Farm individuality is an important principle in biodynamic food growing. Individuality can also be applied in urban food growing spaces of any scale, but there are some changes needed in how to work with individuality, some new perspectives. I had the pleasure of running a workshop recently at the global centre for biodynamics in Dornach...
Making good compost is a key goal of any serious organic gardener. I have found that biodynamic methods used to enhance the quality of the organic composting process greatly increase the potential for making good compost. Here are my insights. Firstly, it would be easy to think that making good compost for your vegetable garden...
Keeping backyard chickens around your food gardens is an important part of widening the living system that supports your soil fertility process. Its very possible in urban environments to have chickens and for the most part, they are a pleasure to be part of the “garden family”. But I have to say that in keeping...
Four fold nature is a very helpful conceptual framework for looking at the make up of your organic garden or urban farm and how to optimise its quality. Being conscious of the integrated system forming the four main components of a successful organic garden or farm (its four fold nature) creates an essential platform for...
Spring experience in a sub tropical organic garden is quite a unique one compared to more temperate climates. There is so much beauty in this transition of seasons, as well as opportunity to use plants in finishing state whilst bringing in new warmer season crops. I will explain the experience through my own food gardens
Using planetary impacts is a method of widening the system you work with to create greater productivity in your food growing activities. The planetary system is all around us and it costs nothing to access, all you need is the knowledge of how to use it and an openness to raise your consciousness around your...
Managing NPK is an obsession of industrialised agriculture which started over 100 years ago. This focus works with complex combinations of different NPK synthetic fertilisers to make plants to grow big and fast. These fertilisers are provided to the soil as dead substances, so its not surprising that by force feeding plants with NPK chemicals...
Urban farming on a more commercial scale is evolving in Australia and although its early days, Millen Farm in Samford represents a great example of a peri-urban model that is packed with innovation in how it developed and operates. At the recent 2017 national composting week opening run by CORE and held at Millen Farm...
Low cost vegetable garden created from your lawn, if you have grass, is the easiest and most cost effective way to get started with your vegetable garden or expand an existing vegetable garden. Here are my design tips which expand on the short movie I did a few weeks ago about a new vegetable and...
Growing marigolds and nasturtiums in your vegetable garden helps control insects, adds beauty and is a tasty and healthy addition to your dinner plate. I have used them in my food gardens for many years. Both plants are prolific seeders once their long flowering period finishes and I have noticed to my delight that as...