|
|
|
In this edition
- PSN Lindfield meetings have a new start time
- Nominations for Interim President closes Tuesday 16th April
- Upcoming April events run by PSN. Full list here
- Seed savers seeking new co-ordinator
- International Permaculture Day May 5th
|
|
|
|
|
NEWSFLASH - Earlier meeting times at Lindfield
By popular demand of attendees, Lindfield meetings will commence at 7pm and finish by 8.30 pm for supper. Doors will open at 6.30 pm.
These timings are suggested for a trial period of four months. Any feedback will be gratefully received - please place any feedback in the suggestion box provided.
Look forward to seeing you on Monday
|
|
|
|
|
PSN Monthly Meeting - Monday 15 April 2013 @ 7:00pm - new time
Daniel Hatfield will be sharing his knowledge and experience of aquaponics as part of Permaculture design.
Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. In aquaponics, you grow fish and plants together in one integrated, soilless system. The fish waste provides a food source for the plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in. Aquaponics produces safe, fresh, organic fish and vegetables.
Daniel Hatfield is a passionate food gardener, educator and permaculturist. He has been working professionally with plants and gardens since 2006, focusing specifically on organic food gardening since 2008. Daniel believes in producing and promoting growing healthy, seasonal and local fruit and vegetables. He enjoys sharing his passion for permaculture and helping people develop confidence and new skills in organic gardening.
Doors open at 6.30pm.
Talk begins at 7.00pm followed by 15 min Q&A.
Supper 8.30pm
Lindfield Community Centre is location at 259 Pacific Hwy, Lindfield. Just a few minutes walk from Lindfield railway station.
|
|
|
|
|
Don't forget to BYO reusable mug / cup to all meetings
|
|
|
|
|
PSN Interim President
We are still seeking nominations or expressions of interest from you, our member base, for an interim President.
In brief we need someone at the helm of this community based group and you will be supported by a strong, highly motivated team.
|
|
|
|
|
Hornsby Local Group touring PermaPatch this Sunday 14th April
The Hornsby group is visiting Lane Cove this Sunday. We're looking forward to a guided tour and to meeting members of Permapatch.
When: Sunday 14 April
Time : 2pm
Address: corner Pacific Hwy and Mowbray Rd, Artarmon; parking on site.
There are more details on the Noticeboard – everyone is very welcome.
In May we will be seedsaving.
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Beaches Local Group - Thursday 18th April
John Seed and the Conservation of Nature - The Chikukwa Project
On Thursday week (April 18) we will have the monthly Permaculture Northern Beaches meeting - a week earlier than usual due to ANZAC day. Have you often thought how permaculture may be a good transition model for self-sufficiency or can permaculture pracitised in our own gardens really feed a large population? Find out on April 18!!
Our guest speaker is John Seed who will speak on a unique project in Zimbabwe, Africa - The Chikukwa Project. John, is an internationally renowned ecologist who started the Rainforest Information Center in Australia and has worked around the world on forest and biodiversity issues. For this he has received an Order of Australia Medal.
John’s presentation will include a 20 minute preview of the film, “The Chikukwa Project – from malnutrition to abundance – permaculture tackles hunger in Africa.” This highlights how permaculture can be a stable, abundant food source in communities that have been impoverished and suffering malnourishment. Chikukwa is now becoming a training center to promote permaculture throughout Africa and a great model for the developing world. The film and presentation will be followed by questions and answers.
A raffle with first prize of a Growall from Atlantis Corp (installed by Sustainability Systems and Services) plus second and third prizes of a gift pack from Warringah Council, and David Attenborough DVDs will be drawn on the night.
Please book your seats to help us with preparations.
