Christmas update on the food crop and future plans.

New turkey bed with Sugar Melons

Corn patch (8 weeks of growth from seed) with bamboo wind support

The large garden in backyard, planted in guild style

Purple King beans, producing prolific numbers of flowers

Yellow Pear tomatoes, the first fruits on the bush

Big Red Tomatoes, first fruits on the bush

Californian Capsicum, first one on the bush

Well just to finish the year, I thought I would do a run down of the happenings of 2011 and bring you an update on the garden's growth and progress.  So let's begin.  The start of 2011 both my sons were still at home with me and we were plugging away at the yard and paddock to get new garden beds established, the woodshed built and to get the chooks sorted with a more permanent enclosure.  It saw my son, Luke, working at the local grain mill until work dried up and at that time both lads decided to move back to our hometown in the North/East of Victoria.  For the next few weeks, I rattled around the house adjusting to the quiet nights and sole company of Snake the cat.  In the early half of the year I managed to hold a WWOOF host gathering and to manage the WWOOF stand at the Back2Basics Expo in Kyabram.  Hosting remained in limbo until the second half of the year as winter presented bleak and dreary weather.  I completed my Cert3 in permaculture and took on the Cert4TAE which I completed in early December. Hosting WWOOFers began again in late September when Michael arrived from France,  all up Michael stayed for 5 weeks.  During the first week of October I managed the WWOOF stand at the Elmore Field Days with the help of another WWOOFer, Leanne.  The day after that had finished I received sad news that my last remaining/closest Uncle Wilf had succumbed to the cancers that had ravedged his body for years.  I partly feel he had pined away as his dear wife Nancy had passed away 5 years prior and they had a very close and strong bond.  During the comings and goings of the second half of the year, I was diagnosed with malignant cells in the Intramedullary tumours on my spinal cords.  They are inoperable and were actually found in 2006, but the malignancy only broke out in July.  I have completed an 8 week course of chemo tablets and now going through the barrage of tests to see how successful that was.  Still I remain totally positive about things and strive to continue with the plans I have in place.  In early December, I enrolled in diploma of Business and Diploma of Management. A 1 year course of study that will hopefully set me in good stead to set up and run an RTO that will specialise in Permaculture Design Course ( hoping for a kick off in 2013).  The last week leading up to Christmas is in full swing here and I am busily sourcing organic fruits and vegetables to make up boxes for my various family members as gifts.  A trip to Echuca is on the cards for Thursday to complete the gift buying and then the last 2 days will be filled with cleaning and making sure all the gardens and animals will be sorted out for the time I am to be away for Christmas.  In conclusion, I wish all those in the world of Blog a safe and happy time during the festive season.

A Peek At The Corn Patch

Stage 1:  Prepare the bed, mark out the rows with sticks and plant seeds.

Set up the Vertical Worm Composting Pipe.

Place 6 Bricks on one side for a stepping stone.

Stage 2:  Maintain the bed with plenty of water daily.

Observe the plant growth and foliage for any diseases and pests.

Stage 3:  Keep the crop weed free to reduce competition for soil nutrients.

This Corn bed was established where an old chook shed used to be.  The area you see had around 8" of chook manure on it and when we went to turn it over, found a layer of bricks beneath it.  Once they were removed, the soil and manure were then turned and the garden worked into the mound.  The Vertical Worm Composter was then prepared (holes drilled around the base) and then placed in the centre of the bed. This composter functions very well as the worms stay in there during the day, feeding on kitchen scraps and then moving into the garden bed by night to fertilise and break down the soil.  During the early morning they then return to the composter to begin the cycle all over again.  The lower of the photos was taken around 5 weeks after the seeds were planted.



Michael The WWOOFer cont:

Michael laying the bricks for a Turkey Mound

Filling the Turkey Mound using Lasagne style

Honey Dew Melon Planted

We have put together 3 more garden beds.  A 2 x 1 mt established using the lasagne style.  It has been planted with peas and silverbeet with room still left over for another variety of plant.  Then we put together 2 small Turkey Mounds surrounded with bricks to plant honey dew melons and QLD Blue Pumpins.  We are planning to put 2 more Turkey Mounds together for Rockmelons and Watermelons.  When they are built, it will mean that the plans for the 2011 season will have been reached.  We are off to town after lunch today to pick up Michael's travel ticket for Wednesday.  He is leaving then for his next WWOOF adventure closer to Melbourne.  I am really pleased his journey is continuing, but have enjoyed him being here so much it will be a difficult goodbye we will share.  Here is cheers to a wonderful spirit that came into my home and brightened life so much.. Journey well Michael.

