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Sustainable Living magazine
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ISSUE 4
LEE HOLMES
Lee Holmes
Tell us about your personal journey to wellness? Like many others, my journey to wellness started from a place of desperation. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia prescribed to a cocktail of drugs and antibiotics. I became accustomed to feeling sick, lethargic and unhappy. I truly felt like I had no hope. I knew that the real change in my health wouldn’t come from antibiotics, it would come from me. This is where I went back to my nutrition roots and started doing lots of new research into food and ingredients. It was as if I was in a very dark room for so many months and somebody finally opened the curtains and let me see again. I found gut health, wellbeing and nutrition fascinating. I started to live by this information, started my blog and I guess you could say the rest is history! This all feels like a lifetime ago and I am so grateful for where I am now. What would be your top tips that would help others create positive change in their lives? Often, the thing people get so wrong when trying to make a positive change is viewing their previous behaviour as negative. It’s okay to slip up in your journey, it’s your journey and you’re doing it for you! Oh and another thing, dessert isn’t a dirty word but guilt is! The guilt we associate with eating unhealthy food can sometimes be worse than eating the food itself. Do you feel that consumers are being denied the truth about the food we purchase and eat? Sadly, I’m going to have to say yes. The amount of chemicals, artificial flavours and preservatives that are added to our foods is crazy! Consumers need to become more aware of label reading and not just trusting a package that claims a food is ‘healthy’, ‘low calorie’ or ‘low fat’. This is made so difficult by clever marketing techniques. As easy and cheap as it is to eat packaged processed foods and fast foods, these will only cause harm in the long run. What are your thoughts on the impact chemicals in food and our environment are having on our overall health and do you think this needs to change? Yes! I personally try to maintain a whole foods diet to reduce the amount of chemicals I consume and my carbon footprint. Seeing as this can be a little hard on the bank account, I recommend purchasing meat and dairy, as well as the ‘dirty dozen’ of fruits and vegetables like strawberries, apples, nectarines, grapes, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers organic. The amount of chemical consumption occurring is extraordinary and leading to a myriad of diseases. Something needs to change. Do you feel there is something missing educationally about food and the importance of good nutritional health in youth? And if so, how can we change this? I personally believe that schools should make healthy food a more important point of education because without health, we have nothing. School’s need to clean out the tuckshop or canteen and encourage healthier choices that will boost brain health and give our kids enough energy to learn efficiently. For all the women and men who are experiencing a health crisis in the area of Auto Immune Disease, what direction and experience could you share with them to give them hope, in what can be a very dark and lonely journey? I know what you’re going through because I’ve been through it before. I know the feeling of emptiness; the feelings of loss. I know how easy it is to give up hope. But you can get through this and if you try, you will. This is the exact reason I created superchargedfood in the first place – I wanted to create a safe environment where people could share their stories and learn how to improve their health through diet and wellbeing. I love all of your books, and I have them all. Has there been a natural flow and sequence to everything you have written? That’s so sweet, thank you! I love hearing when people connect to my books, it makes the whole process so worth it. To be honest, I write when I need to write. When there’s a pressing issue I want to address and help people with. Behind every book there’s some- thing pushing me towards writing it and the process just happens naturally. Can you tell us more about each book from 1st to the present and a little on the motivation for writing them? Eat Your Way to Good Health: Supercharged Food is a simple and inspiring guide to eating for optimum health. Being my first book, I wanted to help people going through autoimmune disorders, food allergies and intolerances and create wholesome recipes to get them on their healing journey. The recipes are full of nutrients and taste delicious! Eat Yourself Beautiful is a simple and inspiring guide to help people well… eat their way to beauty through anti-inflammatory foods! It’s my personal guide on how I try to achieve inner and outer health through recipes and key ingredients. There are over 100 recipes that are nutritionally rich and anti-inflammatory and lots of great meals for the whole family. Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian was written at a stage where I felt the world needed to fall back in love with vegetables. I wanted, and still want, people to fall in love with plant-based recipes and make them different and exciting – not just a giant mushroom burger that is so often the case! I talk about the healing power of vegetables and how to make them taste delicious, seasonal guides and how to properly store and cook vegetables. Heal Your Gut contains a four-step treatment program to help nourish the gut and restore the inner gut lining. Heal your Gut has loads of gut-loving recipes to help improve your most influential body part. The gut is the epicentre of health and in the book I make the healing process as simple as it is tasty. Supercharged Food for Kids is all about helping kids (and their parents!) develop good and maintainable eating habits for life. There are healthy versions of everyone’s favourite foods like pizza and nuggets, which have a couple of nifty ingredient switches to make them healthier but still super tasty, a shopping list and information about vital nutrients that kids need for development. The book contains helpful hints that every parent needs to help their kids be that much healthier like lunch box preparation and afterschool snacks! Eat Right for Your Shape is inspired by my personal Indian background and Ayurvedic journey. The book follows the Ayurvedic path to good health through four key healing modalities, which can be achieved by listening to your body and giving it what it needs. I wanted to incorporate Ayurvedic principles into the everyday world because I know just how much it changed my life for the better. The recipes are absolutely