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PO Box 1054
Bega NSW 2550
Phone 6492 0161

 

SCPA Brochure

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Proud Supporter Of...

Composting Awareness Week

Organic matter decomposing anaerobically in landfill causes over 3.5% of Australia's annual greenhouse gas emissions. The 4th Australian International Composting Awareness Week (ICAW) will be held in every state and territory across the land from Sunday 3rd to Saturday 9th May 2009. ICAW's major objective is to encourage people from all walks of life to actively and wholeheartedly engage in diverting organic waste matter from landfill. ICAW aims to educate all Australians about the virtues of composting - and of considering organic waste as a resource instead - by staging a national events platform and media campaign promoting the environmental benefits of all forms of recycled organics. Visit the ICAW website Opens external link in new windowwww.compostweek.com.au and view the Events Calendar page (click on it at the top of Home page) to see what various councils and community organisations around Australia are doing for 2009.


Noah's Ark for Seeds - LNL Phillip Adams audio file

Our Treasurer Kym Mogridge sent this MP3 (audio) file - Late Night Live's Phillip Adams interview about Norway's seed vault.

Global Seed Bank
The world agricultural community faces a number of challenges over the coming decades; in addition to a rapidly growing population, and the threat of global warming is the knowledge that plant genetic diversity has been greatly reduced over the past decades. Further loss of diversity needs to be prevented. To that end, the first Global Seed Bank will be opened soon in Svalbard, Norway to store millions of seeds from across the world for posterity.

Dung Beetle Fact Sheet No.2

Dung_Beetles_Fact_sheet_2.doc

Click this document link top open Dung Beetle Fact Sheet No.2

2.0 M

Backyard Aquaponics - Grow fish and vegetables for food

As the South East region gets drier and hotter, food supply will be a big issue.

Gardens are likely to suffer from water shortages and sunburn.

With aquaponics you can grow fish and vegetables and fruity side by side in a (near) closed system and enjoy healthy home grown food.

The waste from the fish becomes food for the plants, which in turn clean and oxygenate the water for the fish, which you can eat.

It is being perfected in Western Australia by a Permculturist. Watch the video below and visit their site www.backyardaquaponics.com

SCPA has organised a starter kit for your information at the SCPA markets 1st and 3rd friday of the month in Zingel Place Bega. 7:30am-12:30pm.

To get a pre-view of this exciting new opportunity download Back Yard Aquaponics Magazine Issue 1 , Issue 2 , Issue 3 .

