Monthly Archives: August 2019

Eco Thrifty Life, Uncategorized

Kaitiaki Farm Experience

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Kaitiaki Farm Experience

7th-8th September, 2019

These events are part of Whanganui Permaculture Weekend.

Choose one, two or all of the events on offer. Register: theecoschool@gmail.com

Saturday, 7th Kaitiaki Farm, Whanganui

4:30 – 5:30 Building & Maintaining Weed-Free Garden Beds. $10

6:00 – 7:30 Shared Meal. Bring a plate to share.

Sunday, 8th Kaitiaki Farm, Whanganui

9:00 – 12:00 Farm Tour: Diversity and Complimentary Systems

On 5 hectare we integrate plants and animals to maximise benefits for land protection, food production and biodiversity. The property contains many distinct micro-climates within a relatively small area, and we have established all five permaculture zones in five years. $45 (Couples $75)

12:00-1:30 The Alternative Lunch

Learn about solar cookers and rocket stoves (and the world’s best solar dehydrator) while enjoying a delicious lunch. $20

Eco Thrifty Life, Uncategorized

Changing Climate

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In the Southern Hemisphere, July is more or less the coldest month of the year. We might normally expect 2 or 3 frosts.

Here are some things I observed last month:

Tomatoes growing out of the compost heap.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 12.55.48 pm

Plums budding out.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 12.55.33 pm

Ducklings hatching.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 12.55.58 pm

Pumpkin seeds germinating in another compost heap.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 12.55.25 pm

Willows leafing out.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 12.55.17 pm

In the context of all of this it’s hard not to think about climate change. In the heart of winter that is a lot of warm weather activity.

Additionally, I also noticed more erosion along the stream banks. Although we’ve planted hundreds of trees to help stabilise the banks it will take a number of years for the root systems to establish themselves enough to hold the soil. This makes it a race against time, but then again so is pretty much everything these days.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 12.56.08 pm

Peace, Estwing