Issue 23

If there is a plant group considered a staple in the modern diet, the onion family is it. From the ubiquitous brown onion to edible chive flowers, the diversity in the onion family is matched only by the many uses and flavours it brings to…

The Northern Rivers Soil Health Card was developed as a practical tool for the region’s farmers and landholders to use to monitor the health of their soils. While it was developed in partnership with NSW Agriculture, it’s got lots to offer home gardeners all around…

You might score yourself highly when it comes to making sure you’re minimising food waste, but what about when you consider all the parts of a food-producing plant that are edible which end up either in the compost, the chicken coop or in the green…

Homemade fermented drinks are a delicious and popular alternative to alcoholic beverages. And in this highly sanitised world we’ve found ourselves in, they’ve probably never been more important.

Low-alcohol alternatives are popping up all over the beverage market these days as people take a growing interest…

Whether you’re planning a new build or renovating your existing house, there are lots of natural materials to ensure an efficient, beautiful and healthy home.

When deciding which natural building material is best suited to your needs, there are things you need to consider. Local availability,…

Dedicated to building resilience and food security through respectful community connections, Pip’s 2021 Permie of the Year recipient personifies the three key ethics.

‘Open hearted’ is how the 2021 Pip Permie of the Year Award recipient Mandy Milburn describes herself and, when you look at where…

Humans are by nature inclined to repeat their practices. It keeps us calm, builds confidence and assures us of who we are. We challenge, question, encourage and participate in the activities that lift us up and fill our cup. This is ritual.

The way we live…

Create a thriving and productive mini ecosystem that supports your fruit tree by designing a guild – a permaculture technique in which a group of plants are chosen to complement and support a central plant.

Guilds are a great way to make the most of under-utilised…

As a visual artist, a business owner and a creative director, Cheryl Davison is creating and maintaining beautiful and important cultural connections.

Cheryl Davison is a proud Walbunga and Ngarigo woman. She is an artist who expresses her creativity and connection to Country in many forms….

Produced using plastics and metals, today’s store-bought kitchen scourers can be notoriously bad for the environment. But by repurposing everyday household waste, you can very easily make your own

These homemade kitchen scrubbers pose a two-pronged attack in the war on dishes. They have a coarse…

Folding your own pots is an inexpensive and sustainable way to raise your seedlings. Not only are you eliminating plastic from the process, but it’s better for your plants, too.

There are so many advantages to using paper seedling pots. In terms of the environment, you’re…

Off-Grid Festivities

The 2022 Off-Grid Linving Festival is being held over 9–10 April at Centennial Park in Eldorado, Victoria, just 75 km southwest from the border town of Albury. Now in its fifth year, the two-day event takes in all things sustainability as it aims to…

Mikkoa Travel Yoga Mat

This foldable, machine-washable yoga mat has a non-slip base made from natural rubber and a moisture-wicking vegan suede top which is free of chemicals, plastics, silicones or phthalates. The mat measures 183 cm long and 68 cm wide, weighs in at 900…

Organiclea is a community farm at the northern edge of London in the Lea Valley next to the ancient woodland Epping Forest which, incredibly, has been continuously forested since neolithic times. The 12-acre farm started in 2008 and is run as a cooperative. Leased from…

It sometimes feels like as soon as we begin to enjoy our garden, so do the pests and diseases! Warm and damp weather can promote lush growth on our plants, which seems to send a signal to pests and diseases to come in and take…

How do I know how much honey to take at the end of summer to ensure the bees have enough honey to last them through winter?

It’s really important that we leave enough honey for the colony to survive on during the months of winter. Bees…

Thanks for your latest edition, I’m loving what you’re doing. I have saved my own seeds for years, but got slack after moving and was caught wanting when the pandemic caused a seed crisis. As a person who would only buy and use one packet…

Connecting to country is about being still, asking permission and using your senses in order to reveal what she is really saying.

Spiritual connection to country is important for me; I will always make my presence known at a location and mentally or verbally ask permission…

Neptune’s Necklace (Hormosira bansi), also known as sea grapes or bubbleweed, is made up of fronds of water-filled beads attached to the substrate by a thin disc (holdfast). When foraged responsibly, it makes a healthy addition to your diet and your soil.

Neptune’s Necklace is found…

Pastinaca sativa – pastura in Latin means food and sativa means cultivated.

Origin

The parsnip we know today evolved from the wild parsnip which is still growing in Europe and Asia. It was a staple in the middle ages, but fell into disuse with the rising popularity…

Seasonal garden guides for Australian climates

Moon planting

The moon’s phases and its associated gravitational pull has a significant effect on the behaviour of tidal oceans, so it’s easy to understand how the moon can have a similar effect on the moisture in our soils and plants….

If you are into homemade, then a fruit press – sometimes called a torchietto – is a great addition to your kit. As an amateur beekeeper, I purchased this as an alternative to a spinner as a way to extract honey.

The costs of conventional honey…

Our kids’ patch winner for this issue is Taj Sol from Rosebank, NSW. You’ve won a Patternation Eco-City game which lets you design your very own sustainable city! Choosing from 140 tiles, Patternation allows you to incorporate elements such as community gardens, renewable energy, recycling…

Costa’s new book has been a long time coming. This is the culmination of all the ideas and knowledge that Costa has been sharing verbally to people and communities across Australia for the last few decades.

Costa’s World challenges us to look at the world through…

Welcome to Issue 23 of Pip and our eighth year of bringing you great content. I’m realising our content is now more relevant than ever and I can see the growing interest in the importance of being more sustainable and self-reliant.

I’m not talking about complete…

What you’ll find in Issue 23 :
Easy home soil tests to help create better soil
Learn how to grow your own onions, garlic, leeks and chives
Our guide to natural building techniques
Get the most from your harvest with root-to-tip eating
Make your…