We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land - the Awabakal, Worimi, Wonnarua, Darkinjung and Gaewegal people - who have been caring for this Country for thousands of years. |
|
|
January Newsletter HOGS 45th Birthday February Field Day: Workshops at Maitland CWA Member Survey Results Maitland and Newcastle Shows Flashback: Summer 99/00 HOGS Edition Calendar for the first quarter Limestone PDC Humus - What is it? Has Spanish Moss gone 'feral'? Recipe - Zucchini Impossible Pie January Grower's Guide Pest Spotlight: Citrus Leaf Miner Flower Power: Milk Thistle Seed Saving: Tomato seeds
|
|
|
This year HOGS turns 45! Wow 45 years of sharing growing and sustainability wisdom in the Hunter is no small feat for a community based, volunteer operated organisation. I would like to extend my thanks to all past committee members and all HOGS members who have helped to continue to make HOGS the special society it is from its inception until today. We are sharing each newsletter the wisdom from our archived paper-based magazines and newsletters. They are all rich with learning and growing information. Be sure to take a look each newsletter. We will be planning a 45th Birthday celebration, most likely in July and we hope to see you all there. If you are interested in being part of the planning group, drop us an email. But until then, this month I am focusing on selecting brassica seeds to raise for this winter's crop and ensuring I go out regularly to pick the beans and zucchini in particular. I also have quick a few white peaches this season which are just so juicy picked straight from the tree every time I go out to check on the ducks. I still have not installed my pear espalier, but hopefully I will have that task completed before the end of February. I have also started thinking about where I will sow my garlic this year and planned which varieties I will grow. Next month I will begin to prepare the soil for sowing at the equinox. The passata making has also commenced with 9 x 1L jars already processed for the season. I try to aim for 45, so only 36 more to go! Happy growing, harvesting and preserving. Melissa Fogarty
(Blue Boat Farm, HOGS Newsletter Editor) |
|
|
| | 16-18 February 2024 Enter your produce, arts and crafts and more. Thanks to our Slow Food Hunter Valley friends for supporting the Maitland Show. | | |
|
| | 1-3 March 2024 Once again, HOGS will be supporting the horticulture area at the Show. If you have some spare time that weekend, email us so we can organise your entry and times to support the area. We have a few activities planned and it will be fun. Email Melissa at: hunterorganicgrowerssociety@gmail.com | | |
|
|
Saturday 24 February - Mini Workshops series and Herb Masterclass Saturday 16 March - Sri Lankan Slow Food Cooking with Amorelle Dempster Saturday 13 April - a visit to Limestone Permaculture We are continuing to firm up dates for the following months' field days. |
|
|
Our first workshop for the year will be on Saturday 24 February at the CWA Hall in Maitland. This is a series of worksops on growing fruit trees from cuttings, raising winter vegetables from seed and a herb masterclass. The herb masterclass will feature information on growing, companion planting and preserving. Beginners welcome. You must be a member of HOGS to attend. Bookings will open soon. |
|
|
Member Survey Results We have completed the member survey and thank all those members who completed the survey. The results are being collated and will be presented next month hopefully. Thanks to Jesse Kelso for doing this for us. |
|
|
Humus - What is it and why is it good? |
|
|
Humus is bits of decaying plants and animals found in soil. However, it can take years to see humus in the soil. Humus can often get confused with compost, however the two are very different. Firstly, compost is very dark and looks similar to dirt. When compost is first laid down, it's not considered to be the finished state. The compost is finished when it's fully decomposed, in which bugs, bacteria and fungi break it down by feasting on it. Once the compost has fully decomposed (this takes a few years) it will then be 100% humus. So, the majority of the soil we lay in our gardens has only a very small percentage of humus in it, to begin with. To just recap, compost can be created through the composting process. Humus has to be decomposed to achieve a dark organic material. Once it has reached the humus state it can no longer be broken down. What does Humus look like? It's dark in appearance has a spongy element and can be preserved in soil for hundreds if not, thousands of years. How do you make Humus? It can be produced by the composting process and you do this by collecting materials that are decaying. Can include food and garden scraps like leaves and foods like banana and orange peels, avocado skins are very good as are veggie scraps. Humus will then form when the compost decomposes.
