Category Archives: Connecting with Community

Compost, sharing the love

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compost 101 || cityhippyfarmgirl

composting 101 || cityhippyfarmgirl

I did this poster for friends of ours recently, (old school method, pen and paper even) They were starting a compost system up and were asking for a few simple tips on getting it all up and running.

I took that as a, yes, of course they would like it in an A3 poster format!

I also did a post on becoming a little geeky about the whole composting process over at Milkwood recently, if you would like to know a little more about the whole composting process.

good compost || cityhippyfarmgirl

How about you? Do you have any tried and true composting methods? Or failures perhaps? Any tales of composting woe that you’ve learnt great lessons from?

More composting details can be found here, and more information on those tiny compost friends Black Soldier Fly.

black soldier fly larvae || cityhippyfarmgirl

 

Mayfield Better Block

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Newcastle Upcyclers || cityhippyfarmgirlReMake || cityhippyfarmgirlbetter block mayfield || cityhippyfarmgirlMayfield better Block 2 || cityhippyfarmgirl Mayfield Better Block 1 || cityhippyfarmgirl Mayfield better Block 0 || cityhippyfarmgirl

Saturday May 21st saw the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield with a little transformation. Transformed into something quite appealing indeed for many of the locals and visitors on the day. What this tiny corner of Mayfield had gone and done on this Autumnal day in May was it turned itself into a, better block.

This wasn’t the first Better Block I’d been to. Long term readers might remember a post on the first Clovelly one in Sydney a few years back. While completely different in what they wanted to do, one thing was a simple theme. They wanted something better than what they had.

The Better Block concept was one that came out of Antonio, USA, a few years back. The concept was a common one for people around the world and adopted (officially and unofficially by many). Whether as permanent changes or simply playing with ideas and getting locals more connected, talking about what they would like to see done differently to the area.

This is a community model of care that I whole heartedly embrace. Watching the whole day come together and seeing the excitement on people’s faces as they begin to visualise something different to what they currently have. It’s exciting and quite inspiring to watch.

Best of luck Mayfield. I think you’ve got something quite wonderful going on.

See here for more pictures from the day.

International Permaculture Day and what does it really mean?

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Today is International Permaculture Day and I thought I would have a little look at the basis of what permaculture actually is, and what it means, in an every day living kind of way?

Whether you live in a tiny busy city apartment or 1000 hectare farm out the back of….well, somewhere well out the back. Permaculture is something that can be easily infused into every day living.

In nutshell, it’s a way of living that designs and builds a system that incorporates 3 ethics- Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share.

Connected productive living within ourselves, our families and our communities…without the destructive environmental cost. Sounds pretty good right?

Break the word down and you’ve got PERMANENT AGRICULTURE, that doesn’t mean you have a permanent collection of farm hands and cattle roaming over your fields. That means you’ve got a system in play that means you’re accountable for your own living, (well as much as possible anyway. )

Still with me? Right so what does this all mean to me and for our family of five living in a regular every day kinda urban city setting?

tomatoes || cityhippyfarmgirl.compermaculture 02 || cityhippyfarmgirl

First up, let’s look at the 12 principles that permaculture is based on. I’ve found some will be used more than others depending on our context at the time and on the day. Basically this is daily living stuff though.

  1. Observe and interact… planning, observing where the sun falls (this might be for heat, growth or simply light) connecting with what everything around us is doing, why and when. Also broadening those community circles and reaching out to others.
  2. Catch and store energy…whether it’s collecting rainwater and sunshine (or my own energy!)
  3. Obtain a yield… yields to date have been still on the novel side, regardless of where we are living. I’m working on it though, damn it…and at least I make sourdough.
  4. Apply self regulation and accept feedback…constantly.
  5. Use and value renewable resources and services. Once you tap into this, it’s hard to tap back out.
  6. Produce no waste…so many things can be reused, used in different ways or simply just not obtained in the first place.
  7. Design from patterns to details…Hooray for thinking outside the square.
  8. Integrate rather than segregate…for some reason this absolutely delights me. Complete satisfaction when I can manage it, even in the tiniest way. Whether it’s in the garden or involving my kids in some minor task.
  9. Use slow and small solutions…so much easier to change or maintain things. Far less confronting than dramatic changes.
  10. Use and value diversity…I’m a big believer in this for any part of life. Growing plants, our diet, or education.
  11. Use edges and value the marginal…another one of my favourites. Creating something from the seemingly unloved, and unused is incredibly satisfying.
  12. Creatively use and respond to change…bend like a reed baby.