Details: 7pm Thursday April 18th 2013
Where: Lakeview Hall, Tramshed Arts & Community Centre,
1395A Pittwater Road, Narrabeen
Suggested donation: $5
This is the third public meeting of Permaculture Northern Beaches from the Warringah Council Community Grant Project
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PSN Living Skills - March and upcoming April mushrooming (20th April)
The first 2013 PSN Living Skills activity was a mushroom picking tour in March. It was a big success! On the day over 30 adults and 10 children met at Blackheath and after making sure that everyone knew where to go we drove to our destination: Lidsdale State Forest. It is a logging forest so there were square plantations of pines ofvarious ages as well as recently logged spaces, so it was easy to see through and not get lost!
After a short safety talk and inspecting a few edible mushrooms found on site all pickers dispersed along a dirt road leading into the forest and went into the trees to fill their baskets.
The weather was beautiful and there were plenty of mushrooms after the March rains. Two hours was ample time for collecting with people returning with a basket or two (or some with four...)! We found Slippery Jacks and Red Pine mushrooms.
Everyone received a map on how to get to the picnic spot at Lake Wallace 3 km away and this is where we set up a couple of gas cookers to feed the group. 4 loaves of sourdough bread and 10 large pans of mushrooms fried with butter and onion or olive oil and garlic disappeared somehow... Then we had a pickling workshop, cleaning the smallest mushrooms, blanching them and preparing the pickling brine.
I was happy to see so many young families interested in Living Skills. Mushroom picking is a great outdoors activity and children love it so If you haven't done this, join us at the next Mushrooming tour beyond the Blue Mountains on April 20th. See the PSN Website for details.
|
|
|
|
|
PSN Permabee- 21st April in Epping
We will be helping Lucinda get her garden up to show quality for International Permaculture Day (which is on Sunday 5 May) and also installing something she has been thinking of for quite some time….
We will start off with a brief tour of Lucinda’s townhouse garden and then divide the labour amongst the tasks. There is plenty to do, with tasks both energetic and light. It would be great if we could have a volunteer or two to help out in the kitchen, and someone to take some before, after and action shots!
There are three main projects:
1. Erection of an innovative shade structure to help the Zone 1 plants survive in summer but enable the winter sunlight through.
2. Herb spiral. We will be reconstructing the top half of this to better define it. So plants need to be potted, soil shifted, rocks repositioned.
3. Compost area. It is time to move things on: mature compost to potting areas and garden beds; new compost heaps started; dry branches mulched up.
There are lots of minor projects:
1. Mandala garden edging. This needs to be stabilised and “soil leaks” plugged.
2. Potting: some of the pipe stand and hanging pots need new plants in them
3. Pruning: acacias lining the garden need to be cut back and mulched
4. Stick patrol: vagrant gum stick, bark etc to be collected and mulched
5. Weeding/ tidying of most Zone 1 & Zone 2 areas
6. Arch the mulberry fronds over towards the big rainwater tank
7. Prune Zone 2 (food forest) so can see structure
8. Refresh the banana circle
9. Move the Davidson Plum to a sunnier spot
10. General weed of Bushcare areas near garden
You'll be able to register for this event via the website next week
|
|
|
|
|
PSN Open Garden - Carlingford - Sunday 28th April 2-4pm
My garden was the beneficiary of a garden team permablitz in October last year when 4 large swales and bunds were created providing structure and water harvesting ability. Since then the bunds have decomposed and the process of planting them up has begun, along with some interim plantings which are now all at different stages of development. I may have a banana circle, chooks and guinea pigs on the day.
If you participated in the permablitz come and see what has changed since then - it looks so different. All other members are most welcome too of course. I will also be inviting my neighbours who have been recipients of my surplus produce recently.
I will talk through the various aspects of the garden and plans for the future. This is a garden which is far from fully developed and reflects the realities of everyday life taking time away from it.
I would like to have a cutting or seedling for everyone who attends, in exchange I ask that when you visit and observe my garden you give some feedback/ideas/suggestions either of your own or in response to some questions I have.
There will be tea and coffee, from 4 pm and weather permitting we might fire up the bbq and open a bottle or two if anyone was interested.....
The address will be provided on registration.
