How does a working-class kid from Brunswick become a permaculture farmer in the Yarra Valley, with no farming background, no land, and no plan? Matt Daniele's answer spans 30 years, a shiatsu vision in Melbourne, solo hiking in Tasmania, WWOOFing on organic farms across England and Costa Rica, and co-founding Australia's first certified organic heirloom seedling nursery at CERES.

This is one of the most honest, grounded conversations we've had on Farm Change. Matt doesn't romanticise the journey. He traces it step by step - the Italian family values that shaped his relationship with land and food, the trades career that funded his freedom, the moment a mountain ash tree hit him like a bolt of energy in a dark Tasmanian auditorium, and how a soccer game led to a career at CERES Brunswick that changed everything.

If you're thinking about a tree change, a career pivot into farming, or just wondering whether it's possible to build a life around permaculture without a trust fund or a farming family - this one's for you.

🌱 Topics covered:
→ Growing up Italian in Melbourne - backyard gardens, big families, Brunswick
→ Leaving school at 16, buying property at 25, the Italian family way
→ How CERES Brunswick sparked a life-changing interest in organic food
→ Solo hiking in Tasmania and the moment permaculture clicked
→ How The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho shaped his thinking
→ Completing a Permaculture Design Certificate at Southern Cross Permaculture Institute
→ WWOOFing in Devon, Wales and Costa Rica - learning by doing
→ Co-founding Australia's first certified organic heirloom seedling nursery
→ Teaching horticulture to people with disabilities at CERES
→ Finding Peace Farm in the Yarra Valley through a letterbox drop

🔗 Links
Peace Farm (Yarra Junction): https://peacefarm.com.au
CERES Community Environment Park: https://ceres.org.au
Yarra Valley ECOSS: https://ecoss.org.au
Farm Change Substack: https://farmchange.substack.com

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