As you can see, this isn’t just out in the garden. This is life living skills, numbered beautifully from 1 to 12.

Exploring all the options and making sure everything is reasonably adaptable. What works for me now, might well, need to work differently in the future. Things are constantly changing and tweaking things are necessary dependent on what’s going on around us at the time.

Also, what’s your context? What works for me, may not work for the next person.

A tiny example which up until lately, I hadn’t considered a whole lot was the environmental impact of having a dog or a pet in general. Sure I knew the pet food industry was just as crap as our own mainstream food in many ways but until I was actually standing there in the pet food aisles, I didn’t realise just how ridiculous things really were. Sugar, salt, colourings and food miles for our beloved fur beast? You betcha.

Dog food I manoeuvred my way through and poo is now being collected in cornstarch bags (if out) and deposited into a worm tower in an untouched corner of the yard if at home. (#6 Produce no waste.)

Worm towers are also favoured within our wicking beds (with an addition of compost and food scraps rather than dog poo.)

permaculture 03 || cityhippyfarmgirlspider || cityhippyfarmgirlpermaculture 04 || cityhippyfarmgirl

While we are still relatively new to our current living environment, permaculture is a system of living that in some shape or form I have been happily living in different contexts from the very beginning.

Some things have changed, some things will quietly remain very similar and some, will simply grow and expand like a 10 year olds legs over summer holidays, (or something like that.) It’s exciting stuff and most of the time it feels really positive to be moving forward like this, (and when it doesn’t, there’s always a wonderful clean slate called tomorrow.)

Here’s five minutes with David Holgrem (co-originator of the permaculture concept) on how we can change the world with permaculture thinking…what a lovely man 🙂

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If you’re new to permaculture and not sure where to dive in, here’s a few places to kickstart a whole new way of thinking, living and celebrating life in general.

International Permaculture Day

Permaculture Principles– I adore their yearly calendar. The pictures are inspirational, moon planting incredibly helpful and the little squares are big enough to scribble all your daily ‘stuff’.

Milkwood– whether it’s a hands on course or the goodness of online info.

Pip Magazine– Permaculture in a wonderful magazine format.

 

Heart felt living and lessons learnt

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flower 01 || cityhippyfarmgirl

I was on a roll this week, a subtle heart-felt living roll. Speaking from the heart and acting on it, that’s how I generally try to live most days, well, until I was stopped quite abruptly mid roll by a small girl with a tiny flower.

So what do I mean by the term heart-felt living? To me it means running with the emotion; acknowledging them, the words, or the feeling that’s inside of you at the time. Letting it free, writing it out, speaking the words, acting on it (and sometimes seeing what becomes of it). Most of the time, absolutely nothing becomes of it, but you feel good for having done what was in your heart at the time.

A card sent, an invitation to dinner, a tiny message of thanks and enough honest hugs to squash into a basket, that’s how this week was looking.

I like doing this, I like living like this, and as I get older I feel like it’s an almost missed opportunity if I don’t. There is rarely anything to lose by not acting, and only to gain. A smile, a word, an email, a gesture, a new friend, an open opportunity, a free mind, the possibilities are quite endless, just as the follow on effect from these actions.

flower 02 || cityhippyfarmgirl

So how was a lesson learnt from a small girl wielding a tiny flower?

My girl has always given small bunches of flowers to her friends, both big and small. She’s done this from when she first learnt to walk. Since moving, that day-to-day list of social interactions for her and her posies of flowers have shortened…a lot. I knew that, I knew she missed her people.

So lately, sometimes she would start to give simple items of a drawn picture or a picked flower to people who caught her eye. Someone who had lingered with conversation or a friendly shop keeper, (I also got rather a lot of them.)

