There was forums, talks and discussions, there was workshops galore, there was music (with the amplifiers powered by people riding exercise bikes), there was everything fairtrade from coffee to undies and there was even a permaculture garden.

Kylie and I set up a stall and had an amazing (if slightly exhausting) weekend talking our little heads of about seeds and growing veggies. It was so exciting to hear everyones gardening stories and swap tips and ideas for getting our patches thumping in Autumn. So many interesting people, so much to talk about. Thanks has to go out to our support crew (Dad, Julie, Mum, Claire and Andy) who helped us pack seeds, set up the stall, hand out postcards, stay hydrated and fed all weekend.

Sas at the SLF stall

There are heaps opf interesting links from the 2010 Sustainable Living Festival Website to all sorts of ethical and environmental businesses and community organisations. Check it out…

Mulch not only breaks down over time, slowly feeding the soil and your plants but it also creates a barrier between the hot drying suns rays and the lovely moisture and life in the soil. Bare ground very quickly dries out, which means that you need to water the plants more often. In this day and age of water restrictions this isn’t always possible or ethical. So, it all comes back to MULCH!!!!!

For some more in depth info on mulch visit Pip’s Tips on mulching

Happy mulching….

There is a revolution going on in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.
to watch it click here

Also, an interesting response from Vandana Shiva it is an excerpt from Seeding Deep Democracy in which Vandana Shiva explains how seed banks across India have saved farmers from debt and suicide. watch it here

Watch this video here

Produce exchanges are a great way to share the surplus from your own garden in exchange for the surplus from someone elses, to swap gardening tips and pick up a few yummy treasures along the way. The good news is they’re starting to pop up all over the place.

There is a monthly produce exchange held at my local farmers market which is growing in popularity each month, particularly as the spring rains and sunshine urge our gardens into a state of edible overlfow! Last Sunday I loaded up a box of scrummy harvest from my garden, strapped it to my bike trailor and headed on down to the exchange to see what tender delights I could swap it for.

The way it works is that Bree and Graham from The Food Garden (www.foodgarden.com.au one of our local freindly organic produce suppliers) set up a tent where we all bring our bundles of goodies to swap. We arrange the bounty in baskets on benches and at 11am we take from other peoples bundles what we think our bundles is worth. Honesty is the best policy and everyone always goes away ladden with much more than they bargained for.

This week I swapped my harvest for some parsley, mizuna and waragul greens seedlings, shallots, ruby red chard and local olives. Yuuuumeeey!

Its a great way to meet fellow gardeners and swap tips and ideas. Its also a great way to ensure that you are eating fresh local produce and reducing the ‘food miles’ and carbon footprint of the food we eat. And the best part? Its totally free!

To find a Produce Exchange near you, contact your local farmers market or permaculture group and they will be able to point you in the right direction. If there isn’t one in your local area, produce exchanges are very easy to start. All you need is a table and some enthusiastic gardeners to bring their surplus along on a particular day.
Go forth and share the love…

From now onwards is a great time to plant them in your garden. The shoots are frost tender , but hopefully if we get them in the ground soon by the time they are sending up their shoots the threat of frost will have passed.

Spuds grow from the roots underground. Simply buy some organic spuds from your grocer and leave in a cupboard until they start to grow shoots. You can then cut them up to ensure there is about 3 shoots per piece and plant them about 15 cm deep in loose well drained soil.

They can also be grown inside old car tyres, buckets, Hessian sacks and garden beds built up on top of the spuds. To do this first lay down a bed of compost or well rotted sheep manure, put the chopped up spuds down about 20cm apart and cover with a layer of mulch. As the green shoots start to grow above the surface keep adding layers of mulch (and tyres). Spuds will be ready to harvest at 16-20 weeks but you can start to dig up small ones after about 6 weeks. To harvest simply dig around where the shoots are with your hands or a fork.

Tip: If you dig the up when the soil is dry they will come out clean if the soil is dry.

go forth and Spud-ulate!!!

A Cold Frame is a simple thing to make for your garden which can assist greatly in raising up seedlings in the winter or getting a head start on your spring seedlings. It is like a mini green house just for your seeds.

Here I’ve made one out of an old shower door I found at the local tip, leaning up against a north facing brick wall which gets sunlight all day and the bricks absorb heat during the day and slowly release it inside the cold frame throughout the long winter nights.  I’ve sealed off the cold frame by stacking up rocks at either end and keep the seeds in trays inside. 

For more info on building a cold frame visit the Pip’s Tips page.

Garlic can be used as a natural antibiotic by eating it raw, making a tea/broth with it or taking garlic tablets available at health food stores. This helps prevent and fight infections and colds. It is also good to eat garlic with oily or fatty meals as it can be used to help break down blood clots. It is very hypoglycemic which means that it helps lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. When garlic oil is rubbed into the skin it also acts as an insect repellent.

GROWING GARLIC:

It can be expensive to buy good organic garlic at the market, but along with potatoes it is a very easy crop to grow.

Simply buy a few bulbs of organic garlic and split it up into its individual cloves. Plant each clove about twice its height under the soil with the pointy end pointing up. From each clove a whole bulb of garlic will grow beneath the ground and above ground long green leaves will grow. The bulb is ready to harvest when the green leaves have dried out completely. Lift out of the ground gently with a garden fork and pull out of the ground. Its best to harvest when the soil is dry to ensure clean bulbs.

Our first post out of Pip’s Autumn Kit have been sent to all our Autumn subscribers. When you’re planting your seeds, whether its straight into your garden or in seed trays for transplanting later, there are a few things that are crucial to remember.

#1: Remember to keep the soil wet where you have planted your seeds. Not soaking wet as the seeds will rot or go mouldy, but moist like its just rained gentley on them. Don’t let the soil dry out at any point or the seeds may not germinate.

Seeds are like us, they need certain conditions to survive. Food, water, air, sunlight and the right temperature. Different seeds prefer different temperatures which is why many plants are seasonal and will only grow at a particuar time of year. Winter crops like cold spells whilst summer crops need it to be warm.

It is also a good time to transplant seedlings as plants are putting more of their energy into growing their roots at this time.

Root crops such as carrots, beetroot, turnip, parsnip, raddish, garlic and potatoes are best planted during the waning moon also.