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Brains Trust

Should I be doing anything different in winter to keep my chickens happy?

Hens can be fed more in winter, around 1.5 times what you normally feed them. They need the extra food to keep warm, recover from high egg-laying times and to grow new feathers after a moult. Extra protein can be added to their food in the form of meat, fish and egg leftovers, as well as pumpkin seeds and mealworms.

Hens love a warm mash during the coldest months; they will be warmer, healthier and may even reward you with extra eggs. Try soaking whatever grains you are eating (rolled oats, bran, cracked grains) overnight in warm water with a dash of yoghurt. In the morning add some warm water before feeding to your hens.

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GROUNDED

When a crises turns the world upside down, a garden can be a place of rest and healing – a place to remake your life. Grounded shares Liz Zorab’s personal story of courage and transformation alongside that of her small but abundant homestead in South West Wales, UK.

After a debilitating illness, Liz moves to the countryside and embarks on a journey to bring life to an empty paddock and to create a permaculture oasis and, in the process, reclaims her health and finds a new career. On less than one acre, Liz and her partner grow most of their food and produce surplus to sell through the local CSA box scheme.

Grounded is an honest and practical guide for anyone thinking of starting a small farm, or transforming an empty patch of garden. The book shares the first five years from the planning and design, integrating small livestock, creating a food forest, listening to nature and learning from mistakes. It’s an invaluable companion for living a simpler, healthier life for yourself and the land.

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Kitchen Garden: A Patch From Scratch

raised-garden

A productive food garden starts with great design. Applying permaculture design principles early on in the design phase means striking a balance with nature to get it working with you, achieving practical and permanent efficiencies to help feed you and your family.

Building a vegie patch from scratch can seem daunting, but by carefully observing your space and applying practical problem-solving techniques, you can create a thriving and productive food garden whether you’re on acreage or on a small city plot.

Homegrown vegetables are far better for both you and the planet than anything you can buy from a shop. Having a garden capable of producing vegetables for your family is a great place to kick off your permaculture journey and get you thinking about the best way to integrate growing food into your patch and your lifestyle.

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Slow Cooking: Low And Slow

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There’s nothing better than coming home to the enticing aroma of dinner cooking. Not always about convenience, the key to slow cooking is a lower temperature over a longer period of time which both slows ourselves down and allows us to draw more nutrients from the food we eat.

Cooking slow enables you to be a more ethical meat eater, by making use of the whole animal. Undervalued cuts such as shoulders, necks, shanks or brisket will improve in texture and flavour when subjected to the potent alchemy of gentle heat and time that reduces moisture-loss, tenderises and concentrates flavours.

Every cuisine around the world has devised ways to turn sinewy, boney cuts into delicious tender braises. Think French beef bourguignon, Italian osso bucco, Kashmiri rogan josh or a Mexican pozole. If heated to at least 70 °C the connective tissue and collagen turns into gelatine, and when cooked slowly, the meat won’t dry out.

Slow cooking isn’t limited to braises or stews, vegetable-based meals like soups, mash and dhal are all better when cooked slowly and it can be useful when preserving your home-grown produce such as black garlic, apple sauce and even bone broth.

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Reconnecting With Fire: Rekindle The Flames

fire

The upsurge in the human desire to reconnect with nature and our food is heartening. After the devastating bushfires experienced by so many, is it possible for humans to also reconnect with fire?

After a bushfire season like we experienced in 2019–20, with the devastating loss of lives, farm animals, bush and wildlife, the fear of fire has left lasting scars. However if we can have a better understanding of fire, then maybe we can see through its terrifying and destructive nature and identify it as a useful tool that can bring healing.

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Electromobility: On The Charge

bike

Greenhouse gas emissions from transport have recorded the highest rate of growth of any sector in the last 30 years. The key to changing the projected trajectory, which forecasts continued growth through to 2030, is about finding cleaner transport solutions.

According to the Climate Council, Australia is the second-largest producer of greenhouse-gas emissions in the world and transport is our second-largest source of pollution. And while electric-powered vehicles are the most obvious and effective solution, in this country, it’s an industry still very much in its infancy in terms of technology, efficiency and consumer affordability.

Compared to many other global markets, Australia’s take-up of electric-powered vehicles has been low. It’s a result largely driven by short-sighted government policy removing incentives to switch to low-emission transport. But there’s plenty of misconceptions surrounding the day-to-day realities of electric vehicle ownership, too, which could be causing Australians to shirk what’s an otherwise simple answer to a worsening problem.

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Homegrown Nuts: Get Cracking

Macadamias

When it comes to adding productive trees to your garden, it’s easy to just think of fruit trees. But nut trees provide a productive and nutritious addition to the harvest each year and there’s a nut tree to suit every climate and situation.

Walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamias or pistachios, it’s hard to meet a nut you can’t love. Nut trees have been grown right across the world for centuries and Australia is lucky enough to grow most common nut varieties. Our commercial nut industry has seen rapid expansion in the last ten years thanks to growing demand for plant-based milks and foods, and recommendations from health professionals to include nuts as part of a healthy diet. Their versatility has meant most of us (those with allergies excluded, of course) would be hard-pressed to go a week without some type of nut making its way into our diet. So what about growing them at home?

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Growing Citrus: Zest For Life

citrus

Citrus is a mainstay of Australian yards. From the ubiquitous lemon tree in the corner through to a kumquat in a pot on the balcony, citrus has so much to offer home gardeners if cared for correctly.

When they’re healthy and productive, backyard citrus is a great addition to any size home garden. As well as providing nutritious food during winter, citrus offers many advantages to a permaculture garden. Hardy, compact and evergreen, citrus can perform tasks like windbreaks and shelter, and dwarfing varieties means they can be happy in a pot which can be moved to suit your needs.

Citrus is a hungry crop and requires regular maintenance to ensure high yields and pest deterrence, but a well-maintained example of a variety chosen to specifically meet your needs will bring many benefits.

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