delicious too. Lastly, Fast Your Way to Wellness has come at a time where I think it’s needed the most. The world has become so used to overindulging and constantly over-snacking. I’ve personally been practicing intermittent fasting for years and can see that it’s helped me improve my health in several ways. Intermittent fasting gives the gut (and mouth) time to rest and process everything. Fast Your Way to Wellness offers all the tools everyone needs to successfully thrive on their journey towards wellness and weight-loss plus lots of really good recipes. Have you receive feedback on how your books have helped others and if so can you share some of those stories with us? Yes! I’m honoured to be part of so many positive improvements. I receive emails daily about how my books have changed and transformed people’s lives. This is why I do what I do and, it continuously motivates me to helping others and sharing my story and knowledge. Your website is super informative, can you shed more light on how to best nativigate the information available on www.superchargedfood.com.au? Thank you! If you’re looking for something specific, like a recipe or something you want to learn, you can search it using the little search tab with the cute magnifying glass! My blog is full of recipes which includes sneaky recipes from some of my books. To make the healing journey that much easier, my blog also includes a shop section where you can buy all that you need to get started on the wellness journey. I also hold competitions where I’ve given away everything from books to fridges before! Please tell us more about what a Private Health Coaching Session with you? I offer private health coaching to personally help people with their food and lifestyle choices. This includes a holistic plan to help people heal their body from cell level and reach future health goals. I educate my clients on how to achieve their goals and am with them every step of the way! I loved reading about your wedding and the sustainable practices you followed. Can you please share with us more about your special day and why you chose to have a sustainable theme? My wedding is by far one of my favourite things to talk about. I chose to have a sustainable theme because it’s something Justin, my gorgeous husband, and I are so passionate about. A typical wedding is astronomically expensive and we didn’t want something over the top – we wanted something real and something very us. Everything was second-hand, homemade or able to be recycled to have the least amount of impact on the planet. My wedding was very homespun and traditional. We planned it in only four weeks and wanted to keep it as simple as possible. It made us both realise what’s important to us and what we wanted at our wedding – our new beautiful family and friends. Is living more sustainably important to you and your family? Definitely. We have a compost bin, never use plastic and recycle all our jars. I’ve always been interested in making my life more green but following my wedding, Justin and I made a pact to live as sustainably and ethically as possible! If you could sit down with your 16 year old self and have a meaningful conversation, what would you share with her? Listen to your gut, look after yourself, eat well and believe you can accomplish anything. Lastly, where can our readers purchase your books and programs? Both my books and Heal Your Gut four week and two day programs are available on my website. My books can also be found in any good book store!
by Melissa Cooper
Lee, can you please tell the readers who Lee Holmes is and what keeps you motivated and inspired both personally and professionally? I’m a mum, wife, food and nutritional coach, yoga teacher, wholefoods chef, Southernature ambassador and the author of the number one selling books Supercharged Food: Eat Your Way to Health, Supercharged Food: Eat Yourself Beautiful, Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian, Eat Right for your Shape, Supercharged food For Kids, Heal your Gut and Fast Your Way to Wellness. I also run a four-week online ‘Heal Your Gut’ program, a bi-weekly online ‘Heal Your Gut’ program, and my very own ‘Heal Your Gut Powder’ and ‘Supercharged Food, Earth Mask and Scrub’. I’m passionate about helping people feel their best, from their very core to their radiant skin. I want to inspire people through my personal story, books, recipes, blog, Instagram and Facebook.
Countdown begins for new festival in the mountains... Anticipation is growing for the June long weekend when Central Coast Council hosts a unique event promoting the hidden gems in the valleys and mountains. The inaugural Harvest Festival will celebrate local produce on the Coast, focusing on this unique region, its people and culture over the long weekend – Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June. Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said the Festival will be the first of its kind on the Central Coast. “We received a lot of interest from our local producers wanting to show off their farms, produce and generally showcase what our picturesque valleys and mountains have to offer,” Mr Reynolds said. “Our staff have been working hard with our local producers, to create a great program of events with a bit of something for everyone from open farms to long lunches, bush tucker walks, live music, fruit picking, workshops and much, much more. “Festival-goers will be able to chat to local farmers, taste their produce and enjoy the sights and sounds of this unique aspect of the Central Coast.” The Festival will take place over the June long weekend, with events held across the Calga, Somersby, Peats Ridge, Mangrove Mountain, Kulnura and Yarramalong areas. “The Festival is a great way to help shine a spotlight on these areas and their importance as tourism and economic drivers for our region. “The Coast is known for its beaches and waterways, but we are also surrounded by a hinterland full of hidden treasures – which will be the centre of attention in June.” The full Festival program is available at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/harvestfestival or keep up to date through the Facebook page at facebook.com/harvestfestivalcc. This event is proudly supported by Destination NSW.
Interviews by: Editor, Mel Cooper
harvest fesitival
east coast beverages
The Central Coast Harvest Festival is the first of its kind and the community as a whole is excited to have such an incredible event on their doorstep. We are beyond fortunate to have such an abundance of local farmers which are just a short drive away and what a beautiful drive it is, making for an enjoyable day out for the family. Put the dates in your diary and make sure you check out the full festival program (link above) for a jammed packed weekend of fun.
