Workshops & Courses
Earth Floor Workshop – Learn the art of laying a beautiful earth floor. This workshop is on the Far South Coast of NSW in December. Click on the link for more details and to get your tickets.
Join our email list or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to find out about other workshops.
Natural Building Course
Next Course Coming Soon
Permaculture Institute Sydney offer an amazing range of courses including our natural building courses. Enjoy the beautiful surrounds while you learn about strawbale building, rammed earth, earth floors and more!
Check the Book Now link for information courses and dates.
Straw Bale Building Course – Hands on Learning
Next Course Date – 2024
Sam is a Cert IV accredited Trainer and Assessor, Licensed Builder, Supervisor with an Agriculture degree and Advanced Diploma in Building. He’s designed and built over 60 natural homes with fixed priced contracts and shares everything he’s learnt. What to do, what not to do and how to save time and money in building. Bring along your plans & questions. If you want one-on-one time with a qualified builder, this is worth your time and energy. More info>
Mudgee Small Farm Field Days – July 2024
The Field Days are on again, come along and see us. Bring your plans, have a chat, see our new straw panels. Lots of fun at the field days for everyone. More info>
Straw Panel Workshops – Join our email list or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to find out when our next workshop will be See how our new straw panels go together and enjoy brushing up on your rendering and cobbing skills. These are working straw panel workshops – no spectators please
“Your course was the best course I’ve done. I wanted to get into strawbale building and by doing the course with Sam I was able to. Thank you!” Ken L
“I loved the course, Sam was extraordinarily generous with his knowledge and super patient? Thanks so much” Rob B
“Sam – thanks for being so open and giving of your knowledge. I thought the way you patiently accommodated the diverse needs of the group was fantastic. You’re a great communicator. Thanks especially for giving prejudice-free constructive advice about methods/techniques/materials other than those you typically use with Viva, and recognising that everyone’s circumstances, goals and motivations for building a home are different. I’ll be recommending you guys to anyone who shows an interest in strawbale building.” Anthony
“Sam has a wealth of knowledge and experience as both a mainstream builder and a natural materials builder – essential for me in considering building with natural materials. He was open to all questions, and answered clearly and truthfully. He combined the exactitude of chemical and quantity combinations with the flexible options that natural materials allow. He was open to learning as well as teaching. He demonstrated clearly and effectively and worked the team easily and efficiently. He was ‘on’ almost all the time, being available in breaks and addressing all sorts of left-field questions and suggestions. I loved him :). A fantastic course – thanks. The food was sensational.”. Sally
“Sam was amazing. Patient, extremely knowledgable, with just the right mix of humour, tolerance and encouragement. His self deprecating style out you at ease and he was extremely generous with his time And knowledge. I’ve done several Milkwood courses. They are all great, but this one was the standout for me. thanks also to Pat, Sam’s offsider. He was great”. Peta
“Thanks for the course. You were very thorough and with the mixture of theory and practical I learned a lot. We were all very pleased to have done the course, and I am definitely going to build in straw bale.” Hugh, Engineer
“I attended the recent 3 day course and found it a terrific experience to help begin the process of, hopefully, building our strawbale home. The information, format and ability to chat/ask those questions was much appreciated. Will happily recommend it to anyone looking at strawbale building. Thankyou and to Sam – I am more enthusiastic to go ahead with straw after the course than before.” Terry S
“I just finished another workshop and rendering is now so much easier. Something just happened so I don’t have to think about what I’m doing now. It’s so exciting!” Shannon
FAQs – What’s the Difference Between a Workshop vs Course…
FAQ - Mudgee Course
Animals
If your animal can be tied up or left with someone else who isn’t doing the course then yes you can bring them. If you need the animal with you while in the course, then best leave your animal at home
Camping
Yes camping is available on site for free. If you have companions who aren’t doing the course they can also stay on site, as long as they have no impact on the course or participants. There are showers and a camp kitchen on site. The camp kitchen will be used during course breaks, please keep this clear.
Do you need any skills?
No, there will be some people who do have skills but the course is set for beginners to advanced people.
Food
Morning and afternoon tea and lunch is provided. They’re delicious. Please advise any special requirements. They can usually cater for vegetarians however if you have specific allergies, please bring your own food.
How is the course run?
You’ll learn theory in the morning and then after lunch, you’ll do practical work and put into practise what you learnt. It’s like a TAFE-run course where you get to practise on a real life situation.
What should you bring?
Hat, closed shoes, long sleeve shirts, water, clothing for all weather (hot and cold)
FAQ - Milkwood Course
Animals
Sorry no animals allowed as it is a private venue.
Camping
Sorry, no camping on site however there are totally awesome camping spots and accommodation nearby.
Do you need any skills?
No, there will be some people who do have skills but the course is set for beginners to advanced people.
Food
Morning and afternoon tea and lunch is provided. They’re delicious. Please advise any special requirements. They can usually cater for vegetarians however if you have specific allergies, please bring your own food.
How is the course run?
You’ll learn theory in the morning and then after lunch, you’ll do practical work and put into practise what you learnt. It’s like a TAFE-run course where you get to practise on a real life situation.
What should you bring?
Hat, closed shoes, long sleeve shirts, water, clothing for all weather (hot and cold)
FAQ - Online Granny Flat/Studio Course
How does it work?
Once a week we’ll run a course online, covering the topics. At the end of each session, you can type in questions you have. We’ll aim to answer everyone’s questions.
What if I can’t make the time
Then just watch the replay. In fact you can watch it indefinitely, as you build your own granny flat/studio
Can I use the online course to build a house
You can use the same foundations for sure. The principles are the same
Can I ask questions?
Yes of course, at the end of the chapter we’ll leave enough time for question time
How long?
The course will go for 14 weeks and is an hour a week.
FAQ - Workshops
Animals
Sorry no pets are allowed on site
Camping
Sometimes camping is available on site (please read the workshop details)
Children
Can I bring my baby or child? Generally no, sorry for the safety of your children. Over 16 years old unless otherwise agreed on please.
Do you need any skills?
No, there will be some people who do have skills but the workshop is for beginners to advanced people.
Food
Morning and afternoon tea and lunch is provided. They’re delicious. Please advise any special requirements. They can usually cater for vegetarians however if you have specific allergies, please bring your own food.
Injured?
Can you come along if you’re injured? Ahhh generally not sorry. We don’t want to injure you any more and it’s a building site. It’s dangerous, uneven and you’re often out in the elements. Get healthy and come along then and you’ll love it a whole lot more!
What should you bring?
Hat, closed shoes, long sleeve shirts, water, clothing for all weather (hot and cold)
Can I come along and watch?
Sorry no, our goal is to get as much work done as possible for our clients. You’d want that if we were building your new home. If you want to watch or check it out, come along on an eco house tour, or follow us on email or social media. You’ll love it!
Weather
Will the workshop run if it’s raining, snowing or there’s hail or a meteor shower? We will run the workshop in rain, hail or sunshine. We will have a roof on so no matter the weather, we’re ready for you