Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 27 i Pip Magazine

Ideas, information and inspiration on how to live a more sustainable and earth-friendly life. Stay in touch with topics that matter Gain access to exclusive offers and giveaways Get your regular Pip fix between issues www.pipmagazine.com.au “Pip wants to do more than just inspire you to live your best life. We want to lead by example, practise what we preach and live by the ethics of earth care, people care and fair share. And although permaculture is a concept created 40-odd years ago, these ideas aren’t new. Indigenous people all around the world have been living like this for tens of thousands of years. Pip acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land; past, present and emerging. Created on the lands of the Yuin Nation, Pip respects the great wealth of…

Known as the world’s most expensive spice, the bright-orange saffron threads have been prized since biblical times for their fragrance, flavour, colour and medicinal value. Saffron is the stigma of an autumn-blooming bulb called a crocus. The saffron-producing flower (Crocus sativus) is lilac in colour and globe shaped, and grows from a bulb to about 75 millimetres tall. Its most notable features are the three long, orange-red pistils that protrude from the blossoms. The stigmas at the end of these are what saffron powder comes from. And the reason it’s so expensive is because you’d need nearly 100,000 flowers in order to produce a kilogram of saffron powder. HISTORY Because of how little saffron is produced by one flowering crocus, it has been a coveted commodity throughout history. It’s believed…

As people look to have more control of food production, a long-held custom for Italian families in Australia has become more mainstream. ‘Tomato day’, ‘sauce day’ or ‘passata day’ – whatever you’d like to call it – is a day for reconnecting with all generations for the annual passata-making tradition. To the uninitiated who have Italian neighbours, the gatherings of young and old in backyards for a day in February or March could seem quite mysterious. There are cauldrons, smoke, old men barking instructions, younger men lugging around crates and bowls filled with blood-red juices, women getting on with work and the scent of freshly picked basil. If the neighbours poked their heads over the fence, they would see rows and rows of clean bottles being filled and lids fastened,…

Know your values. Get clear on your values, consciously know them, write them down. Be honest with yourself, they need to be your values, not things that society or other people deem important. Also get clear on the reason for your project, what your financial capacity is and how you are going about it. Understand your land. The piece of land or existing property you buy will have a significant impact on the cost, complexity and length of the process you need to undertake. This requires due diligence, research and asking questions. Knowing what questions to ask is crucial and that’s where professionals can help. Accept your capacity. Define your financial, emotional and physical capacity depending on what your project requires. Dream big, be imaginative but be willing to start…

PERMACULTURE TEACHER TRAINING & PDC Join Hannah Maloney & Brenna Quinlan for a Permaculture Teacher Training course (April); immerse yourself in a PDC with David Holmgren (April/May); participate in an Open Day or various workshops on a certified organic permaculture farm. www.foodforest.com.au (08) 8522 6450 STUDY PERMACULTURE IN BYRON Learn more about Permaculture with nationally recognised permaculture training through Byron Region Community College. There’s a modular PDC and plenty of courses and workshops to inspire and motivate you. www.byronpermaculture.org.au (02) 6684 3374 STUDY ONLINE, AT YOUR PLACE Get new skills and habits for a better life with Permaculture Living - learn 40+ practical ways to embed permaculture principles into YOUR life. And now Milkwood has taken its acclaimed Home Mushroom Cultivation course online, too! www.milkwood.net/courses DIGGERS EDUCATION PROGRAM After a…

“Networks in ecosystems provide the relationships of reciprocity; the giving, taking and sharing that makes life possible” An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment. It functions as a complex, self-sustaining natural system that meets its needs without waste. ‘The ecological imperative’ states that humans are part of ecosystems, and must acknowledge their interrelationship with and interdependence upon such systems. Permaculture follows this imperative, to integrate and transform human societies so they can live in sustainably designed and highly productive ecosystems. In such systems self-interest is aligned with the common good. For these reasons permaculture is often called ‘the cultivated ecology’. Networks in ecosystems provide the relationships of reciprocity; the giving, taking and sharing that makes life possible. And it’s our ethical…

