E-News – Djeran, 2023
Welcome to the Djeran 2023 edition!
Kaya and welcome to the Djeran Enews. Traditionally, for Noongar families, it is known as the season of adulthood and is a time of courtship and marriage ceremonies.
Whilst I can’t promise a marriage, I can tell you about a celebration! International Permaculture Day is soon, Sunday May 7th. PermacultureWest has chosen to celebrate Food security permie style with a mini festival. There’s a garden tour, seed & plant ‘swap, shuffle, share’, and a Forum “Restorying Food Security for All”. And that’s all on one day! For those who can’t make it and /or want to know more, visiting food resilience Educator and Permie Elder, Robina McCurdy will be here the week after. She will be giving a lecture and holding a one day workshop – Strengthening Neighbourhood Food Resilience Workshop.
Food security is one of those terms that means different things to different groups of people. So, what does it mean to permies? Take some time to consider the Fair Share Ethic. What comes to mind? Ensuring that all people have enough to eat, perhaps. What about all the other animals we share the planet with? Can we grow food for humans and ensure all beings find enough food to fill their bellies? Something to think about. Is there more we can do in our communities?
I have noticed over the decades that there has been a shift from self-survival to self-reliance and community sufficiency. There is growing recognition that you don’t have to be a gardener to play a part in food security in your community. What a relief! No longer do I need to think about growing all my own food, as if that was ever possible! Now it’s more about discovering what I do well, what I like to eat, what likes to grow in my backyard/bioregion, and can I preserve some of the bounty for later?
We can see that aligning with the laws of nature to grow food requires that we embrace more clearly our own nature as well, all of it. To bring forth the best in us, we each need to feel efficacious, connected to others and to have meaning in our lives….We can release our fear of scarcity and trust our place in the nature of things
FM Lappe & A Lappe, “Fields of Hope and Power”, in Vandana Shiva (ed) Food Sovereignty, Food security (Spinifex Press, 2015) p45.
And I’ll finish with 2 questions for next time you buy food. Look at each item and ask “Where did this come from? And how was it grown?
Enjoy reading!
Volunteer insights
The APC had not been held in SA for around 30 years. In recent times, the community there has flourished, and hosting the convergence gave the opportunity to show this to the rest of the Australian permaculture community. Held at ….. read more.
Thank you from Geoff Tonkin
WA Permie Geoff Tonkin was recognised as a Permaculture Elder at the Convergence in SA. Geoff started his acceptance speech by thanking Ross Mars and the PermacultureWest community for helping to finance…. read more.
Stephanie Cutmore
General Member
Hi, my name is Steph and I live in the Wheatbelt on a farm near Meckering WA with my Hubby, 2 kids, sheep, chickens, dogs and a cat. Read more.
Fermentation
When we eat fermented foods, we eat the beneficial bacteria – the probiotics – that the food contains. Probiotics are responsible for improving digestion, enhancing immune function … Read more.
Principles of Permaculture
by Ross Mars
While Bill Mollison and David Holmgren are recognised as co-originators of permaculture, their seminal text Permaculture 1 did not discuss any overarching principles.. read more.
Companion Planting in Australia
by Brenda Little
Most plants are the happiest when grown in the company of others or sad when in the company of bad neighbours. This little book is about that…. read more.
Organic Food Growing Masterclass
6 May, Perth City Farm
Join our gun horticulturist and experienced market gardener Katie to take a deep dive into productive, healthy and satisfying organic food production. Read more.
Celebrating Food Security
7 May, Murdoch University
Come and celebrate! This action-packed day has something for everyone and is all about growing your own food. Read more.
Growing with Costa
13 May, Pickering Brook
Growing with Costa isn’t just about growing your own food, it’s about growing as an individual and a community.We have four events for you to choose from ….. Read more.
Bushfoods for Beginners
8 June, Morley
With Tucker Bush edible natives, you can enjoy a backyard full of unique and delicious bush tucker fruits, roots, nuts, seeds and leaves from plants naturally adapted to our climate and soil. Read more.
Soil Microscopy Workshop
17 & 18 June, Kalamunda.
Learn how to effectively use brightfield microscopes and build your knowledge of how soil microbes build soil structure, manage water, provide plant nutrition… Read More
Food Security and Sovereignty – David Holmgren
The permaculture vision of food security and sovereignty is one of communities full of food gardens, larders full of preserves and seed ready to go into… Read more.
PIP Magazine
Have you picked up your copy of the newest issue of Pip? Or received your copy in the post?
What you’ll find inside…read more.
Discount code PCWEST10 for members claim your discount now!
Intro to Permaculture, Fair Harvest Permaculture
6-7 May 2023, Margaret River
Join us on the farm for a two day Introduction to permaculture course with the team at Fair Harvest. Read more
Part-time PDC with Permaculture Educators Alliance
Part-time Permaculture Design Course (PDC) delivered over ten consecutive Thursdays throughout Term 3, 2023 starting on 28 July 2023. Join us….. read more.
Guidelines
It doesn’t matter where you are on your permaculture journey, share your story and support others on their journey.
We will publish your article on our website and share it in the enews. Read more….