Please tell me all about the farm and or market and the motivation/inspiration behind the business? The motivation and inspiration behind our business started with our Grandfather in 1965. When Salvatore Lentini first started out, we grew, picked and packed fresh fruit from our Central Coast orchard to supply to Australia's famous Flemington Markets. Everything we have done since then is motivated by his vision, and we continue to be a family operated and owned business, employing and creating business for the Central Coast Community. Tell us about the journey to get to this point? (including the ups and downs) We have had many challenges along the way which have lead us to the company we are today. One which shaped the change of our business from a citrus orchard to beverage manufacturing occurred in the early days when we faced the challenge of fruit and concentrated orange juice being imported from overseas when the Australian Government removed tariffs on imported juice. This created a situation whereby it became more profitable for large Australian juice processors to buy imported product rather than produce product from Australian fruit. As a consequence we were dumping our fruit as juice processors were not interested in buying it.. That's when Salvatore's three sons, Sam, Mick and Frank Lentini, saw an opportunity to create our own niche market by squeezing citrus fruit juice made entirely from 100% fresh fruit. We also made use of the natural springs that flowed through our Central Coast property and bottled pure spring water too. This is when Eastcoast Foods & Beverages as we know it today was truly born. We have continued to experience issues along the way, with the most recent being the supply issue of oranges at present. This has had a huge impact on the manufacturing of our popular orange juice, however we have had to overcome this the best way we know how. Through all this, the positive side is that we are a family business and no matter how hard times get we have each other to get through . We are committed to delivering the customer with a quality product and we all work together to achieve this vision every day. There is no better feeling of creating success than doing it with your family and we hope this shines through to every element of the business. In hindsight is there anything you would have done differently when starting out? I think that we could have put more thought into planning the layout of our factory for future growth. When we started our business we did not anticipate that it would grow to the level that it has today. What are the ongoing challenges you face keeping the organisation going? The biggest challenge we face at this point is sourcing a constant supply of Australian citrus. Many growers have exited the industry over the years (particularly when the Australian Government reduced the tarrif on imported juice concentrate).
SPECIAL & UNIQUE FOCUS - LOCAL HEROS
Tell us about your views on sustainable living practices and how it impacts the community and your organisation? We as a company, and a family, support sustainable living practices. We are so fortunate to live on the mountain as we have been able to put our views into practice by not only growing our own fruit which goes into our juices, but also growing our own fruits, herbs and vegetables which we use in the meals we eat. While we aim to incorporate this into the business, it can often be challenging particularly when the view is not supported by the community as a whole. We have installed an 80kw solar power generation system to reduce energy consumption from coal fired power generation plants. We recylcle all our waste packaging. We have installed state of the art energy efficient lighting and refrigeration equipment. We source as many inputs as we can from local suppliers rather than use inputs that are shipped from interstate or overseas. How can the community get involved? The community can get involved by supporting local business so that they are able to implement these practices. What do you feel people can do in their own backyards to create change in living more sustainably? There are so many ways we can all implement sustainable living. Grow your own fruits and vegies, use public transport or walk to work (if possible), recycle, use natural products, and use daylight as much as possible. We can all make a huge impact if we think about alternate ways of going about our day to day. How important is it for the community to get to know their local farmers and markets? It is vitally important, and this is why we are so passionate about "The Harvest Festival". These growers need our support and there are so many farms with the freshest produce right in our own backyard. Our motto at Eastcoast has always been to ‘buy local’ and we are committed to sourcing our produce from our local farmers where ever possible. We hope this message is delivered to the community at large and we begin to see this support shine through. Please share your thoughts about being involved in The Harvest Festival and what it means to your organisation? We are so thrilled to be part of this Festival and be involved in showcasing the amazing offerings we have on the Mountain. There are so many fantastic offerings that the wider community are not aware of, so we feel this Festival is a great opportunity to educate and raise awareness. We hope to see an influx of tourism and community support from those that attend, not only for our business but for all the other businesses up in this area. For Eastcoast, this Festival means that we can show our customers what we do, and what is involved in our day to day. We also hope to encourage them to support our family in our journey and dedication to our 'buy local' message. What can the community expect to experience on your tours or on the day as a whole? We have a number of great activities planned including a tour of our manufacturing plant, fruit picking, and our very own Eastcoast juice and smoothie bar onsite. Often we don’t think of how the products we consume came to be, and we want the community to experience first-hand the process of manufacturing our beverages, as well as the fruit growing, picking and packing side. We are looking forward to providing them with this opportunity.
