Silverbeet Simplicity: 2014

The challenge for the coming year is to eat something from the garden - either fresh or preserved - everyday that I am home. Today rocket, tomato and red onion in a salad sandwich for lunch. Spring onions in tonight's stir fry and fresh figs with yoghurt and honey for dessert.

Currently expanding the native beds and constructing a dry stone creek bed. (Geoff just shaking his head in disbelief!). Planted a rose I'd grown from a cutting in the furphy bed together with purple 'stick it in the ground', also from cuttings and sweet peas grown from last year's saved seed. Put compost around the fruiting trees (orange, lemon, mandarin and pomegranate).

My work contract draws to a close this week so more time for other pursuits! Am about to join the local sustainable energy group as well as the Halls and Rec committee. The local food imitative also needs some brainstorming and planning. As for golf....

I have come to the conclusion that living a simple frugal lifestyle that enables me to produce food for my family and community is the way I can best make a difference. Many of our older people have nuked their veggie patches - and I mean nuked, neat round up is the weapon of choice - as they are no longer able to cope with the physical labour. When I turn up with home grown tomatoes or silverbeet, the smiles are heart breaking. In return I am learning much about their lives. Many of my neighbours remember the Depression years and find it difficult to not to give something in return. Sometimes I come home to find passion fruit or a cake on the veranda!

Every month Transcoota have a stall where local produce is swapped or sold. There is never enough produce for the stall. Many of us are working or do not have the land for mass crops. Herein a plan is being hatched. Michael has five acres and is happy to have a few trusted friends grow crops on part of the property. Last year we met but could not agree a way forward, our plans were too ambitious. We are now thinking of starting small - a square metre at a time. We can plant our surplus seedlings and raise money from the sale of veggies for the various inputs needed for constructing and maintaining garden beds. Crop rotation would be easy and many plants only require minimal care.

From this idea comes another. Perhaps those that used to garden might allow a square metre plot in their yards? They could get share of the produce and have a bit of company once or twice a week. (We can also check the well being of those on their own!). The more I discuss this idea, the more ideas emerge! Why just the elderly? Why not space in the gardens of younger people who are struggling to make ends meet and who could learn some new skill sets along the way? We may even end up with a community self sufficient for veggies!

A related idea is that of seed saving. If we have heritage non-hybrid varieties of veggies, we need never pay for plants. I am still harvesting dill, celery and tomato seeds and have plenty more to harvest. (Our supermarkets need not fear - there is still a market for those items that don't grow well here and there are many who will reject an unshapely cucumber or slightly blemished tomato!

Literally food for thought!

This week in the garden:

Harvested spuds, tomatoes and zucchini
Saved the seeds of celery, dill, corncockles, granny's bonnets and rocket
Harvested the first pumpkin which is now drying on a sheet of corrugated iron preparatory to winter storage
Cleaned up after next door's horse! Now have a wheelbarrow of horse poo to start off the next load of compost.