October Gathering at Erik's beautiful property

discussion on the verandah

inspecting Erik's garden

Erik 

shared plant material from previous gathering

Bellingen Spring Plant Fair on 12 September 2015

A beautiful day in Bellingen, lots of people, discussion and distribution of seeds to the community

selecting the seed packets

Subtropical Vegetables that suit our summer climate

Here are some links to resources. There are plenty of 'greens' that grow well in our Subtropical

Sweet Leaf

Climate.

Garden Drum

Beating a New Path

"Living on a property in the subtropics where I rely totally on rainwater and natural rainfall for watering, I love growing vegetables and at times have been virtually self sufficient, as well as giving excess to friends. However, I am often in full production over the summer and autumn months when it is hot, wet and humid and this is not the time to grow traditional northern European crops."

Florida's faux spinach

The real thing is tough to cultivate here. But plenty of easy-to-grow plants provide us with tasty leaves for a salad or stir-fry.

Green Harvest Nursery

Okinawa Spinach
Gynura crepioides

Syn Hong tsoi, Okinawa lettuce
Okinawa spinach is a dense, low growing plant to 70 cm high. Easily the most low maintenance perennial leaf vegetable; it is a hardy plant and relatively pest-free. Thriving in warm, wet conditions Okinawa spinach does best in subtropical and tropical areas; it is sensitive to frost. An attractive plant with shiny leaves that are green on top and purple underneath; the flowers are very small and orange. It grows best in full sun to partial shade. It needs ample water, rich, fertile well-drained soil that is kept mulched and prefers a pH of between 6.1 and 6.5. More info on growing Okinawa Spinach...

Philippine spinach - Surinam Purslane - Talinum fruticosum - Potherb Fameflower

Surinam Spinach is best protected from cold during the Bellingen Winters, however, Okinawa Spinach is a little hardier.

 

Growing Mustard greens, also gai choy

 Mustard Greens are quite mild when cooked. The juicy stems can be cooked and the leaf discarded.

Growing NZ Spinach, also Warrigal Greens

Always cook leaves off mature plants to remove oxalic acid. Discard the water. 

 

Gardening Australia

Fact Sheet: Subtropical Spring Vegies

 

Earthwise Gardening

Brazilian spinach – a leafy green vegetable for the subtropics

 

Working Bee August 13

Working Bee 

 

Thursday 13 August 

 

 starting at 10.00am in Nell’s amazing new shed.  Lots of shelter - so never mind the weather!

 

We will be packing seeds and potting plants ready for the Plant Fair on Saturday 12 September. Please let me have all the information you can about your seeds/plants before the working bee so that we can have labels prepared - this week if possible.  This takes quite a long time to do.

At the working bee we will also be designing a new layout for our space and a theme for our stall.

Please bring:

1. Seeds for packing and plants for potting.  

2. Tools for digging and plant pots.

3. A chair

4. Food to share and a coffee cup/mug.

Please let me know if you are coming.

If you haven’t been to Nell’s before, she is only a hop, skip and a jump out of town.

Gathering at Nell's in May 2015

Winged Bean

Aibika

Produce Entries Bellingen's Annual Show

Saturday May 9 and Sunday May 10,  2015

www.bellingenshow.com.au

Section 7 Farm Produce

Entries close 6pm Thursday prior to show at Secretary's Office at Showground.

Bellingen Autumn Plant Fair 2015

Rae's Date and Apple loaf at working bee 1 March 2015

Bellingen Seed Savers will be at the Bellingen Plant Fair on 14 March 2015

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

Raw Cashew Dreamcake prepared by Omshree for the February 2015 gathering hosted by David Pepper

Source of inspiration for the cake
 http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2011/01/raw-cashew-dreamcake-2/

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
 1/2 cup soft Medjool dates

1⁄4 tsp. sea salt!
Filling:

1 1⁄2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
 juice of 2 lemons

the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract)
 1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup raw honey (solid or liquid.)(Vegans use agave nectar.)

1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)!
Directions:

1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.

2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.

3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.

4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.

5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?). 