Please tell me all about the farm and or market and the motivation/inspiration behind the business? We are a small family run farm on the NSW Central Coast. We produce grass fed and grass finished beef, pastured eggs, pastured chicken, pastured muscovy duck, seasonal vegetables, garlic, as well as honey. Using regenerative farming principles we move all of our animals onto fresh pasture on a regular basis, and allow our animals to express their natural behaviours. We believe that all of our animals should have a good life and be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their end purpose. We raise most of our animals for meat, but ensure that they have a great life and only one bad day. The chickens can scratch, dust bath and shelter under trees. Our ducks have access to pasture and ponds. Our cattle graze on amazingly lush and diverse pastures. We work with the natural order – rather than against it. Dung beetles, worms and small birds are all crucial in enabling us to run the farm without using chemicals or artificial fertilisers. They play a critical part in reducing insect pests, recycling manure and aerating the soil. We farm without the use of chemicals, our main aim is to model sustainable farming, always working to improve the health of the soil and the pastures. We believe that healthy soils = healthy pastures = healthy animals. Tell us about the journey to get to this point? (include the ups and downs) In 2005 our son was diagnosed with Leukaemia. As we went through the chemotherapy treatment we became very focussed on researching ‘food as medicine’. The more we read about healthy whole foods, the more we realised that it really comes back to how that food is farmed. We became interested in researching farming methods and started farming from our house block in Sydney. Just about everything in our garden was edible and we also kept chickens for eggs. We had read a lot about Joel Salatin’s Polyface farming methods and could see that it was possible to run a small farm without the need to use chemicals. We took the plunge and moved to Kulnura. We bought a property that we could afford, but required a LOT of work. There were no fences and a great deal of the farm was very overgrown. We started fencing and prepared room for animals and growing vegetables. We started small, learnt lessons from our mistakes, improved our management, added in more animals and continued to grow. In hindsight is there anything you would have done differently when starting out? We would have put cattle on our farm earlier. They have done an amazing job transforming our paddocks into pastures – with the help of the dung beetles!! Moving the family was a hard decision to make. However, in hindsight we should have made the move to the farm a lot earlier. We underestimated the level of knowledge and skills needed to run a farm. We should have spent more time planning the growth and development of the farm. To have completed a Holisitic Management Course eariler would have helped us enormously in our farm management practices. What are the ongoing challenges you face keeping the organisation going? Juggling farming and family can be tricky at times. There is very limited public transport in our area, so there is a lot of time spent off the farm running our children to the bus stop for school and travelling down to the Coast for various events. Working through the gaps in our skills, talents and knowledge. It takes time to develop these skills and it costs money to out-source them. Tell us about your views on sustainable living practices and how it impacts the community and your organisation? Globally, we are a closed environment, nothing new is added. While the planet does a great job at recycling water, air, soil etc – we as individuals need to make sure that we do what we can to reduce the load on the planets ability to recycle. How can the community get involved? Support small sustainable farms and visit local producers. Learn what is involved in sustainable food production and support the farms that are being farmed that way. What do you feel people can do in their own backyards to create change in living more sustainably? Keep chickens!! Chickens are the most gorgeous creatures. They will eat food scraps, fertilise your garden, produce beautiful eggs and make wonderful pets. Chickens are the gateway to farming for so many people. Add edible plants into your garden – herbs are a great place to start and save you so much money. You can even grow vegetables in a Styrofoam box on a balcony. The main thing is to plant something! How important is it for the community to get to know their local farmers and markets? Relationships between farmers and customers are so important. Farmers Markets, and buying directly from your farmer, enable you to ask questions about their farming methods and how the food was produced. Know your farmer, know your food. Please share your thoughts about being involved in The Harvest Festival and what it means to your organisation? We are thrilled to be involved in the Harvest Festival. The Harvest Festival is a wonderful opportunity for people on the coast to become aware of the diversity of produce being grown on the Central Coast and for the farmers to share their stories and produce. Many people have not even been aware that there is a farming community and agriculture on the Central Coast. To have a whole weekend of events celebrating food and farming on the Coast is very encouraging. What can the community expect to experience on your tours or on the day as a whole? Our tour groups are kept small and intimate. We really want to give people an opportunity to ask the farming and food questions they have always wanted answered. We start our tours with a lovely homemade Devonshire Tea and introductions. We walk around our property looking at the different animals and features, and share our farming story. We make our tour interactive and multi sensory.
grace springs farm
mangrove yoga farm
Please tell me all about the farm and or market and the motivation/inspiration behind the business? Our aim at Mangrove Yoga Farm isn’t simply to grow food, it’s to grow food differently, to educate and inspire each other and look after ourselves, our environment and our community. Mangrove Yoga Farm operates as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project, whereby the community that benefits helps support the farm. Many different models of CSAs exist but essentially it represents a way for communities to farm together, for people to know where their food comes from and learn how it is grown in a way that improves our health and environment. The emphasis of the farm is on integrating lifestyle and sustainable agriculture. We use elements of organic agriculture, permaculture and bio-dynamic agriculture to support a simple, a healthy and inspired lifestyle. It is also a place of education for visitors and interns providing a growing model of sustainability and communal living as well as being a bridge between communities. Tell us about the journey to get to this point? (include the ups and downs) We've had mixed success with the farm having been run by different people over the years but we've always had the support of the Mangrove Yoga Community. This support has enabled us to be supported through the lean times of too little water, too much water, hot weather, cold weather, bugs and insects, poor soils, problems with kangaroos all of which are a challenge to farming. We're constantly changing, doing new things, expanding and contracting at times, trying new varieties of veges, planting patterns and riding the difficulty of managing volunteers. In hindsight is there anything you would have done differently when starting out? Water management has had the biggest impact on our farm - too much - too little - at the right time. Getting this