A natural burial ground in northern New South Wales is being proposed by a small group of people with a new to offering earth burials.  Under the headline: Banded Bee farm could host natural burial ground in Armidale reporter Meg Francis (Newcastle Herald, 5 August 2016) tells the story of Jane Pickard, owner of Banded Bee farm, 12 kilometres north-west of Armidale, who has put her hand up to offer two of 16 hectares of her property to be the site for the burial ground.

“Earth funerals” will offer people the opportunity to be buried on the site in a biodegradable coffin or shroud and without being treated by preserving chemicals such as embalming fluids.

‘The permaculturalist said a bush burial offered people a positive sustainable impact even after death by being ‘recycled’ into the land.’  “For me the idea that we make bodies toxic and then put them somewhere that will never grow anything is completely ridiculous,” Pickard says.  Read the full story at: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4073544/earth-burial-trend/

For a similar story with audio by Jane Pickard and Kevin Hartley, log onto ABC radio news: Composting humans: plans for natural burial ground near Armidale NSW at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-09/farm-funerals-natural-burial-ground/7493802