Belinda's challenge (Oct 16th 2008

Belinda has issued a challenge which for me is very timely.

I went to the lovely Sophie’s place yesterday for coffee, a chat and to raid her Mulberry tree. During the course of our chat she waxed lyrical about an old couple she visited who live near to me

“They plant things properly, not like us - a few plantings of the same plant, but 20 or 30 of the same plant! They preserve for the coming winter in traditional migrant fashion.”

How to make a Crone feel inadequate! But you know what Sophie was right, I have enough happening in my garden for my family’s immediate needs but it won’t provide for us preserve wise, on a long term basis.

So back to Belinda’s challenge;

The Back to Basics Challenge for those who choose to accept is to report weekly or fortnightly on either their blog or in comments here on the topics of

•Sowing seed or Planting
•Planning for The Future - meal planning, the next seasons garden plan, working out storage plans or more long term goals and projects like plans for digging root cellars
•Working for the Future - storing food, managing stores, preserving, building that home made cob or solar oven, adding house insulation, saving for manual grain mills etc
•Building Community - volunteering, donations, joining an existing community group, forming your own community group, taking a cake to a friend having a hard time, calling someone you just let drift out of your life, etc
•Learn a new Skill
Friday (starting today) will be my weekly ‘audit’ of what I have achieved.

This week I have

•Sowing seed or Planting: planted portuguese cabbages, 3 grape vines, cucumber seedlings, 6 apple seeds which I found sprouting in my Pink lady apple this morning (yeah I know I will get crabapples)
•Planning for The Future - I have sourced a place which makes earth rings for my garden beds. I will be getting two long rectangles and one small round one. These will replace my straw bale beds which are reaching a rate of rapid decomposition. While I would recommend straw bale beds as a starter over winter, I’m not sure that a Perth summer will last the distance. Despite this they have been great and will provide me with a good source of compost for the next few months.
•Working for the Future - We should be hearing back from Solar Gain in the next week or so about when they can book us in to install our solar panels and solar hot water system. The next thing for me to look at is building a wood pizza oven in the back garden.
•Building Community - The WA seed savers are really starting to come together. We have made contact with the lovely Frosty who is sending us out Jerusalem artichokes, and we are all working together to share our seeds and build our own homegrown seed bank.
•Learn a new Skill - Molly from Crossroads has sourced a local (to me) company which will teach us how to preserve and dehydrate our surpluses. I can’t wait
All ‘go’ at Wits End

Just wanted to say another “Thank You!” to Sophie for the rigani seedling.