ABC Organic Gardener Magazine May - June 2018

Simon Webster Simon Webster lives in northern NSW on seven acres just outside the relatively sleepy village of The Channon. He has been a journalist for nearly 25 years, working on newspapers, magazines, websites, and more recently chewing the fat with his alpacas and chooks. In between running his three children to soccer, and impressing his wife with the amazing produce he grows, he is a regular contributor to OG with his Losing the Plot column (p.90). This issue he also interviews Michael Ableman for Conversation (p. 70) and writes about the Mullumbimby Community Garden (p. 72). Denis Crawford Denis Crawford has been working with insects for more than 35 years either as a researcher, writer, photographer, or pest management adviser. Denis is a regular contributor to Organic Gardener magazine, and is the author…

The world is awash with information – of excellent and dubious quality – so it can be hard to find the gems when they appear. One significant and valuable book that has recently landed on bookshelves is worthy of attention. The co-originator of permaculture, David Holmgren, has produced a hefty guide to retrofitting the suburbs for a self-reliant future. RetroSuburbia is packed with case studies and practical examples of how to turn your urban block, courtyard or community into a low-energy use, highly productive and eco-friendly hub. It was way back in 1978 that Holmgren teamed up with the late Bill Mollison to write Permaculture One – their plan for sustainable agriculture and living, with a basis in ethics and care for the Earth. It was only when writing this editorial that…

YACON AND INULIN CAUTION I read with interest the article on tubers in the Nov/Dec 2017 issue of OG, which included the health benefits of yacon. I am certainly not arguing against the listed benefits but I feel the need to point out that inulin is a FODMAP – a fermentable carbohydrate that will cause impressive gastrointestinal distress in anyone who has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (and also in many people who don’t have IBS, but aren’t used to inulin). I suggest introducing yacon and similar foods into the diet with caution (test a little bit first). Melanie Shukost, Canberra Editor’s note: I referred Melanie’s letter to our nutritionist Arabella Forge who backed up this advice. Here is what she said: Thanks so much for your comments Melanie regarding the inulin in tubers. Yacon…

FRUIT FLY HITS TASMANIA If you ever wondered how important it is to uphold restrictions on taking fruit across our borders, then read on. The recent finding of Queensland fruit fly larvae and adults in northern Tasmanian backyards has alarmed orchardists and gardeners alike. Queensland fruit flies can’t fly over Bass Strait, so the pest must have arrived in infested fruit. Travellers are not permitted to take fresh fruit into Tasmania, and commercial producers must have documentation from the state of origin certifying their produce meets the entry conditions for Tasmania. It looks like someone took fruit into Tasmania illegally, but the answer isn’t clear at the time of writing. The commercial costs of controlling fruit fly are significant. Another example is the appearance in 2013 of citrus gall wasp – a…

LEURA HARVEST FESTIVAL The annual Leura Harvest Festival is a community celebration of the bounty of the season. Featuring local organic food, regional wine and cider, fresh produce, plants and herbs, sustainable living initiatives, and handmade natural beauty products, the festival is renowned for its popular Pet Chook Show and scarecrow competition. WHEN: 6 May, 2018, 9am-4.30pm WHERE: Leura Mall, Leura (Blue Mountains), NSW DETAILS: facebook.com/LeuraHarvestFestival MUDGEE SMALL FARM FIELD DAYS This will be the 41st year of the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days. The biggest field days event in the New South Wales Central West, it connects farmers big and small with all sorts of goods and services. There will be talks, demonstrations, lectures and plenty of family fun. WHEN: Friday 13 and Saturday 14 July, 2018, 8.30am-5pm WHERE: Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC), Mudgee NSW DETAILS: mudgeefielddays.com.au/ HERB…

Wonderful bag The ingenious Wonderbag is an environmentally friendly, non-electric slow cooker that you can take anywhere. The revolutionary heat-retention design allows food that has been brought to the boil to continue slow cooking for up to eight hours. It will even keep drinks and desserts cold too. For every Wonderbag sold, the Wonderbag Foundation subsidises one Wonderbag to a family in need. Available for $95 from wonderbagaustralia.com.au, however OG readers will get a 10 per cent discount by using the code ‘OGREADER2018’. Organic treats We all deserve a treat every now and then, and the good news is that Organic Times has a range of organic sweets that you can enjoy without any guilt! Their Rocky Road Bars are available in milk or dark chocolate for $6.95 each or take your pick…