commercialization, volunteer management.
  • Fionn and Laura Quinlan - Djaning - Forest Gardening, permaculture design, education and educating, subsistence.
  • Tom Björkstén - Misty Creek Agroforestry - Meat chicken production, processing, commercialization, agroforestry implementation and management.

  • Joey Herbsen Vegetables - ReForest Now Nursery - commercial native tree propagation, seed collection and provenance, native tree planting.

  • Evan Benson Anderson - Hungry Earth Agroecology - market gardening, successional horticulture, soil preparation and amendment, working on leased land, accessing local markets.
  • Lance Powell - Mt Chowan Organics - fruit production (banana, avocados, papaya, mango, citrus, dragon fruit); vegetable production; farmer's market, farming resilience.
  • Kaye and David McNaught - Tweed River Pecans - organic (in conversion) pecans, management, harvesting, processing, sale, animal management, biofertilizer.
  • Luke Samson (not confirmed)- Seedling Organics - vegetable seedling nursery, seed production, selection and quality, propagation media.
  • Rod and Tania Bruin (not confirmed)- Summit Organics - market gardening operations, farmer's market, polytunnel/greenhouse management, irrigation.
  • TROPO - Tweed Richmond Organic Producers Organisation - membership included, farmwalks, networking, advice, loads of experience, great people!!

• Life-time access to all online content including future additions and updates;
• Nationally recognised training in Tractor Operations – conducted at Tafe Wollongbar;
• Nationally recognised training in chainsaw use, maintenance, trim and cut felled trees – ministered by the Australian Institute of Arboriculture;
• Hard copies of the following books:
  • Arboriculture Minimum Industry Standards – MIS315 Chainsaw Operation & Tree Felling;
  • Holistic Management textbook - by Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield; 
  • Plant identification – Rainforest trees and Shrubs, by G. Harden, B. McDonald and J. Williams.
• Hand lenses (10x magnification); 
• Serrated knife; and 
• TROPO membership (1 year).

Only 12 trainees per year

• Next intake: August 2022
• Audience: anyone with a desire to gain professional training in both theory and practice of Syntropic Agroforestry;
• Pre-requisite: self-conscious, responsible and willing to attend ALL monthly sessions while engaging meaningfully with the online content as well as homework;
• On-going requisite: participants must commit to at least 1 day per week working/volunteering in an agriculturally related enterprise of their liking;
• Tools: participants must have their own professional quality tools, including:
  • Secateurs
  • Hand Saw
  • Machete
  • Hori knife
• PPE (personal protective equipment): participants must have their own PPE, including (as a minimum):
  • Sturdy pants
  • Long sleeve shirt
  • Hat
  • Eye protection
  • Gloves
  • Ear protection
  • Steel cap boots

Traineeship Program Fees

AUD$2,750.00

• Payment: direct deposit or trustworthy payment plan (discussed individually – please get in touch).