This week, an important conversation between one of my other kids stopped me from giving my undivided attention to the flowers being slowly added to in my hands, and repeated requests to give some flowers to the ‘shop seller’. I muttered no, and at the end I unthinkingly upturned the whole pile as we got up and headed to the shops. A tiny gasp was heard and a wash of guilt dripped over me.

With shopping basket full, we stand at the shop counter waiting. She turns to me whispering whether she can give the ‘seller lady’ a flower? In her small hand is holding a tiny perfect flower, one left, from the pile I had unthinkingly upturned earlier. I smile and nod and she gives it to the lady.

Oh thank you sweetie! Oh that’s so kind!…I’ve had such a bad day, and you’ve just completely made it for me! Thank you.

As she places the delicate petals behind her ear, my small girl beams. The shop lady beams and I let another little wash of guilt slide on over.

So what was my lesson learnt?

Heart felt living, definitely not just a solo act that adults take part in. Kids, I think do it instinctively, and then it’s slowly seems to be taken away by us adults (who might even be  unknowingly, trying to bring it back into their lives.)

Now that I’m paying a little more attention, In different ways I can see that it’s just as important to others around me as well.

So here’s to heart-felt living. To more impromptu dinner invitations and stopped conversations on the street. To hastily scribbled tiny notes of thanks, beaming smiles and happily, to more bunches of tiny little flowers to kind hearted people who catch your eye.

flower 03 || cityhippyfarmgirl

 

 

Permaculture and Creative (urban) Living

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permaculture and creative urban living

Having been throwing myself into all things permaculture minded for the past good few years, it was a little tricky looking over at all the identical perfectly mown lawns and not think of how I would like to quietly rip a good proportion of all that grass up.

Sure it wasn’t mine to rip up, but what an enticing dream it would be.

Instead of perfectly manicured ornamental gardens with impeccable weed free edging, there instead might be a line of fruit giving trees all the way up the street as far as the eye could see. All within easy reach of the foot path, all for people to pluck as they needed, and as often as taste buds sung out.

This line of fruit trees would also give a little shade to those that chose to walk the many uphills under a blazing summer sun. The ones that forewent the air-conditioned comfort of cars, that would drive on unseeing to all that food yet to be foraged by knowing fingers.

Or maybe there would be a canopy of beans to walk through, that might be right next to a forest of nuts and bananas, a pedestrian round about, with herbs circling in a mandala kind of fashion.

The possibilities are deliciously endless and certainly not restricted to the street side. So how does permaculture entwine with creative living?

Well in my mind they lie hand in hand, it’s an ability to think outside the square. To be able to create and be adaptable to the environment that you’ve been placed. Making do with what you have essentially, and in a sustainable fashion, thriving from within it. There are patterns, there are creations, and there are probably a multitude of pops of colour.

finding patterns

finding patterns

The more formal definition of permaculture…

What is Permaculture?

‘Consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for provision of local needs. People, their buildings and the ways in which they organise themselves are central to permaculture. Thus the permaculture vision of permanent or sustainable agriculture has evolved to one of permanent or sustainable culture.’ [David Holgrem]

Finding a definition of creativity is a little harder to narrow down. There are so many branches to the word, and as there should be, the word in itself is a creative one of which meaning depends on the user alone.

Not restricting the word to the art world, I did like this line though when reading through the many variations…

‘Creativity is the ability to transcend the ordinary’

And that brings me back to those perfectly damn mown lawns again.

Whether you live in a busy city studio with a cat named Peter or an off grid farm that is the dictionary definition of diversity. What would you do with a street full of perfectly manicured, grassed gardens? Tell me… or even better, what HAVE you done? I’d lovvvve to know.

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(This post is 1 of 3 in a series on creativity.)

Extra Bits 

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou

Permaculture Principles– a mighty resource that will get you started.

Buderim’s “Eat Street”– Urban Food Street, a neighbourhood initiative that started from a conversation about over priced limes 7 years ago. This initiative now covers 11 streets, with people moving into the area, because they want to be involved.

Urban Farming- The Leaky Pipe

 

Keeping it real

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tomatoes || cityhippyfarmgirl.com

It was the array of vegetables quietly lying in their own individual plastic that finally broke it for me. I felt deflated, defeated and pretty bloody miserable to be honest.

