the seed

The plan for Autumn/Winter:




It is with regret that I've not made the most of the cooler season in past years. Due to a number of factors, nothing overly productive happened despite it being a fantastic time of year. So to rectify all past errors I am attempting an ambitious harvest. In the shadows I have already started preparations, however there is still lots more to come.


So far I have selected seeds and have begun propagation. I am currently designing a planting guide, sowing the rest of the seeds and preparing the soil.

What's growing:


The following will be sown either direct or in punnets depending on the crop. Those that will be sown in punnets, I am using Debco seeed raising mix as the potting medium. Most seed has been sourced from The Diggers Club of which I am a member except several which have been sourced from other suppliers where noted. Click on each to find more information on the variety and where to buy yourself.

urban agriculture in the inner city

The urban hippie manifesto:

I firmly believe that being partly self sufficient is necessary in the modern era. While we have developed a  complex and diverse food-chain to supply the needs and desires of people in first world countries, long term it is not sustainable. Issues of climate change, food miles, economic ad/dis-vantage, genetic diversity, health, and basic understanding of where food comes from underpins this view. As a species we have taken advantage of the fertility of the planet and harnessed it for the past 10,000 years. However it has only taken several generations for city living people to lose touch with how to live off the land.

It is my desire to break this spiral into a world of Soylent Green like food and embrace what nature has provided to us. It is not out of reach for metropolitan people to at the very least supplement their food supply with something that they have grown themselves. It is absolutely crucial children are educated on the production of food so that we can work on resolving larger issues such as climate change. We must regain an understanding of seasonality so food is appreciated when it is abundant, local and fresh; rather than having an endless supply of generic crops transported from miles away.

Let's move things forward:

It is with this in mind that I have for the past few years worked on growing a variety of crops in my own garden to understand how this is achieved. With each season I have found better ways to grow and new varieties to try. It may sound like a lot of work, but that is nothing compared to the satisfaction and ease of picking produce each day for a meal. Not to mention the social side of being able to share your bounty with others. There is also the economic benefit in reduction of food costs once things are up and running.

Recently I moved into a rental property away from my parental nest which hosts my primary production garden. This has given me more space to play with, albeit not without it's own challenges. My current focus is growing from seed using heirloom varieties to take advantage of the diversity of cultivars that have fallen out of the modern food cycle. For more information on this have a look at wikipedia.

I welcome you to this blog and my journey of discovering how independent I can be from my own harvest. Autumn has just begun and it is with great excitement that I am working on my next crop rotation. Over the next month I will be sowing seeds, preparing soil and bringing further information about gardening in the urban environment to help you start growing your own produce.

What to expect:

I will provide information detailing my own garden, information on various crops, resources on where to buy and how-tos, and other discussions on all things related to urban agriculture. I invite all readers to share their experiences. For more information about me read my profile.

a seed was planted

Frog was in his garden. Toad came walking by. "What a fine garden you have" said Frog.
"Yes," said Frog. "It is very nice, but it was hard work."
"I wish I had a garden," said Toad.
"Here are some seeds. Plant them in the ground and soon you will have a garden."
"How soon?" asked Toad.
"Soon," said Frog.
  
Frog and Toad Together By Arnold Lobel 1972