 While it's coming to an end, May seems to be the month for fertility. From the roots of the Greek myth, the modern-day workings here as the weather cools, bringing a new sense of vibrancy and colour. It is a time of new beginnings and a time to celebrate. With new beginnings comes a new understanding. My eldest recently asked me why people talk about life being unfair. We talked about how it is not the life that is unfair, but our expectations from it. How our biases come into play and how they can affect our perspective. By understanding our context, needs, and what we want to achieve, we can use this to help create a path to the quality of life we want and deserve. Having recently rewritten my context and quality of life statements, I now have a path for those same new beginnings. while it may not be easy, in the end, it will be well worth it So how are you going to make it real? Read more HERE.
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 Transformation. This seems to be the word to best describe 2021. Even amid the chaos surrounding us from 2020, it has become a time of renewal and self-reflection as we each take our time to look into the future. And for me, it is no different. Recent events of a complete 2-week program of introduction to permaculture, Co-teaching a Permaculture Teacher Trainer with Meg McGowan and Rosemary Morrow and the APC, interrupted by a brief stint in hospital as my body discovered it really did have limits. Combine this with a serious look at the inner landscape has given rise to a positive change. Our motto is about Making it Real. Making it real is not going to be easy, but like all things of value, it will definitely be worth it. So, we ask you. How are you going to make it real? Read more HERE.  From Victoria Holder South East Queensland is still seeing some gorgeous days of warmth this early autumn. The last of these little pocket rocket chillies are in and ready to be fermented. The flavour now develops intrigue, highlighting acidity with depth of heat complexity. A teaspoon of paste in a tofu stir fry, over chicken wings or a prawn pasta. While the faux Tabasco sauce will escalate a Bloody Mary or pimp an oyster shot...  *250grams fresh ripe red chillies. ( a mix of different varieties will add complexity ) Sliced lengthways, optional to keep seeds or not. *3 cloves garlic (peeled, sliced in half) *500ml filtered water, brought to boil then cooled. *10grams pure sea salt (not iodised) 1) Add 10grams sea salt to cooling 500ml water, stir till dissolved. 2) In fermentation vessel or glass jar add the prepared chillies & garlic. 3) Once salted water is cooled, pour over chillies until just covered. Apply fermenter lid or supplied jar lid. 4) Leave in a cool dry place for upto 2weeks. This batch only took 7days in our current weather. Look for fermentation bubbles, burp lid daily if required as gas builds. It's ready when you like the smell of freshness vs fermentation. 5) When ready strain through a fine sieve, keeping the liquid aside. 6) Using a food processor whizz up the drained chillies & garlic till consistency of liking, fill sterilised jar/s. Keep in fridge. 7) The reserved liquid can be brought to the boil, simmered for 15min, adjusted with sugar if required, then cooled. This will create a FauxTobasco with bright freshness. Keep in fridge.
 Responsibility shifts to that of the intervener. Out of the many different design principles that I have read or been taught over the years, this is the one that resonates most with me. The idea that if you intervene in a system, you are ultimately responsible for the health and vitality of that system until you can nurture it to a point where that responsibility back to nature. This is one of the underlying design principles that drive my design process from strategies to tools and techniques. Chickens are fundamentally an essential part of many people's permaculture systems. They provide a vast number of yields and support a varied number of ecosystem services.  To my understanding, there are no wild chickens left in the world (pleased to be shown to be wrong if anyone knows of anywhere). So it becomes even more critical that we design to their needs. If we look after our animals, chickens included, and give them our best, then they will in return give us their best. While they are omnivores and require a varied diet, including some grain and seed and green pick, another aspect we need to consider is the chicken's health. It is easy to jump to the idea that we can just purchase what we need to support their health. Still, with a bit of thought, we can set up biological solutions to carry that load for us – Thus, the Chook Apothecary. Apothecaries were famous between medieval times till the end of the 19th century. In medieval times, if you needed medicine, you had three choices: Go to the local monastery and hope that they had a physic garden where they were growing medicinal herbs.
