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Keeping our Heads above Water...
...is going to be hard in April, when we're building a couple of three million litre dams as part of a 140-acre farm development workshop.
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Sweetcorn is go
Above we have Adam happily munching on his first cob of the season a few evenings back.
VEG Nostalgia
Dan must have had too much time on his hands over the break as he's gone and penned a rather drawn-out personal perspective on the beginnings of VEG.
VEG Permaculture Design Song
Don't miss this classic tune from VEG co-founder and musical whiz Nathan Edwards.
Sandor Katz in the house
The legendary king of ferment is bubbling into Melbourne and VEG's Adam and Carey are excited to be official helper-outerers for the event, organised by our friends at Milkwood Permaculture. Details here. |
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VEG Green Biz Incubator
Only one week until our first ever workshop aimed at helping others keen for a change of livelihood in the form of their own pumping green business. We never planned to get to this point, but are looking forward to sharing the systems we've developed in getting VEG off the ground, including the holistic management decision making framework which constitutes VEG's operating system. More here and we will accept one or two more participants if you twist our arm ;-).
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A Note from the Team
This week we've put down our books, rolled out of our hammocks, had a stretch, dusted off our tools, and eased back into the concept of running a business and it's inevitable corollary - work. We started with an initial design consult out in Croydon and two more giant wicking beds at Trentham and have had a few meetings to discuss what's going on over the next few months. Anyone that follows us on facebook and what not will see we've been dabbling in small farm projects as the VEG Small Farm division gets under way. We also have something like the next six weeks fully booked with landscaping jobs and a huge number of workshops and courses in the pipeline. Actually, speaking of all this work coming up, we better wrap this newsletter up and get back to it! Stay well all, thanks for your ongoing support, and hopefully catch up with you in a garden soon.
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This Month in the Garden
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It’s still pretty warm outside, to say the least, but there are some tasty seedlings that can be planted out at the end of the month. This is also a wonderful time for planning - what wonders you will whack into your patch in Autumn? Can any spent plants come out and soil be prepared for what's to come? Read on...
What to plant
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Vegies: Lettuce is lovely at the end of February, but, as the days are still crazy hot, consider popping the seedlings under some shade cloth, or a more established plant to protect their sensitive foliage from the sun.
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Lemongrass and basil will happily go in now. Did you know that Basil comes in purple, Thai and lemon flavoured? Not to forget the old favourite, sweet basil.
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Why not try some pollinator and beneficial insect-attracting nasturtium, verbena, petunias and marigolds. These little lovelies add beauty and scent too.
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Fruit: Towards the end of Feb have a go at an avocado!
Other tasks
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Consider a green manure crop to add some life and love to an overworked patch. At this time of year try cow pea, mung bean, soy bean and millet. This will improve your soil incredibly and it's well worth the effort!
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If your mulch is getting low don't hesitate to give it a top up. Mulch after watering to a depth of about 7cm but be careful to keep mulch clear of plant stems, especially young seedlings. Choose sustainable, low environmental impact mulch, one that will enrich your soil as it breaks down.
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If you haven't already, consider constructing a couple of shade cloth tents. You don't need to be a chippy to construct one, any simple, moveable structure that you can pop over the top of some of the sun sensitive vegies (like eggplant, capsicum and others) as the heat becomes more intense will do. Install on high UV days, windy days, and while away from your patch.
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