When it comes to our understanding of the unfolding global crisis, each of us seems to fit somewhere along a continuum of awareness that can be roughly divided into five stages: 1. Dead asleep At this stage there seem to be no fundamental problems, just some shortcomings in human organization, behaviour and morality that can be fixed with the proper attention to … [Read more...]
Food store employees assist with local schools’ food gardens
In celebration of this year’s World Food Day’s theme – ‘Our Actions are our Future’, volunteer groups of Woolworths employees from across the country have rolled up their sleeves and gone to work with learners in local schools permaculture food gardens. For most employees it will be the first time that they are participating in an EduPlant volunteer day. The schools were … [Read more...]
Eating the suburbs, one backyard at a time
Nothing inspires me more than the idea of turning my garden into a sustainable food forest, which could potentially feed my family long after my departure to greener fields. Some years ago we shared a video of such a 300 year old family forest in Indonesia and that was just the spark I needed. “Forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable plant-based food production and … [Read more...]
Permaculture workshop at Khula Dhamma Retreat Centre and Eco Farm
A 5 day experience inspiring you to live the Permaculture ethic of caring for the Earth, caring for People and producing a surplus which is reinvested back into caring for People and the Earth. Join Tim Wigley for this 5 day Permaculture experience at Khula Dhamma Retreat Centre and Eco Farm near the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape. Tim will be focusing on the “heart” of … [Read more...]
One educator can make the difference
Thousands of educators are attending workshops across the country, learning how to develop healthy and sustainable school environments that are conducive to learning. Food & Trees for Africa’s 20 year old EduPlant programme, now run in partnership with Engen and The Woolworths Trust, launches with this series of free, empowering workshops that help educators to pass the … [Read more...]
Saving the world with mushrooms
There are many ways in which mycelium fungus can help save the universe: cleaning polluted soil, making insecticides, treating smallpox and even flu. Entrepreneurial mycologist Paul Stamets seeks to rescue the study of mushrooms from forest gourmets and psychedelic warlords. The focus of Stamets' research is the Northwest's native fungal genome, mycelium, but along the way … [Read more...]
Lessons from kili coffee farmers
When Simon Gear studied palaeoclimatology they looked at data sets harvested at glaciers as significant, but never before had he seen or touched one. Until he accompanied Justin Smith, sustainability manager at Woolworths, and their team up Kilimanjaro last month. 'For me it was a big deal and I was elated to find how strong I felt at the top. I was worried along the way,' … [Read more...]
Permaculture Feeds The Planet
For many years, pupil Petronella Gasa has dreamed of establishing a flourishing food garden at Cedara Primary School. After attending a 4 day Permaculture Workshop run by SEED in 2008 and many workshops on compost making and companion planting at Dovehouse Organic Farm, she found the inspiration she needed to make her dream come true. Starting small, with the help of the … [Read more...]
Permaculture fertility speaks of abundance
'Can man, using the forest as a model, design human habitats with the same complexity, stability & productivity as the life webs in the forest?' This question was asked in the 60's by Bill Mollison and David Holgrem from the University of Tasmania. They observed and studied life webs in the forest. Systems that continued to grow more and more stable and resilient the … [Read more...]
