From Little Things Big Things Grow
Consumerism, Courses/Workshops, Food Forests, Food Plants - Perennial, Food Shortages, Land, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Retrofitting, Social Gatherings, Society, Trees, Village Development, Waste Systems & Recycling — by Matt Lees July 30, 2010
Have you ever grown your own food? Studies have shown that people who eat organic produce from their own garden have an increased sense of well being and good health.
In September 2007 I met a group of motivated, hardcore volunteer gardeners. When I say hardcore, some of these guys where involved with the guerrilla gardeners. They turn unused trashy areas and transform them into edible, self-sustaining gardens.
It started like this….
Some groups even go to extremes like dressing up in council uniforms or go out in the middle of the night and load their vans armed with fruit tree seedlings, compost and shovels.
Comments (4)Shedding Some Light on Food Prices
Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Markets & Outlets — by Doron Francis April 9, 2010
by Doron Francis, CERES Food Connect
Food prices have been going up for some time now. According to OECD data Australia has the highest food price inflation in the western world, and, for the first time, Australia is now importing more fruit and veg than it exports. The reasons for this are many: global demand has pushed up prices as populations increase, severe and prolonged drought locally has lead to shortages, demand for oil is increasing whilst production is decreasing and the loss of biodiversity as our land becomes infertile due to unsustainable farming has caused widespread soil erosion, salinity and depletion of water resources.
Australians are spending nearly 20 percent of their weekly household budget on food and the promise of cheap abundant food is diminishing rapidly. Most of us are well aware of the problems, however this isn’t the whole story. Unfortunately food prices are hugely inflated by retailers and middle men. According to the The National Farmers Federation, “producers receive as little as 5 per cent of the price paid by consumers”. The duopoly of Coles and Woolworths enjoy a 87% share of the grocery market allowing them to dictate pricing to producers and inflate retail prices at will.
Comments (1)PRI at the Markets
Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Eco-Villages, Education Centres, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Social Gatherings, Village Development — by Jay Kimber December 15, 2009
Jay Kimber at the stall
Recently Zaytuna Farm, home base for the Permaculture Research Institute, took their surplus produce and information to the (very) local craft and produce market in the Channon, situated less than 2 km from the farm.
Comments (7)An Urban Gardener Feeds a Community
Bird Life, Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Consumerism, Eco-Villages, Food Shortages, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Society, Urban Projects, Village Development — by Sarah Gorman December 10, 2009
Bronwyn’s urban backyard is teeming with diversity. It is providing local families with nutritious food through her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), but she doesn’t think she is doing anything exceptional. Students from Mulloon Creek Natural Farm’s Permaculture Design Certificate course recently visited Bronwyn Richards’ home in Braidwood, NSW, Australia. They learnt how an urban gardener manages to provide a constant supply of organic vegetables not only for her own family, but five others.
Comments (3)Get Behind the Raw Milk Campaign
Health & Disease, Markets & Outlets — by Cathe Fish September 11, 2008
by Cathé Fish of Practical Permaculture
Help Raw Milk Diary Producers in Australia!
As you probably know, many small dairy farmers have been forced out of business by big corporate Ag laws, especially those laws that outlaw sales of health-giving raw milk, raw butter, raw cream and other raw milk products. My grandparents had this happen to them. These pasteurization laws take what should be a healthy value added cottage industry product (raw milk and raw cheese, etc.) and force small dairy farmers to sell at wholesale at 1975 prices.
Dairy farmers who sell wholesale go out of business here in the US at a rate of 16 per day, as they are squeezed by the giant corporate milk companies. Study after study shows that compulsory pasteurization laws (that protect the inferior pasteurized unhealthy product of Big Ag) have been largely responsible for the decline of small diverse mixed farms, and small American towns and rural life. I believe this is true also in Australia and around the world.
Comments (1)Look Mom, There’s a Farmer in Our Back Yard
Markets & Outlets, Project Positions, Society, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh September 1, 2008
Normally the words ‘business’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ do not fit harmoniously together in one sentence, but here’s a money-making venture with real merit: Donna Smith and Robyn Streeter, of Portland, Oregon, have started a business called YourBackyardFarmer. It’s about growing food in urban areas – i.e. close to where it’s consumed. This is urban farming with a twist! Instead of broken New Year’s resolutions from your derailed intentions of developing a green thumb, Donna and Robyn will come to your house, and do the work for you.
