News

Preparing your vege patch for winter

If your into growing your own food then Autumn is the time to prepare your vege patch for winter.

Greg from Farmers Choice Organics gave me a few tips at the Lismore Organic Markets the other morning. "It's time to clear out the stragglers and get the soil ready for the heavy feeding winter veges such as Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages. You've got to get a bit brutal" he said. "Anything that looks like it's struggling has got to go".

Another great tip Greg gave me was to prepare the soil by digging in manure, compost, pot ash ("comfrey leaves make a perfect pot ash" he said) and biodynamic soil conditioner. Then cover with an old rug from an op shop. By watering the rug everyday Greg reckons the worms come right up to the surface under the rug. Usually worms stay further down in the soil but if you can get them to weave their magic all the way to the top then this helps to condition the soil even more.
Farmers Choice Organics sell a biodynamic soil conditioner that helps to colonise the soil with healthy microbes. The microbes build up around the roots of the veges feeding off debris which they then replace with good fertilising castings. Greg can be contacted at: www.farmerschoiceorganics.com.au

Featured therapist - Peter Birkkjaer

Herbal Wisdom is a Holistic Centre nestled in historic Bangalow Village, located on the North Coast of NSW among the lush green hills and valleys of the Byron Bay hinterland. The owner of Herbal Wisdom, Peter Birkkjaer is a Canadian trained Master herbalist specialising in medicinal tinctures tailor made from the herbal dispensary. Herbal Wisdom also stocks a range of herbal & nutritional supplements, health foods, aromatherapy products, natural skin care range and a variety of holistic gifts.

Nick: What modalities do you specialise in? 

Peter: I specialize in Western Herbalism where I use herbs and nutrition to balance the body.

Nick: Why did you decide to become a herbalist?

Peter: I became interested in herbs first, then I found out that one could actually use herbs to treat people as a profession. I had never heard of a herbalist, but once I finished my first herb class I knew I would one day be a Herbalist.

Nick: How were you first exposed to Herbal medicine?

Peter: I first became exposed to herbal medicine as a child when I dug up the dandelion from the lawn and realized how grounding it was for my mind and spirit.

Nick: Where did you study?

Peter: I studied in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at Wildrose College of Natural Healing under a number of Teachers including Naturopaths, Traditional Chinese Doctors, and Herbalists including Terry Willard the founder.

Nick: Where is your practice?

Peter: My current practice is mainly out of Bangalow, NSW Australia, at Herbal Wisdom Holistic Centre but I do see clients in Lismore.

Nick: Your favourite herb is...

Peter: My Favorite herb right now is White Yarrow (Achilliea Millifolium) since it has protected me and my clients over the past few weeks very well. I mainly use the flower essence of this herb but one can use this herb to protect themselves from outside influences.

Nick: The best advice you can give for a healthy happy life....

Peter: Do what makes you really happy! And eat whole foods in season.

Nick: What is your greatest achievement?

Peter: Finding a career that I truly love.

Nick: What would you like to achieve in the future?

Peter: I would like to help achieve an alternative health system for all Australians.

Featured Product - Ethical Nutrients Zinc Fix

Zinc Fix provides a fast replenishment of Zinc through a highly concentrated and absorbable orange or raspberry flavoured Zinc powder.

Therapeutic applications for Zinc Fix:

* May assist a normal healthy immune system - reducing the severity and duration of colds.
* May reduce the frequency of minor respiratory infections in children.
* May assist management of minor wounds, cuts, abrasions and scratches.
* May help maintain healthy skin, hair and nails.
* Where a zinc deficiency exists, may assist in the healthy development of motor and attention skills in children.

Please see the following link for further product information - http://www.ethicalnutrients.com.au/content/products/zinc-fix

Good things about - Slow food movement

Tasting food, preparing food, smelling food, stimulating gastric juices and feeding the ones you love around the dinner table is a basic human instinct. In todays fast paced world these simple joys are often overlooked. Using the food we eat as medicine is the ideal way to nourish our bodies and become in tune with the seasons in turn increasing a wholesome sense of wellbeing and connectedness.

Slow Food is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life.

Slow Food brings brings together pleasure and responsibility to reduce the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Slow food members believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.

Good things about the slow food movement....

Slow food works to defend biodiversity in our food supply with efforts to save traditional grains, vegetables, fruits, animal breeds and food products that are disappearing due to the prevalence of convenience foods and industrial agribusiness. The organisations set up to achieve this are "Ark of Taste", "Presidia", "Terra Madre" and "Slow food movement for biodiversity".
Taste education aims to reawaken the senses to the joys of eating and understanding the importance of caring where their food comes from, who makes it and how it's made. Programs introduce local foods and producers to both members and non-members and encourage initiatives such as school gardens and Taste workshops which offer guided tastings with food experts.
Slow food created the University of Gastronomic science to offer a multidisciplinary academic program in the science and culture of food.
Slow food organise fairs, markets and events all over the world to showcase products of excellent gastronomic quality and introduce the producers.
The Slow food movement also embraces the concept of living by the 100 mile diet which we will look at in the next newsletter.

For more information about the slow food movement and upcoming events please follow this link to their website -http://www.slowfood.com/welcome_eng.lasso