Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 32 i Pip Magazine

NAT MENDHAM Nat is putting down roots (both literally and metaphorically) with her family on beautiful Mumirimina Country on the eastern shore of nipaluna/Hobart. Her passion is for storytelling, imagination and localisation, which drives her to create a life full of photography, writing, drawing, cycling, gardening, mending at her local repair cafe and skill-sharing with her permie mates. They’re new to their piece of land and are slowly permaculturing it, starting with compost, growing greens, wrangling chickens and enjoying what’s already there. JACLYN CRUPI Jaclyn Crupi is a book editor, project manager, event host and bookseller. She has written numerous books for both children and adults. Her most recent book, Garden Like a Nonno, was shortlisted for an Indie Book Award and longlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award. Her…

HERITAGE HARVEST The Heritage Harvest weekend at Sovereign Hill is celebrating the abundance of autumn in an immersive two-day event looking at both food-growing and preserving practices brought to Australia from around the world. The 25–26 May event forms the culmination of the 10-day Ballarat Heritage Festival, which kicks off on 17 May, to commemorate the Victorian town’s rich cultural history. WA TREES UNDER THREAT A tiny pest has caused the felling and chipping of more than 180 mature trees in Perth, and scientists are warning the health of Australia’s tree population will be under threat if it’s allowed to spread from the 1000 known infestation sites across 88 suburbs of the Western Australian capital. The polyphagous shot-hole borer, which is just 2 mm long, tunnels into mature trees and…

One of the greatest ways we can connect to and care for Country is to observe, watch, listen and understand. To care for Country, we need to develop relationships with ecosystems. Our Old People did that for thousands of years and have come to understand our Country and how it works. Any chance we get to learn from our Elders and cultural knowledge holders is the chance of a lifetime. SEASONS AND CYCLES We need to understand our seasonal cycles and how they are not necessarily related to our calendar year. It might be at the end of August, or it might be midway through spring – it’s not about the date, it’s about what’s happening with species relationships that signal these things. By understanding the cycles of nature and…

Said to have the ability to both battle climate change and restore soils, biochar has plenty of benefits for backyard growers. Biochar is charcoal made by burning woody materials, agricultural waste or any dried organic material like manures in a low-oxygen environment. Unlike charcoal, biochar is intended for combining with soil and has some properties that make it excel at this. For your soils to get the most out of biochar, it should be ‘charged’, which means soaked in a nutrient-rich mix such as manures, urine, worm castings or compost. Left uncharged, it can bind nutrients and make them less available, at least in the short term. Even uncharged, biochar will eventually still improve the nutrient-holding capacity and exchange in soils. There are lots of ways to ‘charge’ biochar, but…

www.pipmagazine.com.au Every article Pip has ever published is now live and searchable online. Whether you need a hand in the garden, help in the kitchen or advice on your latest project, Pip’s ideas, information and inspiration will be at your fingertips. Accessible on any device, membership includes monthly giveaways, exclusive access to content, sneak peeks of upcoming issues, Pip partner discounts and plenty more! Pick up a Lifetime Digital Subscription for $120 and have Pip in your pocket for life! GET YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION TODAY! https://grow.pipmagazine.com.au/ www.pipmagazine.com.au…

Like nature all around us, we’ve had a busy autumn. We have been frantically storing autumn’s bounty, socialising in the warm weather and ticking off to-do lists. We are ready to curl up in a warm spot and hibernate. But how do we surrender to rest, when it feels like there’s so much to do? While our work has the incredible potential to be fulfilling and take us where our heart leads, it can sometimes become overwhelming and feel like there’s too much to do right now. Rest can slip right down to the end of the priority list, so it’s important to keep tabs on what working sustainably looks like for you. We work in a world that celebrates toxic productivity, and we’re made to feel like resting is…

MUSHROOM GROWING AT PIP HQ PAMBULA - 23 JUNE, 1-4PM Join Fungi Feastival’s mushroom growers to learn growing techniques indoors in buckets or outdoors in your garden. With demonstrations of Oyster, Lion’s Mane and Wine Cap mushrooms grown from grain spawn. www.pipmagazine.com.au/mushroom-course-24 ONLINE LEARNING FOR HANDS-ON LIVING Australia’s best-loved online courses to help you gain the knowledge and practical skills you need for living like it matters: Permaculture Living | Home Mushroom Cultivation | Organic Vegetable Gardening. www.milkwood.net/courses SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PERMACULTURE WORKSHOPS & TOURS Absorb sustainable living skills on growing organic food, fruit and nuts, keeping poultry and strawbale construction or immerse yourself in our PDC. The Food Forest in Gawler SA, is a mature, certified organic permaculture farm and education centre. Tours by appointment. www.foodforest.com.au (08) 8522 6450 PDCs,…