right from the beginning and using experts would have saved us a lot of trouble. Having said this, be prepared to have setbacks. We now understand the value of our water practices. These will be the learning instruments of finding a better more economical (in terms of effort and dollars) way of doing things. The mistakes we made lead us to the point we are, which we're proud of. What are the ongoing challenges you face keeping the organisation going? Keeping up the number of long term volunteers. As we operate as a community farm run by volunteers, 100% the profits of the farm go back into the farm and so we are always looking for long term volunteers and interns who have a keen interest and commitment to farming. Tell us about your views on sustainable living practices and how it impacts the community and your organisation? Sustainability for us requires that we leave the land in better shape than we found it, that people leave our farm and retreat centre healthier than when they came and that we continue to inspire our community while farming together. In a broader sense, if our institutions aren't doing this, then it's not sustainable. How can the community get involved? By being part of the farm, either as an intern or volunteering on weekends or by coming to our courses. Essentially anyone can help by educating themselves to make better food choices. We need healthy farmers to look after our precious soils to provide the most chemical free, nutrient dense, unadulterated local food possible. What do you feel people can do in their own backyards to create change in living more sustainably? Start growing your own food. It's easier and more fun than you'd expect! How important is it for the community to get to know their local farmers and markets? Being a small organic farmer it feels customers are starting to understand (through a deterioration of heath and lifestyle conditions) that our industrial food system is broken. When you take into account the hidden environmental costs (think food miles, soil degradation, climate change, animal welfare and water availability/quality) and social costs (increases in lifestyle diseases, loss of community and connection and the ability to share and celebrate food) then you'll find that currently we are paying a heavy price for the food we choose to eat. The necessary social, economic and environmental changes needed for the future has to begin with food. It has the power to heal. Knowing the quality and where your food comes from is paramount to a healthy and happy life. Please share your thoughts about being involved in The Harvest Festival and what it means to your organisation? What a great initiative! It is a time to celebrate, discover and learn. We are delighted to be involved, have no doubt it will be a success and hope that it can continue into the future. What can the community expect to experience on your tours or on the day as a whole? To be inspired.
mangrove district markets
Please tell me all about the farm and or market and the motivation/inspiration behind the business? The Mangrove District Market was formed to raise funds for the upkeep of our local heritage hall, Mangrove Mountain Community Hall, whilst supporting our local growers, producers and crafts people. The Mangrove District Market is a country style village market showcasing local produce, food, arts and craft, plants and homewares, where people can browse through the stalls, meet and buy direct from the growers and artists, before sitting back and relaxing on hand crafted bush furniture, with a slice of homemade cake and a hot coffee, listen to live Country Music whilst the kids soak up the Mountain air playing in the playground or enjoy a pony ride. Tell us about the journey to get to this point? (include the ups and downs) It's always hard to get a community run market off the ground, especially in a small country town, but with dedication from our local stallholders and community spirit, the markets have not only raised much needed funds for the upkeep and ongoing costs of maintaining a community owned hall, and provided an outlet for our farmers, producers and crafts people to sell their wares and produce locally, but also a great social gathering amongst locals to share a yarn and support each other when times are tough. In hindsight is there anything you would have done differently when starting out? As we have built the market up gradually, in hindsight we would have endeavoured to have attractions like the Pony Rides and Country Music from the start as they have added to the atmosphere of the market. What are the ongoing challenges you face keeping the organisation going? As we rely primarily on passing tourist route traffic, inclement weather and seasonal tourism trends can be a challenge. Events such as The Harvest Festival are a real boost to our area and gives us the opportunity to showcase what we have to offer as a farming and eco-tourism region within an hour of the hustle and bustle of Sydney. Tell us about your views on sustainable living practices and how it impacts the community and your organisation? Sustainable living practices are the way of the future, and there has been a real shift locally in the last 10-15 years on focusing not only on organic farming, but also workshops on bio farming methods and practices. As a major food bowl for the Sydney area, best practice and sustainable farming is vitally important for the region. We also have local farms, businesses and community buildings, including Mangrove Mountain Hall, utilising solar power, and environmentally friendly composting toilets feature in most public rest areas. How can the community get involved? Come along to our Market Days on the second and last Sunday of each month, or if you have wares to sell, why not join us and book a stall at our Community Market. What do you feel people can do in their own backyards to create change in living more sustainably? Growing your own fruit and veg can be done in the smallest of backyards and is a great way to reduce your footprint whilst enjoying all the benefits of fresh fruit and veg from your own garden. Start a worm farm, or build your own compost heap to recycle scraps and replenish the soil. Growing your own is not only healthy for the mind and body, but a great educational experience to share with your children. There's nothing better than spending time with your kids in the garden and teaching them how to grow their own food. How important is it for the community to get to know their local farmers and markets? It's important for the community to get to know their local farmers and markets to see where their food comes from and how it is grown, as well as getting to know local producers, artists and crafts people and supporting them by keeping it local. Please share your thoughts about being involved in The Harvest Festival and what it means to your organisation? Being involved in the Central Coast Harvest Festival is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our region and what our farmers, producers and crafts people, grow, make and create. What can the community expect to experience on your tours or on the day as a whole? A relaxing country atmosphere at our market in the heritage hall amongst the gumtrees, Mangrove Mountain Hall, with bush tucker cooking demonstrations, gardening workshops, the opportunity to purchase fresh local produce, plants and fruit and vegetable seedlings, yummy Homemade food, cakes, Jams and preserves, great coffee plus wonderful craft by local artisans. An animal petting farm and pony rides for the kids, and live Country Music throughout the day. 8am till 4pm Sunday the 11th of June at Mangrove Mountain Hall. Entry is free. Don't forget to download your copy of The Central Coast Harvest Festival complete program for the whole weekend. Click on the image below.