Hosting Michael the WWOOFer

Michael at the local bakery

Michael feeding chickens

Michael's lovely yoghurt cake

Michael cooking crepes

Michael's crepes (delicious)

I feel I have been very blessed as a WWOOF host over the last few weeks.  I have hosted the most wonderful young man, who by all rights is a great credit to his parents.  Michael came to me the week before the Elmore Field Days and stayed until the day before I had to set up.  I already had Leanne booked in to help with that and in order to make sure Michael was in a good place, I arranged with another local host for him to go there.  The plan was for Michael to return to me when I had finished at Elmore.  Funny how life loves to throw us curve balls though, as soon as Elmore was done I had to make a trip to the Peninsula for my Uncle's funeral.  So instead of Michael returning as per planned, he stayed on with Richard until I returned from my trip.  We had decided that Michael would arrive at my place before me and feed the animals.  Imagine how pleasantly I was surprised, arriving home to the wonderous smell of a cake baking in the oven, he had also put away all the dishes I had left in the drainer before leaving, and done a few other small jobs as well.  This young man is so easy to share time with and he always makes working a pleasant time.  During Michael's time here, I have not stopped laughing or smiling and I will admit that my face constantly hurts from it.  Such a good hurt it is.  When Michael leaves here to return to France, it will be a very sad day for me.  He will be greatly missed and my only hope is that he achieves all he sets out to do in life. 

Elmore Field Days, October 2011

Annette (left)  Leanne (right)

Early Monday 3rd October,2011 saw me on my way to Echuca to pick up Leanne in order for us to go to the Elmore Field Days site and set up the WWOOF stand.  Got there around 9.30, pulling the car right up in front of the marquise.  All up it only took us 2 and a half hours to unload the car and set up the interior of the stand.  After this we jumped in the car and headed back to Kyabram to stock up on supplies and relax for the night in readiness for the 3 very busy days to follow.  Tuesday morning we rose to light cloud and news that we were due for some rain while the field days were on.  Not amused at all, but as it happened the weather held for us and we avoided getting wet feet.  The crowds rolled in and we were kept busy, chatting and sharing information about the guidelines and methods of joining WWOOF, both as hosts and WWOOFers.  We had a great deal of interest shown over the next 3 days and found that we also had a number of folk drop by who had already heard of WWOOF but would love more information.  During each day we also had a number of other hosts from a variety of places pop in to say hello and ask a question or two.  So good to see them there and share what they do on their properties.  By the end of day 3, both Leanne and I were totally exhausted, had very sore legs and feet but came away with a sense of achievement in regard to getting the word out there.  I am hoping to set up another stand at the Kyabram show in just over a week. Will see how it pans out as I am still waiting on word back from the organisers if a site is available.  Watch this space for updates.

Never a dull moment

My friends and family are always saying, "You will never have a dull moment in life".  Perhaps they are right.  Although the next two weeks are holiday time from the course I am doing, I still won't have an idle moment to contemplate the next phase in life.  Firstly, I am going to utilise that time to get the rest of the paddock area in order and prepare for the planting season.  It was with the greatest joy that I opened an email today from a french lad who is wanting to come and WWOOF at my humble abode.  The help will be greatly appreciated. Then on the 3rd to the 6th of October I am going to be running a stand at the Elmore Field Days on behalf of the WWOOF Australia organisation, with the help of a lovely lady (Leanne Seignior) who is also a WWOOFer.  I have all the promotional posters, bookmarks, flyers and books at the ready and have  laminated the two large posters I used for the Back2Basics which have photos of my past WWOOFers on them.  The stands are at this time being altered to suit the occassion and also to allow me to fit them in the Ricebubble car I drive.  (Small cars are not practical and I am missing my big old ute at this point in time.)  I still have just a few things I am working on to make the stall look its best, but feel it is all falling into place very well. So, to coin a phrase,  No rest for the wicked.   Bring it on.

Week 2: Cert4TAE

Now at week 2 of my Cert4TAE I am throwing myself into my studies.  Week 1 was an introduction to what TAE involves and a few group exercises as well as an Icebreaker.  All intended to teach us various methods of teaching students and how to hold their attention. The end of class saw us with homework that at first I felt to be a great challenge.  We had to organise an icebreaker, select a demonstration, write up an assessment analysis and a session plan.  Although the week was rather busy, with a trip to Melbourne for medical reasons and then a lady running into my car,  I did manage to get all the work done.  So it was on the day of Week 2.  I arrived at class with all my work prepared and a good mindset to present my Icebreaker and do my demonstration.  I have chosen to teach how to correctly use a ph soil test kit and how to analyse the results.  Imagine my surprise when the trainer said our demonstrations will be done Week3, not that it is an issue, it simply means I am prepared ahead of time. After our classes came to an end yesterday, I came home to a lovely hot coffee and reflected on the days lessons.  I find that although I have past experience in teaching such things as craft and reading,  I am still learning a great deal from this course and am sure it will set me in good stead for the future.