“Communities want to be more resilient. Permaculture is a way to do that.” Permaculture, or permanent agriculture, is the practice of turning unproductive land productive. Just two strips of lawn outside Manchester House is able to fit three apple trees, two pear trees, a peach, plum, lemon and feijoa tree and a boysenberry bush. A veggie garden will be installed at a later date. Feilding resident Sheila Buchan attended the tree planting event to get tips on how to start her own food garden. “It’s hard to afford fresh food when you’re living off a pension,” she said. “It’ll be a big learning curve... but I can see how it’s going to become more important to be self-sufficient.”