Thursday, 2nd June, 2022
The Day’s hand-picked ideas, tips to better grow Vegs, and meet people you should know.
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1
Reclaim the lawn
"It’s the true start of spring: you’re minding your own business on a Saturday morning when your neighbour starts up their lawnmower, disturbing the peace. His (in my experience it is usually a his) appetite for a well-manicured, green-striped lawn is voracious, and nothing will stop him achieving it. We still go to great lengths to control our little green patches, no matter the weather. But with rising fertiliser costs, growing awareness of the cost of water consumption, the biodiversity crisis and the sheer pain of keeping them looking a certain way, isn’t it time we all reassessed our attachment to them?" — Yes! Give up the lawn and grow more Vegs instead (it’s an area of permanent negotiation with my wife as I try to reclaim land!).
2
The original compost tea
"In 1996, Dr. Y L Nene secured a duplicate of the Vrikshayurveda manuscript from Oxford College’s Bodleian Library and had it translated from Sanskrit to English to leearn more about Kunapajala, a ‘pure pesticide‘ ready from fish & animal waste, Kunapajala is a magical natural fertilizer. It’s mentioned to enhance soil fertility, cut back pests that resist chemical fertilisers, and erase pesticide residue in only a few years." — He has now created a Vegan version of the fermented fertiliser, a natural tea similar to Compost Tea.
3
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results
"WHEN I moved to Bathurst from Melbourne to begin life as an environmental educator, I was thrilled to experience all the benefits of a regional setting - farmland, community, snow days, local wine, and bushwalking. But it didn't take long for the realities to kick in - anxiety levels rose whenever there was a fire, flood, snowstorm or dust storm. A local friend drew my attention to the food supply vanishing in the shops within a couple of short days whenever our vulnerable roads were closed to trucks. For the first time, I felt the insane fragility of our supply chains - food grown in Bathurst trucked away and trucked back again to eventually fill our supermarkets. Transforming worry into wisdom, I turned my attention to the practical solutions offered by permaculture." — That’s exactly why I do what I do here: to share an alternative with the knowledge that’s nearly forgotten and get you and your children develop the easy skills to grow your own, nutrients-rich Vegs so you don’t rely on our crazy current food production system.
4
People you should know
"The organic philosophy at The Living Farm is one from our past, before “organic” became something you did, not who you are. We just raise the food as if it were going onto our table: free of chemicals, nutrient balanced and environmentally friendly." The Living Farm. — Lynn and her team do wonderful work to share over 30 years of Organic Vegs growing knowledge. And she shares much of it in the High Performance Garden Show. Enroll for free.
5
Never a dill moment
Collared by its cousin Kale: "Growing collard greens is a delicious way to get some extra-healthy dark leafy greens in your vegetable garden. Similar to its cousin kale, collard greens are easy to grow. Both the leaves and stems are edible, and they can be eaten in all of the same ways as cabbage, spinach, and kale. Collard greens are an asset to your garden and meals!" — My garden is full of Kale & collard greens, it requires so little work yet will feed you throughout the year.
+ Gardening Is Something Anyone Can Do: “Gardening should not be prohibitive to anyone,” Speight says. “You know, gardening is something that anyone can do, everyone should try and all of us should enjoy.” — Grab a copy of the Urban Garden book by Kathy Jentz (see a review). In The Urban Garden you’ll find dozens of inspiring and creative ways to grow flowers, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, and other plants in small spaces and with a limited budget. Even without a garden, I also showed you how to grow Microgreens in your kitchen.
+ Crop swaps: "Olive Gallagher and her partner started up the North Nelson Crop Swap, one of two in Nelson, seeing people take their produce, preserves and various items from the garden to swap them with people in the community." — What a great idea to build your local community spirit and share your produce! Bonus if you share locally grown seeds also.
6
Bottom of the compost pile
Free wood chips: “compost as black gold, and I wholeheartedly believe that good finished compost is one of the best garden amendments you can have. It adds fertility, improves soil structure, encourages beneficial fungi and bacteria, and more. Composting also helps keep unnecessary items out of landfills." — Learn those 6 ways from Jordan to improve your soil fertility (1. start composting, 2. water with teas, 3. bag and use grass clippings, 4. grow cover crops, 5. mulch hay, 6. search for free wood chips.
+ "Banana peel fertilizer is prepared in much the same way as eggshell fertilizer. First, dehydrate the peel in the microwave until they snap when bent. Then, a few pulses in the food processor or blender should turn them into a powder that can be sprinkled around your plants." — Learn a few more tips to make homemade fertiliser from Arielle. And check out my comprehensive guide to making natural fertiliser.
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Keep Growing-
Anthony - Veg Geek