Gathering at Coffs Regional Community Gardens on 4 December 2014

                        BSS Gathering at Coffs Regional Community Gardens December 2014

Congratulations and many thanks to Matt, Steve and all the people involved in the design, development and hard work that have gone into the garden. 

Accessible raised brick walled garden beds of varying heights
allowed members of our group  to easily amble around at their own pace.

The gardens are planted in different climate zones - tropics above.

The Aquaponic system is working well and producing lovely vegetables and strawberries

It was lovely to see the ducks, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs integrated into the garden.
The guinea pigs have an important role to play in the aquaponic system.

Jude & Michel Fanton, founders of Seedsavers Network present at Bellingen's Northbank Community Garden

The excellent organisation by Irene and David and the very knowledgeable Fantons was much appreciated by the forty people from Bellingen Seedsavers, who attended the workshop.

Many thanks to Steve Smith and his team at Northbank Community Garden who hosted the workshop and worked hard to set up the workshop area.

Photographs below and many more at
http://tbeventspics.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/bellingen-seedsavers-fantons-workshop.html

Plenty of seed savers attended

Jude talks of plant families.

Founders of Seedsavers Network run Bello Workshop October 12

Bellingen Seed Savers at the Plant Fair in September 2014

The Bellingen Seed Savers were very busy on their stall at the Bellingen Plant Fair on 13 September 2014.

361 seed packets covering 62 plant/varieties, were distributed to an eager crowd.

Included were 15 different types of beans!

All these seeds were saved from plants grown locally and therefore acclimatised to local conditions.

The freshest of food picked from seed savers gardens together with eggs and preserves


For more photographs click on Plant Fair photos

Bellingen Seed Savers have a stall at the Bellingen Plant Fair on Saturday 13 September 2014

Spring is sprung and preparations are well in hand for the  

Bellingen Spring Plant Fair 

Saturday 13 September.

  

This newsletter goes out to well over 300 people, many of whom are never able to come to our regular Gatherings, so we especially invite you to come and meet us at our twice a year Plant Fair stall, if you can, explore the seeds and plant material, ask questions and feel part of it all.  We will have copies of The Seedsavers' Handbook for sale.

Thanks so much to everyone who came to one or other - or both - of our working bees to clean and pack seeds.

The packets now bear our brand new logo on the front for very new seeds and/or on the back of previously packed seeds with a message and our phone number - see attached.  We have Fiona Morgan to thank for applying her skills in the design of the logo, which can be reproduced in sizes from tiny to banner.  I am very happy with the result.  You can find Fiona's website at: http://www.wherefishsing.com/

Appeal for Plant Material

We love to have lots of plant material on and around our stall, including pots, root divisions, cuttings……and people love to hunt around to see what we have on offer.  Please attach a plant name tag.  If you are able to help, please bring your plants to the stall as early as possible on the day or we have arrangements in place with a kind friend of BSS to leave your offerings in her nearby front garden a day or two before the event.  If you plan to do this, please email or ring me on 6655 9090, and I will give you the address.  Thank you.

Raffle

If you have any beautiful home-produced fruit, veggies, herbs or preserves which you could contribute to the two raffle prizes, these would be much appreciated.  Our raffle is extremely popular - people love it.

Stall Volunteers

Thank you very much to those who have already volunteered to help at the stall.  We still need a couple more people to help with setting up or packing up at the end, plus one more for the 12-2 shift.  Please let me know if you are interested/available.

Build soil by minimising the use of ALL nitrogenous fertiliser

Link:  A ‘New’ Discovery – Soluble Nitrogen Destroys Soil Carbon

Well worth the read.

 

 

 

Rae's GINGER FIG and CHOCOLATE LOAF

Rae's Fig and Pistachio Cake

 

120g unsalted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

 100g Buderim Naked ginger, coarsely chopped 120g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

120g dried figs, coarsely chopped 

4 tbs dark rum (or enough to cover dried figs) 2 oranges, finely grated zest then juiced
3 eggs

Easy Banana Bread

Mash four very ripe bananas. Mix in a bowl.

Add one ingredient at a time with the flour the last added.

85g melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups plain flour.

Preheat oven top 180 degrees C

Mix in ingredients one at a time.

Grease and line your loaf tin, pour in mixture and bake approximately for an hour until cooked.