|
|
|
More natural ways are by leaf littering. Leaves cover forest and woodland floors, over time humus is made. Also, when fallen trees begin to decompose, humus is formed in the swamp bed. Interestingly, frogs often use forest floors covered in humus as a cool, dark resting place. The little bugs and critters play a vital role when it comes to making humus. How they help is by releasing nutrients slowly as they feast, slowly breaking everything down to the molecular level. Humus is everything that is left over and is essentially a range of usable nutrients and chemicals extracted by bugs and critters. What are the benefits of Humus? Brilliant benefits to the soil, including determining how fertile it is. * Absorbs moisture which helps plants thrive during dry patches. * Helps trap oxygen which is essential for root growth. * Prevents erosion. * Maintains a healthy balance of soil pH so corrects any problems. * Feeds and protects soil. * Humus also contains good levels of nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plants. |
|
|
Why is it so important? Humus can hold up to 90% of water in weight, which is particularly important to keep plants hydrated and healthy during drought and dry spells. The result of that is more calcium, magnesium and phosphorus delivered from the humus via the roots. It also helps to provide sustainable habitats for animals in woodland and forest areas. Can you buy Humus? The short answer is yes. If you are looking for something quick, as the natural process can take awhile, then ask your garden or farm supply centre. HAVE A HAPPY HUMUS YEAR By Di Powell (HOGS Member) |
|
|
Limestone Permaculture Design Course |
|
|
Commencing Feb 24th
https://www.limestonepermaculture.com/permaculture-design-certificate We help you realise your DREAM by guiding you to design your current, future or community property, with the ROAD MAP that is PERMACULTURE
Supported by: - Experienced lead educator from both Urban & Rural backgrounds - Limestone Permaculture Micro-farm & Homestead as a 'Stand-Out' example of Regenerative Land Design - Extended, Slowed & Absorbed Learning 7x weekends, fortnightly over 3x months - Seasonally inspired, nutritious Garden to Table morning tea & lunch - 7x diverse & experienced guest teachers covering ‘Design, Farming, Gardening, Water & Soil Health, Horticulture, Solar Systems, Earthworks, Cultural & Social Connections & so much more - ‘How To’ manuals & support package created from years of innovation & experimentation - A variety of Hands-on sessions & Field Day demonstrations - ‘Private’ class group fb page for ongoing learning between course days. - Payment Plan available to ease financial pressure of investing in a PDC
- Outdoor ‘Living’ Classroom - Innovative Homestead Garden & Orchard techniques - Income from Urban & Rural Homesteading - Micro-farming in practice - Climate Change & Disaster Event Resilience - Managing & Coordinating Projects - Hierarchy of Resources & Functionality - Creating Community & meeting 'Like Hearted' people - Capped at 16 students for a personal experience |
|
|
Has Spanish Moss gone 'feral'? |
|
|
From: Lake Macquarie Landcare e-newsletter January 2024 Vol. 1 By Marion Lugg, LMLVN Chair You may remember the interesting newsletter article last year that Lois Simpson wrote, about concerns with Spanish Moss Tillandsia usneoides becoming weedy in our precious bushland. A group in northern Sydney is also starting to get worried about its spread into bushland reserves there. They have begun a citizen science project to collect data on its spread, to see if it should be considered a serious weed in the region. It is certainly weedy in more tropical climates, such as in Queensland. I have found it growing high up on a couple of trees in my Landcare site! It was very difficult to reach and remove, which is part of the problem with it. I also noticed it on a tree overhanging a street in Wangi Wangi, also very high up and right next to the State Conservation Area there (see photo). If it turns out that we have enough evidence that it's spreading in Lake Macquarie, we could add our data to the Sydney project. How you can help
To know if we have enough data to be useful, we’d like to hear from anyone who's seen Spanish Moss growing where it seems ‘out of place’, i.e., basically anywhere that isn’t in someone’s garden. It could be in a park, or on a street tree. You may even find it on your site or in other bushland! Please get in touch by emailing the location to lro@lakemac.nsw.gov.au so we can follow up on your sightings and collect the information for the project. |
|
|
Flashback to the summer of 1999 / 2000 This edition of HOGS' quarterly magazine has some fantastic fruit growing tips and soil improvement information. We love the dual purpose poultry keeping system article in particular. | | |
|
|
Zucchini Impossible Pie
(image credit - Betty Croker) Combine 1 ½ Medium Zucchini’s grated 1 Carrot grated ½ cup grated cheese 1 medium onion chopped Mix well Add ½ cup Wholemeal SR flour and mix Add 1/3 cup light olive oil Add 6 beaten eggs Mix well Spoon into large round/rectangular pie dish Slice tomato and cover pie Crumble feta over tomato Bake for approx. 45 minutes at 170 degrees ENJOY!!!! Recipe from Tracey Evans (HOGS Treasurer) | | |
|
|
| | Tomato seed saving Tomato seed saving involves fermentation. The fermentation process prepares tomato seeds for storage by producing antibiotics that help control seed-borne diseases. Fermentation also promotes a protective seed coat that will prevent the seeds from germinating until they are planted. Don't skip the fermenting step because it's vital to saving tomato seeds. | | |
|
|
| | Flower Power: Milk Thistle Milk thistle is a member of the Asteraceae family and comes from the Mediterranean region; you can also find it growing in parts of Russia, North Africa and in Asia Minor. Other parts of the world to which it has been exported include the New World and Australia. | | |
|
| | Pest Spotlight - Citrus Leaf Miner Citrus leafminer is a pest that attacks all varieties of citrus, including some Australian native species. The adult is a tiny, night flying moth with a wingspan of only five millimetres. But it's not the moth that actually does the damage, it's their larvae. Eggs are laid on new leaves where they hatch and tunnel or mine their way through the leaves leaving a squiggly, silver trail in their path. Image credit: Suburban Tomato | | |
|
|
| | Permaculture at the Pub First Thursday of every month Casual dining and chats with other like minded folks Join the Facebook group |
|
| | Produce Share - 3 Rivers Hinterland (Lower Hunter NSW) Upcoming dates
10 August Seaham 26 August Medowie
Join the Facebook group |
|
|
| | Click their logo to see their upcoming events |
|
| | Click their logo to see their upcoming events |
|
| | Click their logo to see their upcoming events |
|
|
| | Click their logo to see their upcoming events |
|
|
| | Click their logo to see their upcoming events |
|
| | Blue Boat Farm - Click their logo to see their upcoming events |
|
| | Click the logo for upcoming events |
|
|
Current Committee Members President - Steve Griffin Vice President - Mike Lorraine Secretary - Gerda Maeder Treasurer - Tracey Evans Public Officer - Barbara Nudd Membership Officer - Melissa Fogarty Newsletter Editor - Melissa Fogarty Website Manager - Will Power Social Media & Publicity - Jesse Kelso Field Day Committee - Steve Griffin, Tracey Evans, Jesse Kelso, Chiala Hernandez Silva, Mike Lorraine, Helen Reynolds |
|
|
|
|