Moving cities was always going to have its pockets of turbulence, I knew that. It’s a transition period where you have to nut out what’s what, who’s who, where’s where and build up from that right?.

I knew that, it all takes a little time.

So why was I feeling like I was carrying round a basket full of sad, looking down at my plastic encased vegetable dinner options?

Because I forgot. I did have options.

While I had been trying really hard to keep things as uncomplicated as possible, while I nutted out a seemingly endless supply of other issues that needed attending, packed a household, unpacked a household, grappled with a grumpy oven, the weather defied all odds, new garden beds were created and I mostly single parented the summer school holidays. For those reasons, I resorted to supermarket vegetables, some bought bread, and more plastic encased food than I cared to think about.

Except I did care, and combined with the transition of moving, it made for a pretty sad face round here.

Shopping had turned into being surrounded by an endless supply of uninspiring temperature controlled chain stores, empty conversations, enough plastic to make you shudder and all filled with people who I seemingly had little in common with.

It all felt so false. The mass-produced shopping, the plastic on plastic, the convenience of it all and the questionable happiness that people seemed to get from living like this.

Is that how it really is? Was this really my chosen road, the inevitable living that was bound to happen at some point, just because we moved?

Staring at those vegetables again, and something gently clicked back into place.

Hell no. This isn’t me, this isn’t us. I Don’t. Want. This.

Readjustment, realignment, and a good rethink.

organic feast || cityhippyfarmgirl

And so slowly I’m catching up. The local transport system was nutted out, travels further afield were taken. Local organic vegetables got delivered to the door which gave me some breathing room when I couldn’t get to the farmers markets, independent health food stores were located, the toilet paper came in bulk, the huge shopping centres were bypassed and I found the beginnings of a list of a few mismatched seated cafe’s that served coffee in cups the size of my head, (and from which I danced in caffeine fuelled happiness.)

While I didn’t want the plastic vegetables, and the convenience of everything being at my door step, I do acknowledge that I needed it for that transition period, (and not being sainted) may dip back into it in small amounts over the coming few months as needed.

While we are all still very much finding our feet and it really will take a while to set down new roots, I feel a hell of a lot more grounded knowing that there has been a bunch of bread just baked, there’s kombucha on the bench top, I’ve found places that I can buy basics in bulk, joined the local library, traded cucumbers for black soldier fly larvae over the back fence, made jam, made kasundi, roasted pumpkin’s and with a contented exhale, have once again sourced our families every day vegetables bought without a single, sheet, of plastic.

For me, it feels a whole lot better to be once again, keeping it real.

herbs || cityhippyfarmgirl.com

 

loving…shared local food and kindness

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bunches of basil || cityhippyfarmgirltomatoes for roasting || cityhippyfarmgirl

Loving… shared local food and kindness.

Wonderful and kind people, bringing shared and much appreciated food. A jar full of honey, an armload of fragrant basil, green tomato chutney, a bucket of red tomatoes, garlic, garlic garlic, a bowl of blackberries and a divine blackberry vinegar.

Cuttings, seedlings and favourite seeds. In a transition period when things can often feel different, unsure and completely out of place- being given these locally grown gifts for immediate nourishment and long term edible growing, it’s something that is incredibly grounding.

Brings a smile to the face and a fullness in the heart that no Westfield shopping expedition could ever hope to replicate.

Nope, not ever.

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What are you loving at the moment?

[“Often life’s pleasures pass us by simply because we don’t take a moment to focus on them… Make a point of noticing everyday something that uplifts your spirit or tickles your heart… Stop to breathe in the joy of this moment and then tell someone about it. Share your joy and revel in it. When your joy is savoured, and then shared, it is magnified…” ROBIN GRILLE]

January- The Catch Up Edition

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It always feels like December is the time to tie ends together and frantically bring the full year to a close. Why I always feel hurried at the end of the year I’m not so sure, it’s not like I haven’t had 11 months to prepare for it.

December however, has come and gone, and now we sit firmly in January. January to me is all about the catch up bits, the pause, the catch your breath before the year inevitably tumbles forward at a cracking speed.