Why Keeping Chickens
by Mel Cooper
My hobby became a passion, when I realised how important it was to create a simple yet effective sustainable backyard, particularly when all research indicates that unless we make small changes to our living by growing our own produce and creating a life supporting a sustainable environment, that can feed our family, we may very well find it harder and harder to find fresh produce within the next 20 years. Scary but true. If you are anything like me, you are thinking that this whole sustainability journey is hard work and there may be some confusion about where to begin. Well, I would be lying to you if I said that it was a click of the finger and it was done, but the truth is once you are past the initial set up then the rest is fairly easy, with a little sweat and work. Treating yourself and your family to the wonderful experience of having chickens in your backyard, will create lasting memories for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you rent or own your own home you can now have the eco experience of fresh free range eggs right at your fingertips. Plus now you have the added advantage that chickens are classified as the only sustainable pet and most Councils recognise this and realise that it is an important part to reduce household waste and green house gasses. Considering that our food waste makes up more than 40% of red bin waste and emits more green house gases than anything else, doesn’t it make sense to do something about it, that not only supplies us with a great food source, but helps our environment. I think so! And the humble egg returns the favour as a nutritional powerhouse full of all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. One egg contains Vit A, Vit B, Vit B3, Vit B5, Vit B9 (folic acid), Vit D, Iron, Phosphorus, Selenium, Zinc, Choline, Biotin and Protein. How cool is that? Which only adds to the perfect pet. Perfect for the environment and a great food source for the whole family. With sustainability becoming of greater interest, it is important you gather the right information to make this journey into backyard sustainability easier for you. There are more than a few reasons why keeping chickens is beneficial and here they are: Chickens are a multi functional micro livestock. They lay nutritious eggs. They are fabulous gardeners. They mow lawns. Produce fantastic compost for your garden. Great for reducing food waste. Organic Pest Controllers. They have personality plus. Having chickens in the backyard is an ongoing trend, with more and more people wanting to create healthy change. There is more and more interest in recycling, self sufficiency and healthy living and keeping backyard chickens is compatible with these desires. The produce from backyard chickens is a ready supply of fresh nutritious eggs, nutritious food and very little waste. Some sustainability facts: If you kept 10 hens in your backyard, this will produce an average of 60 eggs per week at a cost of less than $3.00 per dozen. 10 hens will generate more than 100kg per year of good organic fertiliser. They allow you to recycle your household scraps, saving on food wastage. It is important to choose your girls wisely. Begin by asking yourself these questions - How many eggs do we eat per week? This answer will determine how many chickens to buy to get you started. For example 3 hens equals an average of 36 eggs each week. For the average family that can be a lot of eggs to consume and a lot of cooking. You can purchase your very own copy of my complete guide to keeping backyard chickens, click on the image above to get your copy downloaded straight into your inbox today. Happy Clucking!
is the key to creating a sustainable backyard...
green with envy st leonards rd terraces, ascot vale
ST LEONARDS ROAD TERRACES IN ASCOT VALE HAS IT ALL A timeless blend of metropolitan style and sustainable green living For the first time in Ascot Vale, a stunning 16-town house development nestled in the heart of Melbourne’s North-West, will boast a suite of energy saving features as well as a resident-only, state-of-the-art community vertical food garden. St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale, featuring three-level terraces, will combine the luxury and opulence of inner city living, with an affordable price tag and access to urban food garden with an expected yield of more than 120kg of vegetables and herbs each year. Joining forces with developer Rocdon, an award-winning Neil Architecture and Biofilta, who has designed and developed a modular system to provide a highly water efficient food garden that is self-watering, requires little maintenance and can be used to triple the growing space of any area. From tomatoes, rocket and kale to parsley and chives, the Biofilta Foodwall will be a smorgasbord of seasonal produce - all ready to be handpicked exclusively by residents as needed – a first for a development this size in Ascot Vale. “Residents at St Leonards Road will be able to grow their own fresh produce on site using the vertical Foodwall System and produce less organic waste because they can harvest what they need for a meal and leave the rest in the garden. It will be like having a mini-farmers market on site” said Foodwall CEO, Mr Marc Noyce. The Foodwall is a modular, vertical wicking garden system designed and made in Australia that will harness the roof water to grow organic food for the residents all year round. The vertical garden will consist of 30 growing tubs stacked vertically to produce approx. 