Tuesday 7 February 2017

Into the glean and scene of 2017

We ended 2016 with a community garden working bee with mates,


cleaning off graffiti from around the town (that one of us thought was a good idea to do at the time),


building a new squat compost loo with SWAP, Isobel,


going for a little ride,


to spend the summer solstice at Melliodora with neo-peasant and permie mates,


advertising for our first SWAP-intern suitable to work with the whole family, particularly Zeph,


and carried on with forest work and play,


until the year was done and we gathered with various friends and other community groups to celebrate the new year.


 Our little ensemble of community gardeners won best 'float', despite our on-foot-ness.


The next day, with our Milkwood mates, we were very floaty when we heard the news of our win ($500 to the community gardens to grow more free food).


This year we've been welcoming Connor into our family. Connor was chosen to be our first SWAP-intern. Within days it was like this remarkable young man has been with us for years.


And we've been blessed with more wonderful SWAPs coming to live and learn with us. Hello Anna!


And hello Marta!


We went out of town with our mate Pete to collect some locally grown and milled timber. We're going to build a number of things in the next few months.


With friends Mara, Kirsten and Kat we made a banner,


which will be used each year to mark January 26, terra nullius day at the Daylesford Town Hall.


We've been doing little fermenting experiments and loving the results.


Actually, Connor doesn't need elderflower cider to fool around in the gloaming.


Connor and Marta have been hanging out working together, riding the tandem and generally keeping the home fires burning.


Because it's a time of storing,


food forestry and many people staying,


pumpkins, citrus and kiwi fruiting,


honey making,


poultry growing,


appling,


learning,


keeping the mice numbers down,


and more storing.


Collecting materials from building sites, the tip, and having friends who gift large doors and windows (thanks Nicko and Elle), has enabled the planning of the north-facing greenhouse.


Our home is a busy mess of multiple projects, ferments and general productivity. We're using the excessive affluence of industrial civilisation to transition to low-money, low-carbon lifeways before inevitable decline or collapse.


Prepare now or struggle later is our motto, and what we've found in the meantime is a more joyous, meaningful form of life making.

3 comments:

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  2. I'm interested in how you got all of this started? I'm on an average sized block in the Adelaide hills suburb of Coromandel Valley and would love to share the fruit and nut trees and space with people who share my values. There's a whole strip down the end of my block with an empty shed, chook shed and space for an outdoor area or whatever someone can think of. I hate seeing it wasted with so many people looking for homes.

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    1. Hi Oakherder, that sounds like a great garden and orchard space to share. We started with small steps, little by little building community around food sharing and other types of sharing and gifting. For example we started community gardens and organised workshops on permaculture skills. Permaculture SA: https://www.facebook.com/permaculturesa/ may be a good place to visit if you don't know it already. There's also this film that may inspire too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BSSB2zf2CI You cld advertise on the SA permie FB page that you're looking for gardeners to co-work your plot. But if you get involved with community groups or gardens around your neighbourhood and build relationships first before offering your home garden space, it will probably be more successful. Running inspiring film nights at a neighbourhood centre is a great way to establish relationships with people who share your values. You could have a Happen Films night, showing a few of their videos, such as this incredible one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GJFL0MD9fc Hope this is of some help.

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