Hey folks, we’re trying a new thingy. Like many out there, I love (like, really love) finding out about good news and articles that (generally) sit squarely outside the mainstream media.

But I don’t want to spend my life glued to the screen in order to find it all.

So, incase this is you too, I thought we’d write a weekly round-up of excellent bits and pieces we’ve discussed and heard about in our weekly process of milkwooding. Here goes… 

Is our localism too artisinal? – great article, very thought provoking. Extra good if you read the comments as the discussion there completes the article.

The Case Against Sharing – On access, scarcity, and trust – given that we’ve been in PDC-land this last week, discussions of alternative economies have been had left, right and center.

This article is interesting in that it looks at the case against sharing, or at least what we in the first world are calling the share economy. Who gets to share in all these fab schemes? Who does not? What is sharing anyway?

WA shire approves on-farm abattoir – this is big and exciting news.

As you may be aware, access to legal and humane processing for chickens and other poultry is getting harder and harder to find in Australia as Big Ag steps into our food supply. This in turn is preventing small farms from providing awesome, pastured poultry to their communities – the way food should be.

But a micro-abbattior just got through in WA! We’re excited, and so are lots of other Aussie small-farm peeps. Establishing a precedent for this is mighty important, even if it doesn’t directly translate to our local council / state regulations. Watch this space, I say.

The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Princess – ok this one might seem a little random, granted. But it’s not. We (women) hold up half the sky, and raising Mighty Girls is key to our communities regenerative futures, and future family’s happiness.

Partly in response to the #yesallwomen meme that’s swelled in the last few months, and partly out of Rebecca Solnit’s rather incredible new book, the discussion is all about the fact that raising awesome girls is paramount to our species’ collective mental health.

So burn your disney DVDs and get reading with this list.

Seven good reasons to be an apocaloptimist – not the most chipper article we’ve come across this week but a subject that needs more light shone on it, no matter what the future holds.

An apocaloptimist is: “someone who knows it’s all going to s**t, but still thinks it will turn out ok.” Worth a look.

Green Heron Tools “has done more for women’s farm and garden tool design than just “shrink it and pink it.”

They have designed garden and farm tools that fit not only a woman’s body, but also the different way that women use tools (i.e. with more lower body strength than upper body).”

With added HERgonomics™…

This Rocket stove pizza oven looks pretty cool. Unfortunately the DIY takes you half way through then asks you to subscribe to the mag the article’s in.

But i’m adding this because I know the craftier amongst us could take one good look at the above photo and do a pretty good job of building it.

This article has mightily confused what I thought was a finished conversation about pizza-oven acquirement at our new rental place. Damn. So hard to go past the rocket stove goodness.

Kikuyu Management and Poultry – a great little piece from the awesome crew at Fair Harvest Permaculture in WA.

One of the things we love about this article is the balance regarding grass – the whole “all grass is bad” thing is just so off track. Yes, trophy lawns are dumb and wasteful. But sometimes, grass is just what you in certain parts of your permaculture design…

The Amazon Mycorenewal Project – a most excellent grassroots organisation “Using fungi, bacteria, and plants to reduce oil pollution in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin and the World”

While this project may not have the most cohesive online narrative, have a good look around in this site. Inspiring stories,results and crew. A major case of “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for”.

The Perthville Pantry over on Local is Lovely – we met Hannah Plummer, the subject of this profile piece, when she did a Permaculture Design Course with us a few years back.

She generously led (optional) sunrise yoga classes down on our creekflat (next to the chicken tractor) each morning for that two-week stint and many of us had a ball.

Anyway. Apart from being a yoga instructor, Hannah and her hubby run a beautiful pastured pig operation near Bathurst. There’s even a recipe for gummy pigs in here! Go have a look.

The Stunning Tinyhouse Domes of Solscape – looking for tinyhouse inspiration? Check this place out.

Constructed using the same techniques as the earthbag dome we built at our farm some years ago, these guest accommodation domes are cute-as. And, in the right context and climate, they’re an excellent way to build a strong and sheltering home.

So there you have it. What new discoveries tickled your fancy this week? We’d love to hear about them…