Pip Magazine Issue 15

SERENA KEAN AND PETER ASCOT Serena Kean grew up in a large family on a 2.5 hectare self-sufficient property in Central Victoria. She is interested in future-proof landscape design and using native plants in beautiful ways, equally attracting the human eye and creatures in search of safe habitat. Peter Ascot has renovated and built houses, and still loves clipping on his nailbag. Also an editor and journalist, since the family’s unexpected relocation to Melbourne he remains astonished to find himself working as a producer on TV quiz shows. JANE MILBURN Jane’s love of the natural world stems from growing up on farms in the Catlins, New Zealand, and the Mary Valley in south-east Queensland. After graduating in agricultural science from the University of Queensland, Jane’s career spanned rural journalism and advocacy before training…

Hey peeps, I’m writing this in the spring sunshine enjoying the signs of the garden coming to life. I have roosters, chickens, guinea pigs, birds, bees and a dog for company. I always like to get away from my desk when I write the editorial so I can get some space and reflect on the issue we have created. In this issue we have brought together a collection of inspiring and informative articles that we hope will be useful on your path to living more lightly on the planet. If you’re reading this, than I assume you probably have some interest in caring for the environment, the planet and all that live on it. This issue is designed to expand your knowledge and hopefully give you some fresh ideas that you can implement…

SIRIUS COMMUNITY, MASSACHUSETTS USA Permaculture and the Global Ecovillage Network www.siriuscommunity.org Ecovillages, in their myriad forms, are places we can all learn practical skills for regenerative culture, and many thousands of people visit ecovillages each year to learn permaculture and related skills. The Global Ecovillage Network (www.ecovillages.org) has networked thousands of ecovillages and eco-projects around the world and has a growing solutions bank online. You can read about many communities in Ecovillage: 1001 Ways to Heal the Planet (Triarchy Press Ltd 2015), edited by Kosha Joubert. One of the more established communities profiled is Sirius in Massachusetts. Started in 1978 by former residents of Findhorn, it has ninety acres, fourteen eco-buildings, three acres of permaculture gardens and thirty residents set within a broader eco-neighbourhood of over 150 people. Sirius regularly opens its doors to…

SHULZ MILK: REUSABLE GLASS BOTTLES Finally! We have milk being sold in reusable glass bottles. Milk from Shulz Organic Dairy is available from selected retailers and farmers’ markets across VIC, NSW, SA, WA and TAS. The full list of stockists can be found on their website. The full-cream non-homogenised organic milk comes in one litre glass bottles that have a $2 refundable deposit. Bottles can be returned to any retailer or farmers’ market stall where they are bought. Shulz did extensive research on the glass bottles and lid type, and estimates that 120 kg of plastic will be saved per week thanks to their 3000 glass bottles. www.schulzorganicdairy.com.au $6 (includes $2 refund on return of the bottle) WOOLLYKINS MENDING KIT Natural fibres can last a lifetime when properly cared for. With a Woollykins Mending Kit you…

AUSTRALASIAN PERMACULTURE CONVERGENCE Brisbane, QLD: 19–23 April 2020 The next Australian Permaculture Convergence is being organised by Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane’s Windsor. The Convergence will kick off with a permaculture festival on Sunday, 19 April that will run in conjunction with Northey Street’s bustling organic market. The festival will showcase community gardens from around the region, sustainable living in cities, and you can visit Northey Street’s established permaculture garden. The four-day convergence to follow, held in Redland Bay, will include a full program of speakers, workshops, presentations and awards. The exciting array of keynote speakers already includes Starhawk, Stuart Andrews and Robin Frances. Accommodation and camping available at the PGL Kindilan site. www.apc.nscf.org.au SEYMOUR ALTERNATIVE FARMING FESTIVAL King’s Park, Seymour, VIC, 14–16 February 2020 At this festival of the latest practices and trends in…

I grew a green manure crop to add nitrogen to the soil (using broad beans), but last time I did this, I planted summer tomatoes straight after digging the broad beans in and it was the worst tomato crop I’ve ever had. What went wrong? (Emma, Newcastle, NSW) Growing plants in unfinished compost doesn’t work very well. When we dig plant material into the ground, the soil bacteria will use some of the available soil nitrogen to break it down into compost, taking it away from the plants. This phenomenon is known as nitrogen drawdown. If there was insufficient nitrogen in the soil to begin with, there would definitely not have been enough left after composting to support the growth of heavy feeders such as tomatoes. When using broad beans as a…