Wicking beds are a self-watering raised garden bed perfect for growing vegies. They save you time, reduce your water usage and they’re reasonably easy to make yourself. As the name suggests, wicking beds draw moisture from beneath the soil using capillary action, and providing water to your plants from below rather than above has many benefits. Not only does it save you time watering, but evaporation is reduced, the risk of fungal disease is lessened and the wicking action ensures the moisture is more evenly distributed throughout the soil. WHAT YOU’LL NEED With a bit of nous and know-how, making your own wicking bed out of found objects is a relatively easy process and can save you hundreds of dollars. First you’ll need a container; this can be an old…

Books THE SMART VEGGIE PATCH A COMPLETE SYSTEM FOR GROWING NUTRITIONAL, ABUNDANT ORGANIC PRODUCE TO FEED A FAMILY AND SAVE A PLANET BY TERRY MEMORY (PAN MACMILLAN 2022) After surviving the Black Saturday bushfires, Terry Memory built his family of eight a vegie patch. Determined to become more self-reliant in this era of unpredictable weather events and worsening health caused by highly processed food, he designed a system that combines ancient agrarian traditions with the latest in science and technology to deliver massively increased yields while radically reducing workload. In this book, Terry’s overview of the deteriorating state of our food supply will inspire you to take a step towards self-reliance, while his practical tips and how-to guides will provide would-be food growers the tools needed to get going. Well researched…

MARIA CIAVARELLA Maria has combined her teaching background with her many years in retail horticulture to be the founder of My Green Garden, her small business which has delivered hundreds of presentations and hands-on workshops on down-to-earth topics since 2007. Now she juggles My Green Garden commitments with a regular job back in school education, all while trying to maintain a huge productive garden, her beloved chooks and her compulsion to preserve anything that stands still long enough! TAJ SCICLUNA Taj specialises in herbalism practices for those with neurodivergence and anxiety, focusing on the systemic links between the nervous, digestive and immune systems. She is an artist who fuses her love of herbalism, foraging, writing, cooking, ecosystem health, personal health and education into a cohesive offering. Her business, The Perma…

Pela PHONE CASE American company Pela claims to have created the world’s first compostable and biodegradable phone case. Made using the straw-like substance left after flax is harvested, as well as biopolymers and other waste materials, Pela says production of its cases produce 30 percent less carbon emissions, uses 34 percent less water and produces 80 percent less waste. From $62 www.pelacase.com Mexican Sole HUARACHES An Australian company founded by a couple with Mexican heritage, Mexican Sole shoes sources its huaraches from a family-run producer in Mexico. Handmade by experienced weavers using sustainably sourced leather, each shoe is created using a single strand of leather that’s been woven into the sole, making them durable and long lasting. The colours are achieved using vegetable dyes and the process uses a 200-year-old…

Capsicum annum – from the Greek word, ‘to bite’, an allusion to the pungent properties of the fruit; annum is Latin for annual. ORIGINS There is some controversy about the origins of chillies and capsicums. While some experts believe various species came from Mexico, it is generally accepted that the ancestors of chillies originated in an area of Bolivia and spread throughout Central and South America. CULTIVATION The minimum temperature for successful seed germination is 15 ºC. Seeds can be started indoors in winter and the seedlings planted out in spring when the danger of frost has passed. They require staking if strong winds are common. Both capsicums and chillies behave as perennials in the subtropics and tropics, and as annuals in temperate climates, but can be cut back and…

“A little attention now will replenish the most important element in your garden and lay the foundation for a productive season ahead” A productive winter garden is created in autumn. So even though the days are still long and the garden is pumping with end-of-season summer crops, ticking off a few jobs now will help ensure there’s plenty to harvest in the depths of winter. While it’s hard to imagine that cooler weather will soon be arriving, having a productive winter garden means getting those important garden jobs done early. In between keeping up the water and harvesting your summer bounty, there are some key jobs you can do right now to set yourself up to be putting food on the table when the seasons finally turn. LOVE YOUR SOIL…

There are so many benefits to making bone broth, and they extend further than the many health benefits. The flavour of homemade broth is far superior to any stock you can buy, it’s considerably less expensive and you’re using more parts of an animal that would otherwise be wasted. As the perfect way to use up bones like chicken or fish carcasses, as well as some tired-looking vegies in the bottom of the crisper, most of us are used to making stock as a versatile base for many dishes. But taking things a step further and creating bone broth, which with a bit more cooking time releases more nutrients from the ingredients, is better for you, your tastebuds and your hip pocket. Bones contain a long list of vitamins and…