If you're not a member and would like to join our community and take part in this garden team day, please join here
|
|
|
|
|
Seed Savers needs a new Co-ordinator
Seed Savers meet on the 4th Saturday of every month from 9am-12 noon at the Bidjiwong Community Nursery in Baulkham Hills. (Rear of Ted Horwood Reserve carpark, off Renown Rd, opposite the sports club).
Seed Savers is now looking for a new co-ordinator. The responsibilities include keeping the bank stocked and in good health, going to meetings once a month at Bijiwong and record keeping. Greg and Vera from Permaculture Sydney West are a great help and you'll learn it all as you go! Please contact Peter if you're interested or want additional information.
All PSN members are welcome to Seed Savers. You'll meet great people, learn a lot about cleaning seed, propagating, how to recognise and save seeds, heaps of growing tips and herbal remedies from Robyn and other knowledgeable people.
We can share our seeds with you and would love for you to share some of your special heirloom seeds with us.
Peter Pezzolesi
Seed Savers Co-ordinator
Phone 0412 817 605
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
International Permaculture Day - May 5th 2013
A positive day of action for you and the planet
The first Sunday in May is a day where a range of permaculture events occur across Australia and the globe. Open homes, gardens and farms, films, educational workshops, permablitzes and a host of other activities provide an opportunity for the public to see positive permaculture projects in action, to talk personally to the people living it and experience the permaculture movement first hand.
Last year, thousands flocked to discover what permaculture is all about, to see home gardens and to find answers or solutions to problems. This year promises to be even bigger and better, with many more homes, gardens and workshops on show.
If you are opening your garden to the pubic, please go to the International Permaculture Day website and upload your event details. You can download posters and signage for printing from the resources page. To recruit for help on the day we can make an announcement at the Monday night meeting and you can post a request message on the PSN noticeboard.
This is a day for permies to help out other permies with their open gardens. It's the reason we started the PSN open Garden program so you can check each others gardens out at different times throughout the year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tapas Cooking Class Experience
Last year my better half, Rosemary, was lucky enough to win PSN’s major raffle with the prize being two tickets to a tapas cooking class at MuMu Grill. These tickets had been kindly donated to PSN by Craig Macindoe who runs MuMu.
The first thing we learnt is that Tapas means lid or cover. According to Wikipedia “the original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales. The tapas eventually became as important as the sherry.”
There were approximately 20 people at our cooking class. A room, containing a large pizza oven, easily accommodated us all. The big oven allowed everyone’s creations to be cooked quickly at the same time.
We were first shown how to make a Pizza Bread Dough, some of which was cooked and eaten with a yummy Olive Tapenade. The remainder of the dough was used to make Tortillas. Our other creations were Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Baked Haloumi with Zucchini, Chilli and Mint Dressing, Potato and Ricotta Tortilla, Chorizo in Cider and Sangria.
The ice cold Sangria was most welcome. The day of our class was 18 January 2013 and it was 46 degrees at Observatory Hill. We could almost have put our dishes on the pavement to cook rather than in the pizza oven!
All the way through Craig offered cooking tips and recounted things of interest. He was thoroughly entertaining and we had a great time.
Details of the recipes have been placed on the PSN Noticeboard.
Barry Hadaway
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome new PSN members
A big welcome to all new members
New Members’ (and old Members’) guide to the Website now online
It includes
- a glossary of terms and abbreviations
- how to find - the New Members’ Booklet, DIY Information Sheets
- how to ‘sign in’ to the website and members’ forum
- how to register for events
- regular meeting dates and events
- and important links
A big thanks to Adrian Kong and his wife Vicki, who are reasonably new members, for putting together this helpful (deceptively simple) guide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PSN Facebook
Our facebook page is rocking! It's an excellent place for finding out what's going on in and around our area in a broader context.
You can interact with like minded permies to share ideas, pose questions, post interesting articles and find out what courses and events are happening in our region and around the world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