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 to win a copy of Harriet’s Hungry Worms by Samantha Smith and Melissa Johns. This issue’s winner is Gracie Jarman from Rosebud, Victoria. WOVEN BRACELET By Elizabeth Park Primary Many plants are good for this, like lemongrass, lomandra, native sedges and flat rushes. WHAT YOU’LL NEED Collect long strips of fresh, green plant leaves and allow to dry out completely. DIRECTIONS 1 Soak the dried leaves in a large container overnight and keep extra pieces in a wet towel 2 Tie two pieces together at one end 3 Hold the knot with your left hand, then use your…

THE QUIET REVOLUTION DEBT-FREE AND WORKING LESS. HOW OUR SPECIES SURVIVES BY LINDA COCKBURN (TOGETHER PRESS 2024) The Quiet Revolution is an invitation to live bigger, deeper, richer lives. Drawing on science, history, anthropology, philosophy psychology and over 500 of the world’s best thinkers, Cockburn sets out a bold thought experiment and invites us on a collaborative adventure. NOT JUST JAM THE FAT PIG FARM BOOK OF PRESERVES, PICKLES & SAUCES BY MATTHEW EVANS (MURDOCH BOOKS 2024) Matthew Evans’ collection of more than 90 classic preserving methods. It is for the forager, who scours the suburbs looking for fruit trees whose bounty is overlooked; for the cook, who wants their dishes to resonate with flavours borne from their own hands; and for anyone who is passionate about flavour. WHAT CAN…

Welcome to our winter issue of Pip. For me winter means the lighting of the fire in the evening, the smell of woodsmoke, growing winter vegies, exhilarating surfs in ice-cold water, knitting, fermenting and trying to find some time to rest. As Nat Mendham explains in her article on ‘radical rest’ (p68), we too ‘can accept permission to rest, hibernate and go dormant in winter like we witness nature doing all around us’. Nat reminds us that sometimes the most productive thing we can do is to rest and restore our finite energy. When we are less active outdoors, it also makes time to do fun things indoors, like make pasta from scratch. We share the secret tips and tricks of some of the best pasta-making nonne around (p44), we…

QToys WOODEN MICROSCOPE This timber microscope allows curious minds an introduction to the world of microscopy. Measuring 27 cm wide and approximately 17 cm in both height and depth, the lightweight design means it can be used on a table or balanced on a lap. It also features an adjustable-height base plate to let kids achieve optimal focus on their subject. $53.90 www.qtoys.com.au Abeec Hives OATH STINGLESS AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEEHIVE Handmade in Brisbane from 25 mm hardwood marine ply, the three-layer Oath native beehive has vent holes at the base, a honey super designed to help you harvest honey and a Colorbond roof. It’s 8.6 litres in volume, its external dimensions are 300 mm high, 200 mm wide and 180mm deep, and it weighs around five kilograms. Stingless native bees…

WINTER GROWING TIPS Is there a difference between cabbage moths and cabbage white butterflies? While the term cabbage moth and cabbage white butterfly are fairly interchangeable, they’re actually two different species. However when we talk about either the moth (Plutella xylostella) or the butterfly (Pieris rapae), we’re talking about the same problem, because both of them love to lay their eggs on the leaves of brassicas. Luckily for gardeners, both of them are dealt with in the same way. What’s the best way to deal with cabbage moths and cabbage white butterflies? They’re more prevalent when it’s still warm, which is usually the time when your seedlings are establishing. The easiest and most effective way is to form a barrier with exclusion netting to stop them getting in to lay…

Apium graveolens var. dulce – apium means celery, graveolens ‘strong-smelling’ and dulce ‘sweet’ in Latin. ORIGINS From Sweden to northern Africa and eastern Asia, celery grows wild in salty soils and marshes. There are records of its cultivation in France before the 16th century, and in Italy before the 18th century. DESCRIPTION Celery is grown in Australia primarily for its stems which can be blanched by excluding light. However there are many smaller forms that have more flavour than these broad-stemmed ones. CULTIVATION Celery will grow poorly in extremes of temperature. It grows best between 12–24 °C and does very well with a thick mulch around the base (sea grasses are fantastic for this) as its fibrous matted roots do not extend very far. Commercial growers water up to three…

Much can be made of pasta but ultimately its beauty lies in its simplicity. In its most basic form, fresh pasta is simply flour plus hydration in the form of water or eggs. The simple act of making pasta is an act of love. Watch any nonna make pasta and this is abundantly clear. Pasta feeds people. It can be the easiest meal to prepare or the most intensive labour of love. It can have just three or four ingredients. It can showcase the finest truffles or wild mushrooms, decadent and special. But ultimately it feeds people, lots of people. The world of pasta is seemingly endless. There are more shapes than you could name and, confusingly, there are often multiple names for the exact same shape, but the four…

