Permaculture Out West

Archive for August, 2010

Have a look at our local groups at http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_id=5967&h=-1&newsletter=true&ID=60&UID=1072

I was listening this morning to a Late Night live podcast
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2010/2952641.htm of an
interview with Frederick Kaufman who has written an article for Harpers
subtitled called The food Bubble: How Wall Street starved millions and got
away with it”.
Another interview here:

http://www.archive.org/details/TheFoodBubble-FrederickKaufman-2010

He warns in the interview that nothing has changed to stop these masters of
the universe creating another food bubble (which appears to be happening
now), nor to stop another GFC. So while

2008 saw food riots, these people were paid, and so it continues, huge fees
and bonuses for being so clever.

Regards,

Pat

Back in the 1970′s, there was a bit of an oil embargo, and suddenly the oil that we took for granted became very expensive. For people in the US, it came as a very rude shock. Up to 1970, the US was the main oil producer in the world, like the way Saudi Arabia is now.

The oil embargo helped bring about a new people movement in the US, where sustainability, low energy, growing your own food came to be thought as a way to change to a low energy world. The shift to the low energy world lasted until the early 80′s. One of the many interesting projects that came out of this was the Master Conserver course http://www.culturalconservers.org/library.php. The course looked at things like:

• Home Buyers checklist
• Heat Loss calculations
• Home Insulation
• Weathersealing and caulking
• Hot water conservation
• Indoor Air Quality
• Energy efficient windows and doors

The list goes on. All the topics had instructional handouts that contain a wealth of knowledge that is difficult to find in books nowadays.

We are fortunate that someone saved all these handouts, scanned them and made them available for our generation. Please save a copy of them so that the valuable information in these handouts can be saved, and more importantly, be used to make our own homes more energy efficient. The address is http://www.culturalconservers.org/library/masterconserver.pdf

Well, a whole year has gone by, and POW is officially a year old. As part of the birthday celebrations, we’re going to have our very first Annual General meeting to elect people for roles of Convenor, Secretary, Treasurer, Events Co-ordinator and Fund raiser. Don’t feel that you could do any of these roles –  the people in these roles at the moment have never done these roles before. You learn as you go along, and maybe help improve it by seeing the role in a different way.

The meeting will be held at De’s home, 28 Fontein St West Footscray, starting at 6.30pm. So, feel welcome to come along and maybe even throw your name into the ring for one of the roles. We’re more than happy to join new members up on the night.

There will be a cake!

The POW Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th August 2010 at 28 Fontein St West Footscray.

The elections will be held for the following roles:

CONVENOR – Description

• receive and answer emails addressed to admin@pow.org.au
• receive and respond to correspondence, written and electronic, or forward to someone else to handle where appropriate
• Arrange venues for meetings
• Keep PcM up to date with goings on with POW

SECRETARY – description

Generally administer the organisation’s affairs – unless delegated to someone else, including -

• Maintain hard copy files of correspondence, including copies of emails that are pertinent to POW decisions (any correspondence listed on POW agendas)
• Maintain hard copy records of the Minutes of all Committee and General Meetings and of Annual Reports and forward copies of minutes to PcM Secretary.
• In consultation with Office Bearers prepare and circulate agendas in advance of POW Executive and General Meetings
• Keep minutes of POW Executive and General Meetings, circulate drafts to participants for comment and final versions to be uploaded POW Website
• Receive and process applications for admission to membership and of renewals
• Provide lists of applications for membership for the agendas for Executive meetings
• Maintain a Register of Members of POW
• Maintain contact with external groups that have similar interests to POW
• Arrange the exchange of newsletters with external groups, by email or post
• Forward to the Events Coordinator the details of events proposed by other groups that are of potential interest to PcM members (Events Co-ordinator forwards to PcM)
• Receive and answer emails addressed to info@pow.org.au
• Receive and answer emails addressed to membership@pow.org.au

TREASURER – description

• Maintain hard copy records of all financial transactions
• Prepare periodic and annual financial reports and annual financial statement for lodgement with Consumer Affairs
• Pay accounts
• Prepare and maintain a budget for the management of the organisation’s finances
• Process and bank subscription fees
• Maintain records of rebates due to POW from PcM (e.g. memberships etc)

FUNDRAISER – description

• Work with Treasurer
• Co ordinate ways of raising funds and present them to the POW meetings

EVENTS / PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR – description

• Liaise with all branches of PcM to coordinate the holding of events
• Maintain a Calendar of events and forward to the PIE Editor periodically for publication
• Maintain lists of equipment held by branches of PcM and coordinate its use for events
• Maintain stocks of publicity material (banners, posters, brochures) for use at public events

The Sussex Street Neighbourhood House has courses at reduced rates for volunteers

Call  to find out timetables for

• First Aid $20
• Safe Food Handling $25

http://www.sussexnh.org.au

235-237 Sussex St Coburg Nth (Melway Map 17 E6)

Phone us on – 9354-2210

River health seminar:

Upper Yarra catchment Melbourne Water invites you to a free seminar to learn about river health within the upper Yarra River catchment.