Rising living costs and broken supply chains have seen a resurgence in backyard food growing and with it, a return to local food swapping and increased community resilience. Exchanges come in many forms. Be it a monthly crop swap at the local park, a roadside stall, mailbox seed library, skill sharing or swapping produce through social media, there are many different models in use. Whatever form it takes, the common theme is that no money changes hands. Instead it’s about exchanging homegrown produce, reducing waste, sharing local knowledge and, most importantly, fostering a sense of community. Many people realised that growing your own food isn’t as easy as planting something one day and harvesting great produce down the track. And after spending hundreds of dollars on soil, raised garden beds…

A once vacant and decrepit vicarage in Melbourne’s inner-north suburb of Preston is now home to Oakhill Food Justice Farm, a community space and urban farm empowering members with knowledge, skills and stronger social connections. Situated 9 km from the CBD, Oakhill Food Justice Farm is the second such initiative of not-for-profit organisation Sustain. In the past 17 months and with the help of staff and volunteers, Sustain has turned a run-down churchyard into a thriving hub which educates, feeds and nurtures its community. ‘This place-making initiative demonstrates the power of urban agriculture to create beautiful places of nurturing and healing for people, plants, soil, birds and bees,’ says Sustain’s executive director Nick Rose. ‘Oakhill is central to Sustain’s mission to expand urban agriculture across Australia.’ The initiative is a…

We love seeing what kids are growing with their families in their gardens, so snap and email us an image of what you’re harvesting at the moment. Send the photo to editorial@pipmagazine.com.au – you might even pick up a copy of Wilam, A Birrarung Story. This issue’s winner is six-year-old Finley Cornwall-Wetton from Briagolong, Victoria. SHOW US YOUR GARDEN Leifr (7) and Darcy (6) Enkindle Village School, Townsville Tell us about your patch Darcy: We spend a lot of time eating in it. We love to eat tomatoes, sunflower seeds and kale. Our garden is a peaceful place to go in the mornings. We share our garden with the animals. What are your favourite things to grow in your patch? Leifr: My favourite things to grow are sunflowers and loofas.…

THE SOLUTIONISTS HOW BUSINESSES CAN FIX THE FUTURE BY SOLITAIRE TOWNSEND (KOGAN PAGE 2023) In the face of our climate emergency, we desperately need solutionists working to fix the future. This is your handbook for becoming the leader that the world needs. The Solutionists sets out what it takes to join the new generation of entrepreneurs, CEOs and leaders transforming business to create a more sustainable society. NEIGHBOURHOOD GUIDE TO CYCLING NAARM – MELBOURNE BY TRENT HOLDEN & KATE MORGAN (HARDIE GRANT 2022) No lycra? No worries, this is a fun, accessible guidebook for riders of all ages and levels. Whether you zoom around daily on your fixie or if it’s been a few years (or decades) since you’ve dusted off your old bicycle, you’ll find helpful tips and tricks…

https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org/ Most people are content contributing just one task or role that’s making real and positive change. Not Morag Gamble, she’s got fingers in permaculture pies all over the world and, importantly, she practises what she preaches. Morag Gamble is many things: founder of the Permaculture Education Institute, founder and executive director of the Ethos Foundation charity, cofounder of Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane and the Australian Community Gardens Network. She’s an ambassador, a writer, a filmmaker for her YouTube channel Our Permaculture Life, and the host of the permaculture podcast Sense-Making in a Changing World. She’s a wife and a mother and she lives with her family in an ecovillage on the outskirts of Brisbane. PERMACULTURE EDUCATION INSTITUTE A global online community connecting generations and cultures and inspiring…

“Allow yourself to take a moment to sit and read. And breathe” Sit and breathe. I feel like it is a time where we all need to stop and take the time to sit and breathe occasionally. When did life get so hectic for everyone? Why are we all so busy? Exhale. I hope this issue encourages you to allow yourself to take a moment to sit – preferably with a beverage of your choice – and read and breathe. To take a moment to find some inspiration from the knowledge and experience of others, and to read stories of extraordinary actions of everyday folk who are making a difference in the world, in their own small way in their own neck of the woods. We don’t all have to…