 So, with this in mind looking at and building a polyculture of plants that can support the health of our chickens is critical. Planting these plants in a fashion that allows the chickens access without destroying the plant (typically planted just on the outside of the fence line)  There are so many different choices of plants available that it can be daunting as to which ones to choose. One of the processes we use in permaculture is a Niche Analysis. A research process to help filter the different benefits and disadvantages of a plant or animal to determine its suitability for our systems and management. Using these tools available to us and spending a bit of time in research (80% research, 20% implementation is a good ratio – if you are going to get it wrong, far cheaper to do it on paper first) After doing a niches analysis and exploring the space I have available, below is the list that was ultimately used and will add to the existing. We hope that you might find this helpful list for your own systems. To build your own biological self-replicating chook apothecary. We have attached a free downloadable PDF at the bottom for your convenience.     
 With April fast approaching we thought it fitting to have a brand-new way of getting our message across. This is a new way for us to facilitate connection and let you know all about our inspirations and aspirations. This newsletter will hopefully inform and inspire you to the possibilities of your inner and physical landscapes. At Savour Soil Permaculture it is all about 'Making it real'. In the spirit of the first of David Holmgren's Permaculture flower and tying in the built, biological, and behavioural fields, we are beginning with a look at who we are, what we do and invite you to come be a part of our journey. In the words of Plato – “The beginning is the most important part of the work”. Read more HERE.  Rain. Something we have not seen in a while, and it is glorious to see. We are enjoying every moment as it falls from the sky and watching our systems return to life. Unfortunately, that also means that with all this rampant growth. We cannot get into our gardens due to water saturation. That brings the question to mind with regards to water and our soils and their water holding capacity. In short - How do I know if my soils are over-saturated so that once this rain clears, we can get back into our gardens? It is easy to get over-enthusiastic and plant to maximise our time and space. Still, suppose the soil is holding to much water. In that case, it can squeeze out air and become anaerobic, which can kill off or invite pathogens into our gardens, causing lots of issues. I was recently introduced to a simple test done in Horticulture to test the air porosity in seed raising mix and potting mix to make sure that it will provide a suitable environment for our seeds or plants. Asking if it could also be used for our garden soils, I was told that it could be, but people do not, and the numbers to measure would be different. That was enough for me. There was a possibility. So, diving into some research, I found the figures that we can use. This simple test can also be applied to seed raising mixes and potting mixes but our garden soils as well – Perfect. First, we need to make the kit we will need to test our soils. Again, simple enough, and I found that I had most of what I needed already in the sheds resource (junk) pile.
First cut 2 pieces of 90 mm PVC pipe, both 12 cms long. Then, finding a matching cap, drill 4 9mm holes in the bottom Attach the lid to the base of one of the 90mm pipe sections until it is firm (and not going to fall off) Heat one end of the second PVC pipe and then gently squeeze it over the top of the other 90mm piece until it is splayed and fits snuggly over the top of the first 90mm piece. The volume of the bottom section should be 680ml total. The Test
8. Once you have finished doing it 3 times, remove the top section of the combined PVC and remove the excess soil above the bottom section 9. Cover the top of the base with either an old stocking or muslin cloth, and secure with a rubber band to hold in place 10. Place the bottom section back into the bucket and slowly fill with water again to a point approx. 30mm above the soil line 11. After 10 minutes, reach done with both hands and remove the bottom PVC section but have your fingers over the holes so that the water does not drain out 12. Place the water-filled section over another bucket or container and raise it and drain the water into the container beneath for approx. 30 minutes 13. Remove the bottom section and measure the volume of water that has drained from the soil 14. The air-filled soil porosity for your now test garden soil
The volume of water (ml) divide by the volume of the bottom section PVC pipe (680ml) x 100%
