Tomatoes are an unique plant when it comes to home gardening – for so many of us it’s one of the first plants we love to try. After all, picking a fresh ripe tomato from the vine and popping it into your mouth to be reminded of what real homegrown tomatoes actually taste like is one…
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Last year we had a rather great success with our Bean tipi – it flourished and also got a great workout as a cubby. And at the end of the season, of course, we got beans. Lots. So in the spirit of seed saving and paying it forward, we were thinking to pass on a…
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It’s many a city dweller’s long-lived dream. Skip out on the hustle and bustle and set up a life of clean air and green space in the country. Peter Brandis held that dream for 25-plus years – and one day, finally made the move. He then set up a funky little permaculture homestead and off-grid home…
DetailsSince we left the farm, our attitude to meat has shifted. Out of necessity, mostly. No more chest freezers full of home raised + slaughtered pigs + lamb, no dispatching + plucking of ducks or chickens, no random haunches of feral venison, home cured bacon or roadkill kangaroo backstrap.
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Hello Spring! It’s nearly tomato growing season. Have you planted your precious seeds in a sunny spot already? Just incase you’re still in the process of getting to it, or wondering what to plant this year, we thought we’d share our five favourite varieties… Yellow Pear Tomatoes These little beauties are awesome for backyards. They’re a…
DetailsThe first time I heard the idea of a weekend farmers market criticised by a prominent local food advocate, I was a little shocked. The second time, it made me think. And now…
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Growing mushrooms in stackable buckets is an excellent space-saving cultivation technique, and perfect for anyone with limited space to get growing. Gary did our Gourmet Mushroom Cultivation course in March, and since then he’s ramped up to an impressive little DIY mushroom bucket cultivation setup…
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Recently I was at a friend’s beautiful little off-grid house, and it was wash-up time. Time to boil the kettle, get the big bowl and stand out at the table in the evening air, watching the sun set over the valley. That’s wash up time, at Autumn Farm.
DetailsThe kitchen garden is an essential part of any life lived in a house with a yard, in my opinion. I love the small cycles it brings us closer to with the ebb and flow of growth, flower and fruit. The dry and the wet. And the crunch of harvest.
DetailsSo this is exciting – we’re teaming up with Organic Gardener Magazine to offer a Permaculture Garden Makeover for one lucky duck – who wants in? The competition is Australia wide and entries close 30th September, so get writing on your entries, people! So much goodness in this one…
DetailsKangaroo Valley is this rather special place where a thick mist rests, each morning, until about 10am. And then magically lifts, to reveal lush farmlands, rivers, creeks, and escarpment rainforest, all around. Recently I went there to visit Kangaroo Valley Permaculture – an established permaculture homestead that is a bit of a jewel within a jewel – a special place nestled in…
DetailsRecently we went north for a quick visit to see family in Iluka, a tiny fishing village which sits at the mouth of the Clarence River, about an hour south of Byron Bay. Somehow the skyscrapers and beachside resorts of the north coast missed this little place. And I’m so glad they did. Surrounded by world heritage…
DetailsIs it possible to recycle 100% of a small family’s organic kitchen waste with just a simple, single worm farm? I’ve always wondered. I’ve done 50% of our scraps easily – but the whole lot? That’s… a lot of scraps, in our house. Well, it seems you can, if the design is right. We’ve been…
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