Nirvana Biodynamics

We have had a very busy time of late with the chestnut harvest,shed relocation and farm tours. Fortunately we had some excellent help from woofers', Emanuele and Federica from Northern Italy who where keen to learn about our farming methods and sustainable lifestyle. While they were able to experience our lifestyle and farming methods first hand we learned about chestnut forests in Northern Italy and their traditional foods, celebrations and way of life. The polenta and kangaroo is a merging of the two cultures. They were keen to experience food from paddock to plate .Here they are preparing birds for the table a valuable experience as they wanted to provide quality food for themselves in the future. A few new building skills never go astray. Emanuele also put 26 years of rainfall records on the computer (something I planned to do one day but never got around to.) Now its easy to see patterns and trends in our rainfall patterns. The busy patter...

As the weather finally cools the Summer vegies come to an end its now time to ensure a bountiful supply of vegies throughout winter an well into Spring.The garden has been largely ignored over the past month or so save for harvesting meal by meal and planting as we have been busy with chestnut harvest and relocating the shed.Now its time to harvest the last of the tomatoes, pumpkins, basil ,zucchinis and beans and then  plan the winter –spring garden. I also have to ensure there is enough vacant space to bury the biodynamic compost preparations. Many of the winter goodies where planted as seeds in February and now need to be transplanted into their own space these include cauliflowers,kale, cabbage and broccoli.The tunnel house has been planted with lettuce,mache, chard and  miners’ lettuce . On the next new moon seedlings from the garden can be transplanted into the tunnel. Although all these vegies grow outside in the garden it is amazing how much extra heat  one thin...

The chestnut harvest is underway. It started with 30+C days which was hard on the hands as the burrs were dry and easily penetrated the leather gloves. But now the Autumn rains have arrived the burrs open easily. The quality this year is excellent. They seem to benefit from the doubling of the irrigation to try and counter the drought and lack of subsoil moisture. Each morning we harvest, then grade the nuts. Now that the rains have come this is an especially good experience, the smell of damp soil and the explosion of fungus popping up everywhere. It would be much better if they where the edible types. Once the chestnuts are picked and graded they are stored in the cold room. The coldroom maturation starts the process of the starches converting to sugars. Fresh chestnuts are sold direct to the public from our farm shop. The shop is opened daily.We can pick and complete other chores because we have a radio controlled pager to inform us that you need serving. Once the cooler we...

In the early 80’s I always made my own yogurt. I  had a dacor yogurt maker, fairly simple an esky with a 1 litre glass jar and thermometer it always made good yogurt and the next batch was started from the previous.We then met up with the folks from Paris Creek Dairy , they where just starting out so it was a good idea to support them so I sold the yogurt maker and we bought yogurt. Over the years we consumed more and more yogurt  Paris Creek for on cereals, yogurt cakes,potato salad. Jalana on pancakes,as a cream subistute. One of the problems is all those plastic containers , I know they make good plant labels and my plastic container  cupboards and freezer are  full of them but at  2 a week they start to mount up , sure you can put them in the recycle bin but I’d rather not have them. We are very lucky to buy our milk, unparerised direct from the only dairy left in our district. They have a honour system get the milk from the fridge and leave your money....

Every gardener have their own theories and growing methods.I grow mine in the same bed every year (This is the 6th year). This seems a no no according to Adelaide garden experts but I met many older , mostly Italian gardeners who grow them in the same place every year. In small gardens this is often necessary. I grow all my own seeds either from my own seeds or in the beginning ,Franchi seeds in my own seed raising mix made from my compost and leaf mulch from under the camellia tree. Seeds are planted 2 days before the August full moon.Seedlings are planted out on the September new moon into the tunnel house and the October new moon into the garden. the garden is prepared at least 4 weeks in advance with my best biodynamic compost, lime and wood ash.as my compost is sawdust based ‘raw’ in not really an option.During the first month they receive 3 lots of nettle tea. I use cages to grow them in but by the end of the season they are often trailing out of these. The first ripe tomatoes a...

As we pick the last of the mulberries , the packing shed coverts briefly into a classroom before the chestnut season begins. The courses are generally slow to fill at this time of the year despite being the best time to establish gardens and compost. In general most people think of such things in Spring , missing the best establishment opportunities. Much of the last few weeks has been dominated by basketry activities. Its time to collect, dry and store  much of the material needed plus  Basketry SA’s exhibition, ‘Warp on the Wild Side’ is now in progress.Being my first  at such and event has been a busy time preparing as well as a rewarding experience and steep learning curve.   At the Bottom of the Garden’ Gardens can house many secret lives if we take the time to look. Gnomes are the elemental being connected with all that is below in the earth, and the fertility of the soil. Since the soil is more active and alive in winter, I like to thin...

The first part of the year is always busy with harvests, irrigation, pruning, weeding and wwoofer’s on top of harsh weather conditions that often reduces suitable work hours. As well this year I’ve also been busy preparing for our Basketry SA exhibition, ‘Warp on  the Wild Side’ as part of the Adelaide Fringe. My pieces are large and finding suitable places to store them has been problematic.  Having a small has many advantages but with the  spare bedroom being used by wwoofer’s, to the packing shed/classroom is busy packing out berries there is little space to store a collection of large basketry works   –time for another shed. As karma would have it , advertised in the local paper there was a shed –buyer to dismantle. It was a hexagon with double glass doors. After purchasing it and checking out the logistics of getting it down Quentin and his mate Steve set off with all the required tools to dismantle it. Unfortunately I could not help as i had been pre booked t...