Hey Seva - great post !!!!
Putting my hand up as another Grass Roots Permie Princess. lol
I have been gardening along Permaculture principles for the past 10 years - although having only been at my current home for 2 years - this garden hasn't "popped" yet - but the groundwork is done and in the meantime we have a steady supply of annual veggies and herbs before the fruit trees start yielding.
This last month i have felt a rising sense of urgency and will be bringing in the girl's (the chooks) ASAP!
I have included a couple of websites below which are an invaluable source of information for anyone wanting to explore the idea of taking back control of your own food. Explore the forums.
Enjoy!!
http://permaculture.org.au/what-is-permaculture/
http://www.aussieslivingsimply.com.au/news.php
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/