From the Seedsavers

  • Collecting Cucumber Seed
    • Always harvest mature seed. For example, cucumber seeds at the eating stage are not ripe and will not germinate if saved. You must allow the fruit and seed to fully mature. Because seed set reduces the vigor of the plant and discourages further fruit production, wait until near the end of the season to save fruit for seed.
  • Difficult Plants for Seedsavers
    • Some plants like corn can spread pollen over a kilometer. Some families like the brassicas and lettuce have many varieties that will cross. For more information on what is required to collect seed from these tricker plants see http://www.seedsave.org/issi/904/expert.html#anchor012
  • Foods that changed the world
    • For many foods which we now enjoy and rely upon, we must thank the people of the Americas who domesticated or discovered them. Many of our everyday foods originated in the ancient New World. Of the world's top 26 crops by tonnage, eight originated in the Americas. A third of United States crop value depends on foods that were first grown in the Americas. Without food crops from the New World, Indonesian satays, Indian curries, and even pizza would be unrecognizable. Let's look at some of the incredible variety of foods from the Americas and their impact on history.
  • Iraqi Farmers Aren't Celebrating World Food Day
    • As part of sweeping "economic restructuring" implemented by the Bush Administration in Iraq, Iraqi farmers will no longer be permitted to save their seeds. Instead, they will be forced to buy seeds from US corporations -- which can include seeds the Iraqis themselves developed over hundreds of years. That is because in recent years, transnational corporations have patented and now own many seed varieties originated or developed by indigenous peoples. In a short time, Iraq will be living under the new American credo: Pay Monsanto, or starve.
  • Seed Storage
    • Before you store your seeds, make sure that you have thoroughly dried them. Home-saved seeds will retain their vigor if thoroughly dried and saved in air proof containers in the freezer for extended storage or in a cool dry cellar for next season. While some vegetable seed can remain viable in storage for as long as 15 years or more, and grains may remain viable much longer under stable environmental conditions, every year in storage will decrease the amount of seed that will germinate. When you have processed the seeds and are ready to package for the winter, it pays to buy desicant paks for your storage containers to keep your seeds dry. Seeds should contain 3-5 percent moisture while in storage. General rule is if your can bend your seed then it still has too much moisture in it and will rupture and die if frozen. However, if you attempt to bend it and it breaks instead, then it’s probably at 8% or less and can be safely frozen. Another point is that when you remove the seeds from the freezer, allow them to come up to room temperature before handling for planting or sowing. Saving seeds in storage will safeguard your family's food crop in the event of world-wide catastrophes, war, pandemic outbreaks and other unforeseen disasters.
  • Seeds Carry Disease
    • Some seeds may transmit certain diseases. A disease that infected a crop at the end of the growing season may do little damage to that crop. However, if the seed is saved and planted the following year, the disease may severely injure or even kill the young plants.
  • Tubers from the Andes
    • Today as in ancient times, the Andean people believe things tend to turn back upon themselves. In Quechua, the family of languages from the Andes, pacha kuti means a periodic turnaround of the direction of the earth, a reversal in the direction of history and time. This age-old concept of reversal may now apply to ancient Andean tuber crops. Colorful crops domesticated from wild relatives that still exist, these vital foods have been consumed for more than 3,000 years by millions of Andean people. Unfortunately, many species of these tuber-bearing plants are in danger of disappearing, a result largely of the introduction of Western crops to the Andes. Recently, however, Indian crop plants have become the focus of worldwide attention. Researchers are looking for new ways to use these valuable food sources. As pacha kuti suggests, there may be yet another change of direction: A return to the crops of the ancients.
  • Celery - Green/Apium graveolens
    • Categories: spring and autumn. requires lots of water & fertiliser for good crops.
    • Latin Name:Apium graveolensSeed Life:5years Sow:Spring and Autumn. Requires lots of water & fertiliser for good crops.Propagation :Cross-pollinated by insects.Crispy green stems. Can be blanched by hilling soil around plants.Keep varieties from flowering together.
  • Celery - Golden Self-blanching/Apium graveolens
    • Categories: spring and autumn. requires lots of water & fertiliser for good crops.
    • Latin Name:Apium graveolensSeed Life:5years Sow:Spring and Autumn. Requires lots of water & fertiliser for good crops.Propagation :Cross-pollinated by insects.Crispy, pale stems. Does not require blanching.Keep varieties from flowering together.
  • Celeriac - Niva/Apium graveolens
    • Categories: spring and autumn.
    • Latin Name:Apium graveolensSeed Life:5years Sow:Spring and Autumn.Propagation :Cross-pollinated by insects.Bulbous root used in soups & winter casseroles. Excellent, heirloom French variety. Will cross with celery. Biennial

Growing Demand for Local Vegetables

The demand for locally grown vegetables is very strong and appears to be growing rapidly.  Many of our local retailers and restaurants would love to get more, along with consumers at our Farmers' Market.

Adding to the demand are small catering groups looking to use and promote local produce.  One is even offering to pay up-front to guarantee supply; see Spicy Mama's Letter to Growers below.

If you are a local grower with a capacity to supply seasonal vegetables, please "Contact Us" via this web-site or phone Gary Hooley on (02) 6494 2210.

Spicy_Mamas-letter_to_growers.pdf

Spicy Mama's Letter to Growers; Requesting supply of fresh veges & fruits for Feb 09 & April 09

Click to Open Sustain Magazine + The Producer

Support Pro-Organic Growing of Food

Our pro-organic position on food production recognises the premium price organic food can attract.

A pro-organic position on food production also guarantees a premium perception on the quality of a region thus improving our tourism potential as a 'good and healthy' place to visit or to live.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) risks the current perception of Australia's food production industry and our region as 'clean and healthy'.

Why would we risk the high quality perception of our region when the bulk of scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that GMOs have serious health effects.

This could damage our primary and tourism industries if GMOs are released into the local food chain.

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