Category Regulars

Email your letters and photos to editorial@pipmagazine.com. au. We’d love to hear what you think of Pip and if you’ve embarked on any projects as a result of our articles. Each issue, one published entrant will receive a limited edition Pip Magazine art print, printed with archival inks on beautifully textured archival 300 gsm rag paper.

Dear Robyn,

I found your magazine in the local library after having a baby and looking for things to read whilst breastfeeding. I loved the article on Kat Lavers and her inspiring garden [Issue #10] and was motivated to book a tour of her place through the Open Gardens Victoria program. It was so fabulous! I’ve now joined a local gardening group and have an upcoming Permablitz to look forward to.

This issue we’re answering your questions about waste-free living. Got a burning question? You haven’t missed out. You can email us (editorial@pipmagazine.com.au) and we will answer your question on our blog over at www.pipmagazine.com.au

I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the information on waste, and I want to reduce my household’s waste, but I’m not sure where to start. Do I need to buy anything first? (Catherine, Launceston, TAS)

We’ve found a smart way to approach the shift to waste-free living is to work out exactly what waste you’re making. We recommend beginning with auditing your waste, by counting it as it goes into the rubbish or recycling bin. That will give you a good starting point to improve upon and help you identify your main streams of waste. Food waste makes up around half the average household bin, so we’d recommend eliminating that first. Then, you can find ways to access food and products without packaging. You don’t need to buy anything to begin with, but some sturdy cloth bags and a few jars can help. You can often find these second hand or you can make your own cloth and produce bags (see Pip issue 10). Shifting to waste-free living needn’t cost anything at all.

The Social Outfit are an independently-accredited, ethical trading social enterprise that provides employment and training in the fashion industry to people from refugee and new migrant communities in clothing production, retail, design and marketing. They make and sell quality products that help financially empower people and provide customers with unique pieces that tell amazing human stories.

These clutches are made from offcuts donated from textile companies that want to avoid textile waste. Fabric compositions vary (linen/cotton/heavy silks, some with embroidered or flocked details). Each clutch features two fabrics spliced on the outside, and a complementary fabric for the lining. Each clutch is one of a kind.

www.thesocialoutfit.org

Zanzibar is an archipelago 25 kilometres off the coast of Tanzania, a semi-autonomous region on the East Coast of Africa otherwise known as the Spice Islands. Permaculture Zanzibar is a school to teach practical livelihood skills using the permaculture approach. It is run by a vibrant group of young people who organise workshops, kids’ camps and permaculture school garden programs, train teachers, teach PDCs and are creating a permaculture education garden.

A particularly fabulous program they run is the Fursa Kijani Youth Program, a youth empowerment program to train young Zanzibarians in a four month practical permaculture internship, getting them ready for employment and helping them to start permaculture enterprises— they call it ECOpreneurship. PPIZ accepts long-term volunteers.

Thank you for picking up Pip.

We are now into our sixth year of publishing, and you know what, I feel pretty proud of that. For those that don’t know, Pip is an independently owned and operated publication running out of the small coastal town of Pambula from a converted barn on our rural property.

We try to practice what we preach and often article ideas come from what we are doing here on our property. We have lots of food growing in the garden, ferments bubbling and fizzing on the bench, and permaculture design systems in place to make our place run smoothly and efficiently.

But don’t get me wrong—we too, like so many of us nowadays, struggle with doing all the things we would like to be doing.

March: Brussels sprouts (seedling tray), broad beans, beetroot, broccoli (seedling tray), cabbage (seedling tray), carrot, chives, coriander, daikon, endive, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, pak choy/ bok choy, radish, rocket, shallots (plant bulbs), silverbeet, turnips.

April: Brussels sprouts, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chives, endive, fennel, garlic (plant cloves), kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onions, pak choy/bok choy, parsley, peas, radish, rocket, shallots (plant bulbs), silverbeet, spinach, turnip.

May: Broad beans, beetroot, carrot, chives, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peas, radish, shallots (plant bulb), silverbeet, spinach, turnip.

June: Broad beans, garlic (plant cloves), mustard greens, onions, peas, radish.

Email your letters and photos to editorial@pipmagazine. com.au. We’d love to hear what you think of Pip and if you’ve embarked on any projects as a result of our articles. Each issue, one published entrant will receive a limited- edition Pip magazine art print, printed with archival inks on beautifully textured archival 300 gsm rag paper.

Thanks so much Robyn! I absolutely love the magazine. It’s so inspirational and educational and really makes my family and I evaluate our lives and incorporate permaculture, which makes for a happier family. Thanks for this great publication.

Christine Clancy

Big things are afoot at Permaculture Tasmania as a new energy is flowing in and has given a boost to the organisation recently. Workshops as diverse as building with bamboo, cob building, bee-keeping, pruning and grafting, fermentation, and basic cheesemaking, as well as Permaculture Intro courses are being held throughout the state.

A network of local groups have started up and meet monthly, with skill-sharing get-togethers, social events and film nights happening.

Run by a very experienced bunch of volunteers, Permaculture Tasmania is intent on sharing skills, knowledge and resources, supporting permablitzes and building community.

www.permaculturetasmania.com

As we continue to become a more urbanised society, the question of how we can live and eat well in our cities has never been more critical. This collection of real stories explores past histories of urban food production in Australia, plus we hear from current food production innovators on what they’re doing and why. Part One reflects the diversity in urban edible gardens, Part Two acknowledges the important role played by the permaculture movement in training a generation of urban gardeners and farmers, Part Three contains stories that represent the new face of urban agriculture in Australia, and Part Four ties it together with an urgent call for transformative change. This anthology shares the stories of those who have taken risks and learnt lessons along the way. It’s a source of inspiration and wisdom for those wanting to join this important journey to bring back a deeper connection between urban dwellers and their food, for now and future generations. Authors include many of Pip’s regular contributors including David Holmgren, Morag Gamble, Kat Lavers, Hannah Moloney, The Food Forest, Mariam Issa and more.

We love to see our Pip kids out in the garden growing food and we would love to see some pics of what you are getting up to. We’re looking for photos of little kids, big kids, school groups and community groups. So if you have a garden and you’re growing food, send us a photo of you in it.

Our Kids’ Patch winner for issue 13 is Olive Woodhouse from Officer in Victoria. Congratulations! You’ve won a a digital download of Formidable Vegetable Sound System’s album, Grow Do It.

Next issue we are giving away a CD of Formidable Vegetable Sound System’s album, Grow Do It. To be in the running, kids, parents or teachers can email a photo through to editorial@pipmagazine.com.au along with your child’s name, age and suburb.