Melliodora Musings: Food, Family & the Future with Su Dennett

Check out Botanical Bazaar festival here: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Rsvdfl⁠

The Gold Coast's Premier Gardening and Sustainable living festival August 2nd and 3rd.  

Pack your gumboots and curiosity — we're heading to Melliodora! In this episode of The Practical Permaculture Podcast, Alysse sits down with the incredible Su Dennett: community builder, local food champion, and one half of the dream team behind Melliodora, Australia’s iconic permaculture homestead.

Together, they chat about what it really means to live simply in a not-so-simple world. From buying land and growing food to building deep connections with neighbours, Su shares her lived wisdom on relocalisation, resilience, and why slowing down might just be the ultimate act of resistance.

Expect heartfelt stories about motherhood, identity, and navigating the chaos of modern life with a grounded, generous spirit. Su reflects on her roots, her cultural influences, the power of passing down knowledge, and how being a role model (even when it’s messy) helps shape future generations.

You’ll hear: 

🌾 Why local food systems are the heartbeat of healthy communities
🏡 What it’s like to build a life at Melliodora
💬 The importance of vulnerability, storytelling & real conversations
🤝 Conflict resolution tips straight from decades of community living
🥗 Why shared meals are magic—and not just for your belly

Whether you're permaculture-curious or already knee-deep in compost, this chat will leave you inspired to grow, connect, and rethink what “living well” really looks like.

More about Su: 

Su Dennett is a permaculture elder and local food pioneer who’s been plating up change for the last four decades.

She lives at Melliodora, the internationally recognised permaculture demonstration site in Central Victoria, alongside partner David Holmgren, permaculture co-originator, and a cast of goats, chooks, bees, orchards, gardens and exchange-based households.

Su’s seasonal wholefood lunches are an institution, feeding up to a dozen people each day – and many more on tours and Permaculture Design Courses.

In 2013 Su was added to Hepburn Shire Council's Women's Honour Roll for her fierce leadership in simple, low impact living. 

Connect here:

https://hub.holmgren.com.au/lp/do-with-su/season-one/online-permaculture-series/

https://www.instagram.com/retrosuburbiaofficial

https://hub.holmgren.com.au/lp/do-with-su/zine/numero-uno/

We live, work, and dream on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands. We acknowledge them as holding deep ecological knowledge and their ability to live sustainably in harmony with the land. They and other ancient cultures are roots of permaculture—working with nature, fostering resilience, and ensuring balance for future generations.