One owner-builder’s story of creating a small sustainable home for herself using her experience and love of permaculture. Megan Cooke spent 17 years building her dream home and permaculture garden with her husband-at-the-time. Then they separated, and she had to leave it all behind. She took everything she’d learned in the first build, and in her many years as a horticulturist, and started again. She has now built a solar-passive rammed-earth studio home, with a vintage caravan called Frankie for her teenage daughter, on a smart block inland from the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. ‘When I met my ex-husband it was our dream to build an earth house with permaculture gardens. For 17 years I had put my heart and soul into building the three-bedroom, one-bathroom home…

“When gardening in small spaces and room is a premium, a bit of thought and clever planning goes a long way to fitting more in less” More than just an edible garden, designing a functional living pantry is to create a thriving ecosystem that nourishes itself and all those who visit it. A living pantry is place of repose, a feast for the senses, a celebration of diversity that not only sustains people, but provides food, water and habitat for an abundance of other species. A garden that is beautiful, practical and productive. It is a place where you can forage and it is the garden that dictates what’s on the menu. A garden for picking flowers, connecting with nature and drawing food from. Edible perennials, herbs and vegetables grow…

Wave goodbye to cold hands this winter with these easy-to-knit fingerless gloves. As we head into the cooler months, do you have memories of your hands being too cold to do a fiddly job, or even so cold that they ache? These fingerless gloves will keep your hands warm and snug while leaving your fingers free to do what they need to do. They’re small enough to keep in a pocket and versatile enough to be useful around the home and outdoors. If you’re new to knitting, this a great project to start on. The gloves are knitted flat, the pattern is straightforward and the number of stitches doesn’t change. After a night or two with your wool and needles, or on a rainy weekend, you’ll find these gloves will…

COLOUR IN OUR COVER IMAGE Have a go at colouring in the image that appears on this issue’s cover. Once you’re happy with it, ask an adult take a photo of you holding your finished artwork and have them email it to editorial@pipmagazine.com.au. You can post your entry to Pip magazine, PO Box 172, Pambula, NSW, 2549. The winner will be published in the next issue and will pick up a copy of Butterfly Girl by Ashing Kwok & Arielle Li. The winner of Issue 31’s colouring-in competition is Niamh Matthieson from Wangaratta, Vic. Well done to everyone who entered. FIND-A-WORD How many of the 24 words from this issue can you find hidden in this box? BIOCHAR BOARD BUTTERFLY CABBAGE CELERY DRUMMING HONEY LETTUCE MISO MOTH NETTING PANTRY PASTA…

Felco SECATEURS Review by Julie Bennett As someone who’s worked in vineyards, orchards and market gardens, I have a healthy appreciation for high-quality secateurs. I’ve used a lot of different brands over the years and have settled on Swiss brand Felco as my preferred pruners. They’re not cheap, but they’re well made, ergonomically designed, have some clever features and there’s a big range of spare parts available, meaning there’s no reason why they won’t last for many years. THE ERGONOMICS Felco uses numbers as the model names and these Felco 7s form part of the brand’s range of revolving-handle secateurs. Designed to reduce strain and fatigue during extended use, the outer handle – as in the side of the handle that your fingers pull down on to make the cut…

Laura Wills is a Tarntanya/Adelaide based artist whose practice centres around collaboration, participation and local ecologies. Laura is interested in ecological issues, the lives of plants and animals, food sources and land and waterways, often working with scientists, ethicists, gardeners and educators to interpret and give life to scientific knowledges as a way of fostering empathy and care. Her expanded approach is site responsive, often connecting people together and to nature. Themes Laura explores in her work include investigations of mapping, shelter, mycelial and symbiotic relationships and food security issues. She is half of Wills Projects with William Cheesman and currently works from Central Studios in Kent Town.…

WRITE IN AND WIN! The Letter of the Issue wins a copy of Garden Hacks by Filip Johansson. Mad with mildew I am 14 years old, I have loved gardening since I was very young when I was growing shop-bought tomatoes and it is a real bonding experience for me and my dad. I’ve always figured out solutions to the problems, be it aphids, mites or bushfires, but I’ve encountered a problem I can’t shake – powdery mildew! Any tips? I’m about to lose it and pull them all out and replant! Ivy FieldingCoffs Harbour, NSW Thank you for getting in touch – we love hearing about people’s gardening adventures. We like to use a milk spray to prevent powdery mildew. Get rid of the leaves that have mildew on…

