A snapshot of what community supported agriculture can look like.
What’s on offer is a subscription service, where the customer & grower share the risks & abundance of seasonal produce growing. By paying up front, the customer is investing in their local community, biodiversity (in a microscopic way of respecting balance in the living world), independent initiative and their next meal.
Often in these enterprises, growers will have tasty offerings that aren’t commercially viable, but offer a tasty insight into variety.
How do we get more of these opportunities underway?
🌱
#growfood #supportyourlocalgrower #independentbusiness #eatyourgreens #eattherainbow #urbanagriculturemonth #popesproduce
Out of the archives - all the pockets of our backyard wonderland for eat play stay.
#urbanmarketgarden #freshisbest #playoutside #cuttlefishcottage #popesproduce #woonona #illawarra #homegrown #handmade
It’s been a hot minute since the last harvest ….
Thought it time to review all the happy snaps of the September - May season.
It’s been another exceptional one, with some exceptional volunteers, exceptional humidity, exceptional celebrations, exceptional weather, exceptional community with crop swapping and Food Talking and exceptional cucumbers - just off the top of my head.
We’ve basically kept the block as the permaculture trifecta of;
Earth Care (1/3 block bush)
Fair Share (1/3 block market garden, neighbours play)
People Care (1/3 block home, accommodation & storage)
People Care (1/3 block)
…to create the space for this to come to fruition in our world.
Enjoy the view of what’s possible.
(I’ll do another one on the built structures another day;)
#permaculture #earthcare #peoplecare #fairshare #csa #communitysupportedagriculture #urbanmarketgarden #community #cropswap #foodtalks #helpx #illawarra
Small farms count !!! There’s more of us than you may first think building soil, community and robust ecosystems. The knowledge out there is next level- but often difficult to access as growers and producers are so flat out doing the do.
🍃Young Farmers Connect have a national survey running to generate a baseline for the diversity in our regions & to see what is required to keep these systems humming.
#smallfarmscount #youngfarmersconnect #marketgardening #growfood #freshisbest #illawarra
All tucked in.
Just about time for this little glade to rest up for winter, cover crops in, a little more tidy & feeding to go.
#urbanmarketgarden #communitysupportedagriculture #feshisbest #feedthesoil
Battle royale as I weeded & planted yesterday.
Wasp v’s huntsman…
Wasp stings & paralyses said spider - lays their eggs inside, they hatch inside the spider then voracious babies their way out. Or so I’ve been told. Trying to keep my distance on this one.
Nature is wild.
#waspvspider #lifecycle #backyardwonderland #observenature #huntsmanspider #urbanmarketgarden
What a year !
Abundance from the backyard market garden (an initiative very rare in these parts - small scale production, operating a Community Supported Agriculture model ). A greenhouse constructed! And as the sun slid low pausing production….off to Chelsea Flower Show and beyond - such a trip ! OMG - Kew Gardens - think I could just about have moved in.
Finally celebrated & hung out in person with small scale producers from across the country at Deep Winter Agrarians for the 1st time in years.
Then there’s seeing the neighbourhood kids weaving through the playground of rainbow chard, wanting to take some home.
Oh yeah, and I finally stepped up to level 5.
50 laps around the sun celebrated with all of the above.
Thanks 2023, it’s been an adventure.
#marketgarden #csa #backyardwonderland #edibleeducation #observeandinteract #smallandslowsolutions
Okay lovely bee folks ….
What’s this crew up to & what type are they?
Noticed they’re all partying together on a parsley flowerbed going to seed this morning just as the drizzly day sets in.
#beesofaustralia #backyardbees #diversityatplay
Just for your listening pleasure.
Basically fast food for the local magpie family anytime I’m working in the market garden.
#wildlife #magpie #biodiversity #marketgardening
First day spring CSA !! Abundance of the leafy variety & eureka lemons that need to be seen to be believed.
Did you know - the pith (minus zest & fruit) has the texture of dried apple & tastes kinda sweet. I’ve been told it’s even tastier the second day.
Local veg for local households. Some have even been pre sampled by certain bug life proving their digestability ;)
#eatfresh #spring #homegrown #eatyourveg #wastefree #producesubscription #marketgarden #backyardwonderland
Pretty sure this translates to….
‘Thanks for the worms - I’ll help protect the freshly planted book Chou’
…or so so would like to think.
You’re welcome. Happy Monday.
#backyardwonderland #magpie #wildlifepatrol #marketgarden #spring
Preparing for spring !!
Packing out the greenhouse impatiently waiting for full sun in the garden, planting on the little ones.
A bit of liquid crop protection with help from our friends.
Cool damp soil has been a haven for slugs - time to break that cycle, with some lovely refreshing (waste ale) to let the crops grow on.
Dreaming of the harvest season ahead & subscription service for local produce.
Floral assortments and edible garnishes for wildlife & humans alike with plans to get cut arrangements out the door this season….
So once you’ve got local leaves for lunch, hot tip-
storing the washed dry leaves in a big fat glass jar keeps them fresh for ages! (We’ve been told up to 2 weeks)
#eatfresh #spring #marketgarden #beprepared #backyardwonderland #seasonalproduce #growfood