120kg of fresh food per annum to the residents. The produce will be a mix of seasonal vegetables and herbs which are expensive to buy at supermarkets. Biofilta designed and produces the Foodwall System in Melbourne and will install and maintain the system for the body corporate. "Our mission is to help turn our cities into food bowls and the Foodwall is one way of achieving this goal” says Mr Noyce. Developer, Don Musto, CEO, Rocdon, said that St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale, raises the bar in creating a comfortable and sleek residence with premium finishes, that is highly affordable and is less than 5km from Melbourne CBD. “Boasting two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a private roof deck and a study, each terrace will have a luxurious modern edge, with a light airy feel, drawing in the natural light from the north,” he said. “With Union Road dining and shopping precinct 10 paces away and with Maribyrnong River a short distance away, St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale ticks all the boxes for location, convenience and topped with all the luxuries demanded by inner city dwellers. “Over the last 40 years in the industry I have been committed in injecting sustainable green living in the heart of urban developments. Whether it is energy saving technology, or adding a beautiful vertical garden path, combining innovative design, great architecture and food production is a must for time poor and savvy home buyers.” Jack Carolane, Neil Architecture, worked closely with Don Musto in raising the residential standard for Ascot Vale and finding the perfect balance between modern apartment living, while maintaining a greenery and a sense of nature. “We sought to utilise the Western setback of the site for a vertical food garden as it receives good western light from midday well into the afternoon. It creates a communal space for residents that allows them to actively engage with the space and offers the opportunity for interactions with neighbours, rather than just the passive enjoyment of the landscape,” he said. In an ever densifying inner-urban landscape we think it is important that a development provide more than just landscape, and offer a productive food space that value-adds to the community. It will help save on food bills too! The gardens are watered by 15,000L of tank storage collected from roofs, with the remainder of the water connected to toilets for flushing. There are a suite of energy saving elements including double glazing to windows and glazed doors, LED light fittings designed to have an average of 4W/m2 across the development, which is a 20% improvement on current regulatory obligations, heat pump hot water services, which are more efficient and better suited to Melbourne’s climate than gas boosted Solar Hot Water Services and rain collection used by 15,000L of tanks for gardens and toilet flushing. The townhouses start from $695,000, with completion of the project set for the first half of 2018. About Rocdon Development Established in 1977 Rocdon Development, headed by Don Musto, is one of Melbourne’s prominent luxury property developers. More than 30 completed projects across Australia with an end value in excess of $600 million. www.stleonardsrd.com.au
Media Release - March 2017
Gardenate $1.49 download via App Store. Independently owned and developed in Australia. Functionality to set region and climate zone. Includes 90+ vegetables, herbs, and soft fruits. Specifically for edible varieties. Comprehensive information on each plant. Functionality to take photos of your garden and add them for future reference. Versions for Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA. Sections include planting calendar, my garden, notes and wish list. Ideal for those with established beds wanting to store long term garden and planting information.
Yates My Garden App Free download via App Store. Offers garden design functionality including inspiration, planning, growing and garden management. Includes a garden problem solver e.g. critter identification and offers product solutions. Plant list also includes ornamentals such as natives and trees. Ability to find a retailer and create a Yates product shopping list. Realistic graphics. An all in one app not restricted to the veggie garden.
Along with growing a large proportion of produce within her standard suburban block, Laurie Green runs a community group called "Crop Swap Sydney". This is dedicated to facilitating the exchange of excess produce, seeds, gardening goods and edible plants between backyard Sydney growers. Laurie's background is in sustainable design, with experience in community gardening, film, marketing and advertising. Her home garden is entirely organic and includes a bee hotel, seed library, worm farm, compost and seed raiser, all of which are available for use by the Crop Swap Community. Her home is also furnished primarily from up-cycled goods, and she is a regular Freecycler. www.cropswap.sydney hello@cropswap.sydney www.facebook.com/groups/cropswapsydneyEmail:
ABC Vegie Guide Free download via the App sSore. Great ease of use, clear navigation and intuitive. Ability to sync all details between devices. Includes pest and disease control tips and harvest prompts. Offers information on variable gardening techniques, fact sheets, a comprehensive list of plants and specific details about each. Functionality to take photos of your garden and add them for future reference. A great all rounder app covering garden planning, implementation, harvest and support.
by Laurie Green
Top 3 Gardening Apps Reviewed Remembering what to plant, when you last fertilised and when something is due to be harvested can be tricky to manage along with the rest of life's moments. Fortunately, there are various apps available to help you with these details. Some are free, all are easy to use and can be tailored to your Australian location; but which one you choose depends on what information you would like to store and how you would like this data presented. While apps may seem a little disconnected from the hands-on experience that gardening offers, they are a great option for storing and accessing data long term, which can be of benefit for your future plans. Why not try a few out and see what you think.
