A time for work

The talks by Joel Salatin that I recently attended worked like a shot in the arm; an injection of energy.  There's nothing like inspiration to awaken/rekindle motivation and get the blood flowing.

I wake each morning full of energy and with many ideas of things I would like to achieve in the day.  Sometimes I even find myself outside in my nightie and slippers before I know what's happened!  The timing of the talks was serendipitous too.  Why?  This is the time of year for work.  The weather conditions for plants, the comfort levels of working and the amount of time available are all better at this time.

The summer heat has gone, it's even raining regularly at the moment.  Cool days and a gentle soaking means everything planted stands a chance of becoming established before next summer arrives.

The temperature is perfect for work too.  The days are chilly so I don a jacket, hat and scarf when I head out but I can manage some serious physical work on these cool days.  It doesn't take long before shoveling out a trailer of manure has me stripping down to a t-shirt.  In summer, I would only last five minutes before giving up.

Autumn is also more generous with allowing me time.  Spring in the garden means soil preparation, planting, fertilising; summer is for watering and heat management and extra attention for the animals.  Late summer is a crazy time of year because so many fruits and veggies are ready and need to be dealt with.  As I learn more about preserving, each summer I am busier in the kitchen.  Now, with my shelves as ready as they will be and only the promise of a day of picking a friend's olives ahead of me, I'm out working.

I've been leaving my trailer at a near-by stable and picking it up a couple a days later, laden with stinky goodness for my paddocks and garden.  I've been shoveling it straight onto the top of the paddocks.  Because we are on a hill, I layer it thickly at the top end and hope that gravity will work in my favour over the next couple of months.  I imagine the rain and chooks will help it spread further down the paddocks without much actual intervention from me.  Occasionally, living on a hill has its benefits.

Daily we drop in to the post office in the hopes that our electric netting fence, that we ordered online, will be there.  When it arrives, we can put our chooks out in the paddock to do their best work.  They can scratch and peck at the moist dirt, spreading the aforementioned manure as they go.  With a bit of luck and a little management, the dirt may transition to become a layer of actual soil in the next season or so!  Last year, I laid branches across one of the paddocks on the contours and I can already see they are beginning to hold the soil and create flatter, more grassy spots.  The addition of some fertility should make a good improvement.

Sometimes I layer the manure with straw or hay from the goat pens to create a nice, hot compost.  It makes a beautiful addition to the garden beds!

Our does have been to visit a local buck.  He's a bit of a stud actually so I wait with baited breath now, hoping that they don't cycle again.  We're hopeful for some lovely baby goats in about five months time....

I have planted tagasaste for forage and put in some apricot seeds.  These were saved from apricots we ate.  I put the seeds in the fridge to plant out later in the year.  They were starting to sprout in the fridge however, so I've sown them and made little plastic covers in the hopes of seeing them through winter.  So far, so good.  They have shot up out of the ground and look great.  I will use these as forage for the goats as well.

I've planted elder-flowers, jerusalem artichokes, and a wormwood grown from a cutting.  The wormwood is next to the chook shed as an insect repellent.  I'm hoping all my new systems are more established by next summer and that life will be easier and more comfortable for us and the animals alike.  I'm deliberately planting chook plants near the chooks and goat plants near the goats to make our work flow.

Belle and I asked Hubby to show us how to use the power drill and we're ridiculously proud of ourselves!  We made a goat shelter from pallets.  I've since collected heaps more pallets ready to scatter shelters all over our property.  Armed with my newly found power tool skills, I've also created a clothes rack for the winter months so that we don't spend all our time negotiating clothes hanging on clothes horses set up in the lounge room.  I'll hang it upstairs to catch the rising heat and the ceilings are higher there so I can raise the clothes out of my way.

Daisy overseeing the construction

I'm also dreaming of completing the bulk of our hard physical work before winter really sets in.  I'm picturing gentle days inside near the fire, crafting, spinning and cooking up winter delights to serve at the end of a short and chilly day.  I like the idea of winter being a time of rest and recuperation before the busyness of Spring and the yearly cycle begin again.

Do you find that each year follows a pattern (or rythym.....  I love the peaceful sound of that term) and are you working harder than usual now?

PIP for you, PIP for me - a giveaway

Have you discovered PIP Australian Permaculture Magazine yet?  It's brand new.  It was only launched on Saturday down at Ceres.  I truly do believe that this is a magazine for you and for me.  Once you've discovered permaculture, it's stuck in your head.  You can't help but want more knowledge and you want to connect with other people who practice permaculture.  For some of us this is possible but others haven't formed those real life connections.

Either way this magazine is great.  Better still, this magazine is crowd funded!  Yet again we see the 'power of the people' in action!  Nothing makes me feel better.  I was childishly proud to have donated the fifty bucks that got the magazine over the line.  Many more have added to the funds since then.  Nothing speaks louder than words (or in this case money).  I love to make my money talk!

People are keen to read a magazine that relates to their lifestyle and this one is it for me.  Robyn has done an amazing job to see her vision through to becoming a reality.  Congratulations Robyn.  Great idea!

The first issue has a story on what permaculture is all about, stories about individuals involved in the permy lifestyle, an article about starting a food forest, recipes (including herbal remedies) and heaps more.  At this point it will be published every six months.

I have to be honest, I have not read the magazine from cover to cover yet but I wanted to get it out to you while it was still hot off the press!  Geez, it takes me the full two months to read my Organic Gardener magazines.  However, I have read enough to know it's great.  The content is great, it's a nice looking mag and it's printed on 100% recycled paper.

Robyn has kindly agreed to give a copy of the first issue of PIP Australian Permaculture Magazine to one of my readers.  So if followers leave a comment below we will randomly choose a winner next Thursday.  I'm not very tech savvy so, if it's okay with you guys, the kids and I will put the names in a hat and pull one out.  To make it fun why not tell me what you would like to read about in a magazine.  Who knows?  You may help Robyn come up with ideas for the next issue.

If you're not the lucky winner you can buy your copy here.  I would also encourage all of you to donate whatever you feel is reasonable to your personal situation to see this magazine continue to publish great articles!

I'd like to make it clear that I am not receiving anything for writing this post.  I'm just really excited about this new magazine!!

So come on followers!  Get commenting.  I'm delighted to be doing this giveaway!