If this figure is between 10% and 30%, then your soil should be okay for you to plant. If more, then it is holding onto too much water and will cause issues to your plants. If under 10%, then it is not holding enough and needs to be addressed All up, this test took me about an hour, but I could walk away and get other things done between the soaking and draining times. It is something simple that can give us a lot of information. We can use it to provide us with the confidence to know if our water, air, soil ratios are good enough to plant and, if not, the knowledge to understand what we can do to improve them.   I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our February garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Free Downloadable file attached at the bottom TO DO LIST •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Water plants deeply if dry •Sow seeds for beneficial insects in grow house for autumn planting •Check for potential pest issues •Prune flowering shrubs after they have finished •Sow tree and shrub seeds •Water in evening to reduce evaporation •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Take cuttings of perennials •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Maintain fruit fly plan •Sow seeds Check over orchard for pests and possible disease WHAT TO PLANT Amaranth, Beans Climbing, Bush beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower Chives, Cucumber, Endive, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard greens Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Radish, Silverbeet, Shallots, Sunflowers Sweet corn, Tomatoes
  I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our January garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Free Downloadable file attached at the bottom To Do List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Water plants deeply if dry •Plant beneficial insect attractors •Check for potential pest issues •Plant container grown plants •Sow tree and shrub seeds •Water in evening to reduce evaporation •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Take cuttings of perennials •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Harvest and dry excess herbs •Maintain fruit fly plan •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease What To Plant Amaranth, Beans Climbing, Bush beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower Celery, Chives, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens, Oregano Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rosella, Silverbeet, Shallots, Sunflowers, Sweet corn Tomatoes, Zucchini
 Living in Qld one of the essential tasks I need to do with my fruit trees and bushes is to monitor and limit the impact Qld fruit fly can have in my system. Qld fruit fly is a problem of our own creation. While it is native to our region, we have introduced species that allow it to thrive if not maintained, and like with all things in our systems - we need to design with maintenance in mind. Typically Qld fruit fly is about 7mm long and is a reddish-brown with yellow markings. It is mostly active in the spring and summer periods, but I have noticed with the higher temperatures they have are engaged through to late autumn. Fruit mostly affected are the summer fruits such as peach, nectarine, apricots, citrus, tomatoes, eggplants and capsicum. The female fruit fly lays its eggs in the fruit and then when they hatch the maggots eat through the fruit until they reach approx6/7mm long when either the fruit falls to the ground or the maggot drops from the fruit. The maggot then creates a hard shell where it gestates for a few weeks. Then the pupae hatches and the cycle begins again. While hard to control, there are several measures we can use to help. Firstly good hygiene will help prevent fruit fly problems. Pick up any fruit left on the ground daily and on the tree after the harvest. You can burn the infest fruit, or I like to cut them open and then give them to my chickens of ducks to clean up. Do not put the fruit into your compost or you could potentially make the problem worse. Some like to net their trees with fruit fly netting, but I found this a costly option, and if one female Qld fruit fly gets under the mesh, they will lay approx 500 eggs, and the cycle begins again. Occasionally allow my ducks to wander through my system during the season to allow them to find any of the pupate that has found its way into the soil I do, however, like to use traps with my homemade mix to help keep the numbers to an acceptable level. 400ml of hot water One heap teaspoon of sugar or honey One heap teaspoon of vegemite some cut up the leftover citrus peel. (what we usually have in surplus) Combine the ingredients and mix until the sugar and vegemite are dissolved and then allow to cool. Place the mixture in a container and hang near the garden or orchard. I replace this approx every three weeks.  While not foolproof, the combination of keeping the ground and plants clean of falling or rotten fruit and the traps and allowing my ducks though the system generally means we have little infestations. And to be honest, they work even better if we get our neighbours and community on board too.
They are small steps, but they do need to be maintained consistently - Little things often rather than on large action.   I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our December garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Downloadable file attached at the bottom To Do List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Water plants deeply if dry •Plant beneficial insect attractors •Heavily mulch shallow rooted trees •Pinch out unwanted side shoots •Prune flowering peaches •Trim the hedging plants •Remove suckers from rootstock •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Harvest and dry excess herbs •Check fruit fly plan for summer •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease •Take cuttings from Figs What To Plant Amaranth, Basil, Beans Climbing, Beetroot, Capsicum, Carrot, Celery Chilli, Chives, Choko, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens Oregano, Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rockmelon, Rosella, Silverbeet Shallots, Sunflowers, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini
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