best garden apps
by Tracey Bailey
Brisbane’s first zero waste beauty bar Tracey Bailey has launched Brisbane’s first zero waste beauty bar with the opening of Biome’s fourth Brisbane store. Located in Brisbane’s South-East suburb Balmoral, Biome’s Naked Beauty Bar offers customers the opportunity to make their own natural zero waste beauty products. The Naked Beauty Bar takes a back to basics approach, allowing customers to truly understand the ingredients in their products. Many commercial beauty products are loaded with several toxic ingredients and when used expose our bodies to harmful toxins and pollute our oceans and waterways. The Naked Beauty Bar offers a natural alternative to chemical produced products and reduces waste, providing a healthier alternative for people and the planet. The idea was formulated to support Biome’s zero waste ethos and give customers a toxin-free and environmentally friendly way to purchase beauty products. Natural and sustainable ingredients have been sourced for customers to purchase and make their own beauty products at home. From lip balm and body scrub to deodorant and toothpaste, customers can make various beauty products from natural ingredients including clay, salt, avocado oil, ground coffee, shea and cocoa butter, honey, vinegar, sugar, soap berries, charcoal, essential oils, petals and herbs. The concept allows customers to become more involved in making their own products and understanding the benefits of each ingredient. Naked Beauty Bar is located at Biome’s Balmoral store. Grab and Go jars filled with a selection of ingredients are available online and at Biome’s Indooroopilly, City and Paddington stores along with a range of natural homemade skincare recipes. Visit, www.biome.com.au/diy About Biome Eco Stores: Biome Eco Stores is a Brisbane-based retail business which provides Australia’s largest range of eco-friendly products in-store and online, offering deliveries nation-wide. From natural skincare and green cleaning to safe, reusable water bottles and food pouches, Biome helps Australians live waste free, toxin free and ethical lives. The business was founded in 2003 by Tracey Bailey and now employs 46 people across the online and four Brisbane stores located in Indooroopilly, Brisbane City, Paddington and Balmoral. Visit, www.biome.com.au Enquiries: Mia Keating Phone: (07) 3505 0156 Email: community@biome.com.au
zero waste beauty
diy natural deodorant
Method: In a medium sized, non-metallic bowl using wooden utensils, mix together the bi-carb soda and bentonite clay. Mash in coconut oil until well combined. This recipe will make a firm but smooth consistency, but you can add a little bit more coconut oil if you prefer a runny consistency. Mix in the essentials oils. Transfer into small, wide mouthed jars and store in a cool place. How to Use: Rub a small amount onto clean, dry underarms using your fingertips until it’s invisible. This mixture will soon dry into a non-sticky powder form. Note: This recipe makes enough to fill approximately two small 120ml glass mason jars.
Ingredients: 1/4 cup naturally occurring bi-carb soda 1/4 cup bentonite clay 3 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil 4 drops lavender essential oil 4 drops peppermint essential oil 4 drops rosemary essential oil
For more information call: Diane Falzon, Falzon PR - 0430596699 Marc Noyce, CEO, Biofilta – 0417 133 243 Chris McKiernan, Director, Red Star Coffee – 0418 136 301 www.redstarcoffee.com.au www.biofilta.com.au
In an Australian first, Port Melbourne based coffee company Red Star Roasters has partnered with urban food production company Biofilta, to transform a disused Melbourne carpark into a pop-up espresso bar and thriving vertical urban food garden. The garden is converting the by-product from Melbourne’s unique coffee culture – coffee grounds – into thousands of dollars of fresh edible produce for charity kitchens. The Red Star Urban Garden Espresso Bar, located at The Holy Trinity Anglican Church at 160 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, features an innovative vertical food garden that uses soil made from composted green waste and coffee grounds, to grow a full range of vegetables and herbs including basil, beans, eggplant, capsicum, kale, lettuce, oregano, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, thyme, tomatoes, zucchinis, beetroot, broccoli, bok choy and many others. Coffee grounds are collected from the espresso bar, mixed with garden clippings, cardboard packaging, soil and worms to create a rich compost onsite. The compost is then returned to the vertical gardens, to grow food. The produce is then harvested and donated to the South Port Uniting Care’s Food Pantry and Relief Service in South Melbourne. Diane Embry, the Agency’s Chief Executive Officer, says, the donations “enables us to provide fresh produce to people in our community who are experiencing disadvantage, social isolation and homelessness.” The garden itself is unique - with vertically stacked growing beds that are self-watering and an innovative aeration loop to keep the plants and soil oxygenated and healthy. The garden is ultra water efficient and spatially compact, and by going vertical the garden produces a large amount of food on a very small footprint, effectively doubling food yield per square metre. The vertical garden is integrated into the espresso bar and café patrons are surrounded with edible gardens, aromatic herbs and flowers as they read the paper and have a coffee. In the past 12 months, the garden has produced well over 100 kilograms of vegetables and herbs from 10 square metres of garden area. However, because of the vertical design, the garden is only using 5 square metres of space. This means the garden is producing 10 kg of food per 1 sqaure metre of garden every year and at an average cost of between $5 – 10 per kg for vegetables at the Supermarket, the garden is producing $50 – 100 of food per metre square each year. It is great having a garden that saves you money while feeding you and the family at the same time. Australia imports over 40,000 tonnes of coffee beans per annum, resulting in a huge waste stream of used coffee grounds that go to landfill. Red Star and Biofilta have worked out a way to divert this useful by-product into food to feed a hungry city and are now looking to replicate the model with cafes and restaurants who are interested in saving on food bills and growing fresh produce onsite. 100% of coffee grounds from the Red Star Urban Garden Espresso Bar are either used in the garden, or given away for free to customers to use in their gardens at home. Creating a zero-coffee-waste café! CEO of Biofilta, Marc Noyce said – “Thousands of tonnes of coffee grounds are produced each week in Australia’s cafés and restaurants, and most ends up in landfill. Red Star and Biofilta have shown how this wonderful material can be composted to soil and help feed hungry cities at the same time. Both companies are looking for more opportunities to repeat the formula with any café or restaurant who are interested in ethically sourced coffee, and have a spare space, wall, rooftop or balcony, to turn cities into food bowls.”
coffee grounds used to feed a hungry city
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