A close wild relative to our modern-day lettuce varieties, prickly lettuce or wild lettuce (Lactuca serriola) is an edible and widely spread weed that is found in most parts of Australia. Native to Europe, Asia and parts of Africa and a member of the asteraceae family, this winter annual is a good replacement for our common lettuce varieties. It has a stronger flavour, slightly more bitterness and has been used for a long time as a medicinal herb. HOW TO IDENTIFY IT Often found growing on roadsides, recently disturbed soil and paddocks with good sunlight, wild lettuce can sometimes be confused with dandelions as the young leaves can resemble each other. But they’re easier to tell apart as they mature, because wild lettuce will form a row of spiny hairs…

Pruning deciduous fruit trees promotes reliable harvests and supports your trees to grow both stronger and healthier. But knowing when and how to prune them is the key to success. Fruit trees benefit from being pruned annually, but understanding how to prune your trees can seem complex and intimidating at first glance. It doesn’t need to be. Pruning simply involves removing unwanted branches from the tree using secateurs, loppers or a pruning saw in a way that balances fruit and vegetative growth and encourages a desired shape. While productive trees will grow and bear a harvest without any pruning, there are some key reasons why trimming them up annually is a good idea. The first is to create a good shape and structure for a young tree – a foundation…

Embracing seasonality is about understanding the cycles of the land and the climate – even, or especially, as it changes – and knowing they have the ability to make things taste the best possible versions of themselves. Seasonality has a unique ability to present fresh foods to you at their highest peak of tastiness. Winter frosts bring out the sugars of sprouts and parsnips; sunshine doesn’t just sweeten summer’s peaches but develops an authentic depth of flavour, too. Immersing yourself in seasonal produce can be a much-needed reminder of how much potential there is in seasonal cooking and eating, and in the joy these foods bring. Use winter’s wealth of deep green (or purple, or red) leaves to wrap up bundles of warm savoury fillings. Shred them for dumplings and…

There’s a successful shared-farming arrangement playing out in Lismore, NSW that was born out of a pretty extreme set of circumstances. But it proves that if we can shed the societal expectation that all exchanges around gain need to be financial, the benefits can be life-changing. In the northern rivers of New South Wales lies a thriving certified-organic 16-acre farm. On it Mark Bayley is continuing the work he and long-time partner Sara Tindley started almost 10 years ago when they acquired an old macadamia orchard in search of new beginnings. With a shared commitment to regenerate and heal the land, the couple cleared the majority of the ageing 1200 nut trees to make way for native and endemic plants, earmarked and began work on rainforest regeneration areas, planted over…

Amanda Jane Reynolds is a Guringai Yuin woman. She’s an artist, storyteller, possum skin cloak maker, curator and a sharer of knowledge. Amanda lives on Yuin Country at Burrill Lake on the New South Wales south coast. She regularly travels to Sydney to maintain her cultural connections to Country and community. Her role as a traditional cloak maker began in her late 20s. ‘I had met and was inspired by some women in Victoria who were tasked by the Old People with bringing possum-skin cloaks back into daily life in our communities.’ She worked for many years doing the support role; curating, storytelling, organising and helping support the vision of these women before she felt like she had earned her place to make them herself. ‘For years I’d helped and…

Books CREATIVE FIRST AID THE SCIENCE & JOY OF CREATIVITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH BY CAITLIN MARSHALL & LIZZIE ROSE (MURDOCH BOOKS 2024) Being creative is good for us: it lowers our stress hormones, calms our nervous system and can get us into a flow state. Our innate creativity is part of being human, but it’s easy to forget, especially since many of us have been told that we are ‘no good’ at art. At a time when mental health challenges are on the rise and support systems are stretched, Creative First Aid is your practical guide to taking matters into your own hands, literally. It’s about the proven positive effects of making something – a garden, a story, a meal, a drawing – and the powerful interaction this process can…

HOW NOW DAIRY Based in northern Victoria, How Now Dairy produces pure, unhomogenised milk and artisan cheeses and believes no animal should suffer so humans can enjoy dairy products. With kindness to animals as its driving force, How Now is the only Australian dairy which doesn’t separate the calves from their mums after birth, making it the only cruel-free option on the market. hownowdairy.com.au NATURAL BUILDING AUSTRALIA Join the natural building revolution and discover how you can access healthier, highly efficient and ultimately sustainable housing. Sign up as a Free, Casual or Business Member and get involved in helping to build the community that will be the change Australians need to see as we move towards an uncertain climate future. naturalbuildingaustralia.org URBAN REVOLUTION Urban Revolution is an eco and garden…