The Klein Karoo Sustainable Drylands Permaculture Project (KKSDPP) is a Section 21 Company or Not-for-Profit Organisation that owns the Farm Berg-en-Dal, near Ladismith in the Klein Karoo (in the Western Cape, South Africa). The farm is the home to a community of people who run the KKSDPP whose aim is to create a sustainable community in a dryland* region, using Permaculture design and principles. This community model is used to train people from all over the world in the various approaches of permaucultre and many other aspects of sustainable ecological living and culture.
The Klein Karoo is situated on the edge of the Western Cape’s abundant fynbos biosphere and the Karoo’s dry semi-desert. It shares the beauty of both regions – from intimidating thorns to the most delicate flowers and hidden succulents, multitudes of birds, hot summers, cold winter nights, epic sunsets and magnificent star-gazing opportunities. *Rainfall averages between 350-400ml of rain per annum.
Once inhabited by Khoisan people, the land has long known human contact. The farm itself was then settled on by livestock farmers, who eventually abandoned it, completely overgrazed and suffering from massive erosion problems. The Project, a Section 21 company, bought the land in 1999. Slowly, using Permaculture design to assist Nature’s own cycles, the land is healing.
The Berg-en-Dal community consists of members living both on and off site – among us Permaculture experts, healers, artists, actors, natural builders, businesspeople, a doctor and a geologist – all contributing towards the management, evolution and funding of the project. Though small scale, the farm is a premier model for Permaculture in a Dryland region in South Africa, and runs regular Permaculture Design Courses through PEA (Permaculture Education Africa) with our resident Permaculture experts and courses in Sustainable Natural and Traditional building techniques as well as various interships and volunteer programes relating to the above programes.
We also have a Facebook page which may be of interest – Klein Karoo Sustainable Drylands Permaculture Project..