So that’s what this post is about, a few catch ups.

artist as family || cityhippyfarmgirl

First up, you may have heard of Artist As Family. If you have you might also know they’ve been on a three month bicycle peddled book tour for their last year released book, The Art of Free Travel. I was lucky enough to get to their talk at Florilegium in Glebe, Sydney where I had my book signed, my thoughts expanded (and also some most excellent coffee at Brewristas.)

Two pages into the book this is what I had written…

“I feel soft, I feel middle class comfortable, and ridiculously indulged. I’m questioning everything I have. Everything I want, and every thing I thought I needed.”

Have you read the book? What are your thoughts?

urban goats || cityhippyfarmgirl

Now what else?…Goats. Yep goats.

If you ever thought your school would benefit from a couple of goats, well than I think you are onto a cracking idea. For this post I’m over at the honourable Milkwood talking about how you can convince your school to get a goat (or two!) like we did.

And while you are over at Milkwood, I’ve got a holiday bread recipe that you might like to tear a chunk out of, take for a picnic or freeze for later when the inevitable school lunch boxes return…and yes, they will come around again.

And that’s all for the moment people, catch ups are now caught up, and attention is now turned towards my very soggy backyard. 200mls in two days or something like that, rather wet on the toes any way.

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How about you? Has it been raining? Do you have a post I should have read and anything you really should be catching up on?

 

 

 

loving…

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PB280450 copy PB280337 copy PB280289 copy

Loving…

weekend sneaky swims before breakfast

reluctant kids that don’t want to go, changing their minds

friends that make you laugh

pictures that make you think

words that get shifted around until they fall into their ‘slotted’ place

and standing up for things that you believe in, (you should always do that.)

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What are you loving this weekend?

[“Often life’s pleasures pass us by simply because we don’t take a moment to focus on them… Make a point of noticing everyday something that uplifts your spirit or tickles your heart… Stop to breathe in the joy of this moment and then tell someone about it. Share your joy and revel in it. When your joy is savoured, and then shared, it is magnified…” ROBIN GRILLE]

A call for kindness

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candle || cityhippyfarmgirl

I had another post already for today, and yet at this particular moment, it just doesn’t seem to fit. For today’s post it seems far more fitting for thoughts and words to be directed towards others that could maybe use support in a variety of ways.

So that’s what I’m doing, pointing you in a couple of directions where things can be done, words can be read and actions can be taken. What just happened in the last few days in Paris and Beirut is deplorable and after some hand wringing and emotive words exchanged, it’s time to work out what can be done, what I can do in my context.

I can have an opinion, stay informed, remain involved in our community, be generous…and at the end of the day just remember to be kind. Here are a few others that could maybe use some of your support or kindness.

detention-centre-kids-webbanner

Eco Toys Detention Centre Christmas Toy Drive

“Imagine having to flee your hometown to save your own life? Or having to witness the death of loved ones in your community? Imagine having to walk for days, weeks or even months with little food, no shelter and the lingering fear of how to keep your children safe from harm? This is what thousands of refugees face every day. It’s something that we could simply not even begin to imagine but this Christmas Eco Toys is gathering hundreds of toys to deliver to refugee children arriving into Australia for Christmas and to kids in detention centres. Now imagine the smiles on the children’s faces when they are given your toys?

Eco Toys is local toy company with a difference. “All our toys have been made ethically using sustainable and quality, natural materials.” Says Director & founder Melinda Bito. There are no batteries or mass produced plastic toys in our toy store because plastic is such a huge waste as it never completely breaks down and particles end up in our beautiful oceans destroying marine life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7TXvsfase0

One of my favourite charities. I have a huge amount of respect for these wonderful people….Donate to Medicins Sans Frontieres

Blood. Donate it if you can and if not there are plenty of other ways you can donate to the Red Cross. Someone, somewhere will always be in need. If you do decide to give blood it’s pretty easy and quick to donate a bag. (Plus you get bonus quiet time afterwards. Time to sit down, read the paper and have a few crackers ‘n cheese. That’s a win right there in my book.)

Also important when staying informed as to what’s going on in the world, choose your news sources wisely. Some alternative news sources (Australian based):

The New Matilda, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian Australia

And Edith, there will always be Edith….