WRITE IN AND WIN! Letter of the Issue will receive a copy of Thrifty Gardening by the collective wisdom of the Victorian Country Women’s Association. LETTER of the ISSUE Downsizing I was devastated when early this year I had to leave my rental of 17 years. I had built up a huge plant collection over that time that had become accustomed to its own funky little microclimate. Due to overwhelm, and moving to a third-floor apartment with no lift, I gave away 95 percent of my plants. I honestly went into grief-mode as I mourned the loss of my beautiful garden I had built up over the years. So I decided to start again. Start small. And as I now have abundant sunshine on my small new balcony (my last…

Growing great vegies all comes down to the health of your soil, and you can’t have healthy soil without compost. There are many different ways to create compost at home; which is best depends on your situation and what fits into your space and lifestyle. Having healthy living soil full of organic matter and microorganisms is essential to growing nutritious food. Compost you buy in a bag or from a nursery is never going to be as high quality as what you can make at home. And by making your own compost, not only are you creating rich organic matter to maintain healthy soils, but composting is a sustainable solution to your food-waste problems and an inexpensive way to deal with any green waste around your home. Compost can get…

As overconsumption continues to drive the climate crisis, one Tasmanian building designer is quietly trumpeting the idea that less is actually more. Jane Hilliard is on a mission to claw back the overconsumption rampant in the building industry. Swimming against the metaphorical tide that promotes ever-expanding McMansion-style developments, Jane champions the concept of ‘enoughness’ in her professional life and in her everyday life, too. In Jane’s own words, enoughness is about ‘working out what you need to be happy and healthy, without taking more than your fair share.’ And when our homes are created with this in mind, the positive impacts radiate. Jane is the founder and head designer at Designful. Based in nipaluna/Hobart in Tasmania, Designful creates beautiful, humble homes and small buildings for those who want to focus…

Requirements are going to vary between states and territories, but a good place to start is to check your local council guidelines and Food Safe Australia to see what the legal requirements are in your area. There are restrictions around cut produce, eggs, milk, preserves and even body products that need to be considered. Ask neighbours and friends if they’d be willing to support the initiative and together decide what you really want to exchange, so you can make the rules really clear. A lot of successful edible exchanges start off as seed swapping, a box of excess lemons at a mailbox or friends meeting once a month at the park to talk about and share plants. ‘The main piece of advice I would give to people wanting to create…

Food sovereignty, resilience and security has been long discussed, however medicinal sovereignty is crucial to the health of both humans and ecosystems. From our own gut microbiota, to the bioregions worldwide, medicinal plants play an essential role in recovery and repair. Of the estimated 400,000 species of edible plants worldwide, on average most western diets consist of 30 species alone, most of which have been cultivated for modern diets. So not only are we missing out on important nutritional diversity, the types of plants which have been cultivated for our modern diets are heavily lacking in nutrient density. Food as medicine is simply not enough, as the varieties to choose from do not have the robust nourishment we require for true vitality and preventative measures against disease. It is medicine…

The words Men’s Shed conjures up images of old blokes tinkering away their days with bits of wood. And for many such sheds around Australia, this is true. But there’s a shed in country New South Wales prioritising gender inclusiveness, sustainability and growing food for the community, and it’s all the better for it. It was 2017 when Matthew Day was asked to take on the role of secretary at the Gundagai Men’s Shed. The former committee had been disbanded and the place was in debt. Aged just 32, he reluctantly agreed, agreeing to step in until someone more appropriate could take over. It wasn’t all bad. Aware he’d missed the opportunity to learn skills from his own grandfathers, he conceded he could probably do with the hands-on mentoring that…

Q WHAT’S ORANGE AND SOUNDS LIKE A PARROT? A A CARROT FUN FACTS ABOUT CHOOKS Six things you may not know about backyard chickens 1 There are more chickens on earth than people! 2 Chickens are living descendants of dinosaurs 3 Because they experience REM sleep, chooks have 4 The record for the most egg yolks in one egg is nine yolks! 5 The record number of eggs laid by a chicken in one day is seven 6 Chooks clean themselves by bathing in dirt Q WHAT KIND OF SHOES DO FROGS WEAR? A OPEN-TOAD! FIND-A-WORD How many of the 24 words from this issue can you find hidden in this box? SOIL SHARE EXCHANGE FARM CAPSICUM COMPOSTING MICROBES MULCH HERBAL MEDICINE GUNDAGAI WOMEN ENOUGHNESS OAKHILL FARMER SWAP EDIBLE GARDEN…