The event will be held on Tuesday 7 September 2010 at the Upper Yarra Family Centre in Yarra Junction. Join us to hear presentations about fish, platypus, erosion, vegetation. There will be guest speakers from the Wurundjeri Tribal Council and Upper Yarra River Reserve CoM. Go on an optional tour of Little Yarra River and discuss local waterway projects.

See the seminar web page for more information and to register.

www.melbournewater.com.au/upperyarraseminar

On 25th August, POW will be holding its AGM and we will be voting in new committee members.  If you have enjoyed your weekly digest and would like to get more involved, then please come along. Roles up for renewal are:

• Convenor
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Workshop coordinator
• Permablitz coordinator
• website administrator

We are also interested in hearing from anyone keen to perform other roles, such as events coordinator or fundraiser or interested in running projects such as a LETs or urban wwoofing.  So if you have something you think you can offer, please come forward.  We have a vision of a thriving, sharing community in the West, but we need lots of active members to make this happen.

If you would like to be more involved in any capacity, please come along to our AGM on Wednesday 25th August at 6:30pm. 28 Fontein St, West Footscray. If you can’t make it, but would like to come to be more involved, then please email us via the contact tab.

Early Spring starts with the first warm spell after the cold of mid-winter, in late July or early August.
This provides the signal to start thinking about those summer crops that need a head start in warm
soil under cover of some sort. Cold tolerant winter vegies can continue to be sown in the open
ground, but they’ll be slow to germinate and get established while the temperature is low. It’s still too
early to sow summer crops in the open ground.
If you’ve sown any green manure crops these can be dug in as soon as they commence flowering.
AUGUST IN THE VEGIE PATCH
Sow Beetroot (Early Wonder), Broccoli, Cabbage, Coriander, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce (Cos), Mizuna,
Mustards, Parsnip, Green Snow & Snap Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots (Bunching Onions), Spinach,
Swedes, Tatsoi, Turnip, Calendula.
Sow under glass or in a hot-house. Capsicum, Chillies, Eggplant, Tomatoes. These common
vegetables are of tropical origin and need warm soil to germinate.
Plant Tubers and bulbs of Oca, True Shallots, Sunchokes, Potatoes, Yacon. Crowns of Asparagus.
Subdivide and replant Chives, Garlic Chives, Bunching Onions, Globe Artichokes, Rhubarb.
SEPTEMBER IN THE VEGIE PATCH
Sow As for August, including Beetroot (Cylindrica and Detroit). Lettuce, You may want to start some
of the cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, pumkins, zucchini, etc) under glass or in the hothouse also, so
they’re ready to plant out in the open garden late October – early November. These are best sown
singly in small pots or Hyco tubes, so that can they can be planted out with minimum root
disturbance. It’s also time to start sowing Asparagus, Bol Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Carrots (All
Seasons, Topweight), Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Endive, Lettuce, Parsley, Silver Beet/Chard.
Plant Potatoes, shallots. Any tomatoes, capsicums, etc, that are big enough to transplant after
germination under cover can go into pots to be grown on for a few weeks, ready for transplanting into
the open garden in Late Spring.
As we approach the Spring Equinox increasing day-length will trigger the bolting of many biennial
vegies. Root crops (beetroot, carrots, parsnip) will need to be used up before this happens, unless
some of the best plants are being left for seed collection. Shoots of leaf crops (leaf beets, parsley)
can continue to be used before they flower and go stringy.
EARLY SPRING IN THE ORCHARD
Pruning of deciduous fruit trees should be completed during August before the sap starts to rise and
blossoming starts. Wood ashes spread around fruit trees and berries at this time of year will provide
some potash to enhance fruit set and flavour. Some rotted manure or compost, covered over with
mulch, will stimulate some strong early growth of new wood, particularly with young trees that are not
yet well established.
If you have curly leaf in your peaches and nectarines a copper-based spray applied just as the
flowerbuds begin to swell and turn pink will help to control the fungal spores hanging around on the
bark waiting for a chance to invade the soft tissues of the blossoming trees.

Learn the tricks of grafting your own fruit trees for your backyard orchard in a friendly atmosphere with plenty of opportuniuty for asking questions and learning with people witrh similar interests to yourself.

Held at:

Maidstone Community Centre
21 Yardley street Maidstone (enter Via Gibb Street gate)
Sunday, August 15,
10:00 AM until 1:00 PM
Tea & Coffee provided

Cost: Only $15:00 per person. -PLUS you get a newly-grafted fruit tree to take home!

Numbers strictly limited
Book via the POW website: email workshops@pow.org.au

Brought to you by Permaculture Out West
&
Werribee Park Heritage Orchard.