rig news sept 2014 - remote indigenous gardens | rig …wicking bed magic at sadadeen and yipirinya...

RIG News – Sept. 2014, RIG Network’s Quarterly Newsletter, No.30

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Welcome to September RIG News – our 30th edition! RIG News shares stories that provide practical inspiration for local food production in and by remote and regional communities for better health, wealth and wellbeing. Stories in this edition (our 30th since 2009!) again highlight how ‘growing your own’ can help to address food insecurity, promote good nutrition and build strong communities and environments. Gardens are rarely ‘just’ about food – they can also foster emotional wellbeing, social inclusion and help build resilience as the stories featured illustrate. Food miles, sustainability, the poor quality of fresh food freighted hundreds of miles and the opportunity to promote and support more engaging, grounded ways to ‘grow your own’ in different cultural contexts and environmental growing conditions have underpinned RIG Network’s rationale since 2009. In recent months I’ve attended various conferences and community events that reinforce the vital role that local solutions – such as gardens and related programs – play to address social inequity, poor nutrition, surging rates of diet related disease and the realities of a changing climate that communities across the country are experiencing.

The far reaching impacts of climate change to the planet and people again hit home at Climate Reality Leadership Training with Al Gore and the ACF that I attended in June. Across the globe, severe drought, flood, heat and more extreme events are changing livelihoods, environments and the stability of social, built and ecological systems and the threats to food systems are huge. For example, new research shows not only the threat that climate change poses to the volume of cereal production that may be possible to produce but also details that higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide deplete the nutritional value of cereals that can be produced. Recent reports from the World Bank suggest “we will find ourselves staring volatility and disruption in the food system in the face, not in 2050, not in 2040, but potentially within the next decade” (to read more click here, SMH Aug 27). But it’s not all bad news – good things are growing as the many community events that are part of Fair Food Week, October 10-19 show. To find out what’s on, visit www.fairfoodweek.org.au. Putting food on the table — food security is everyones business, Sydney, a conference to explore governance, population, community and communications solutions is a part of Fair Food Week that RIGN will present at. Visit: http://righttofood.org.au. Equity@ The Centre, the Australian Health Promotion Association and Chronic Diseases Network NT national conference was recently held in Alice Springs. I went along to hear excellent speakers present data and systems arguments to make the compelling public health case for why ‘equity’ considerations need to be at the centre of (all) government policy and central to a commitment to address the social determinants of health. Investing in preventative health pays (in multiple ways) and equity is not only about fairness, but a fragile social and economic asset to be valued and built on. People who experience social and economic disadvantage along with inequitable access to health services and opportunity too often experience a disproportionately high burden of chronic, preventable and other diseases.

RIG News – September 2014

News from the Remote Indigenous Gardens Network – www.remoteindigenousgardens.net

In this edition: • Inverell’s BEST Food Garden • St Paul’s Garden, Mao Is, TI • Enterprise: King Brown

Technology • Wicking Bed Gardens Ulpanyali

& Tennant Creek • Bush food research in WA • Coming Events


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High levels of diabetes and depression continue to be major killer diseases that call out for holistic, long term approaches. Speakers from the Northern Territory described progress in areas such as child and maternal health and interventions to address chronic disease and spoke of the need for ‘third wave’ action to address poverty – that was described as ‘the greatest modifiable risk factor’ to further improve Aboriginal health outcomes. There were many conference highlights. One standout was the keynote presentation by Dr Shelley Bowen from the Department of Health Victoria on “Systems” approaches to prevention: getting to equity of reach, depth and quality. Dr Bowen presented the story of how the Victorian Department of Health has embraced and invested in a systems approach to preventative public health via their commitment to Healthy Together Victoria – that involves stakeholders from all areas of government and community across 14 Local Government Areas. The strategy is bold, ambitious and backs staff and communities to map and detail their health, urban and food systems and to take risks on ‘dare to fail’ probe community and research projects and interventions to seed transformational change. Exciting stuff! Little wonder Victoria is at the forefront of fair food innovation in Australia! To learn more about social determinants of health and advocacy underway in Australia, visit the Social Determinants of Health Alliance website at www.socialdeterminants.org.au. Attending Equity@The Centre in Alice, also provided a chance to catch up with David de Vries who is working wicking bed magic at Sadadeen and Yipirinya schools and town camps in Alice Springs and with Hilary Furlong from the Central Land Council who is doing same with Homeland communities (read on for stories from them). As part of our EduGrow School Gardens program, RIG team members have been visiting schools in East Arnhem and the Northern Gulf. In August, Emily Gray and I visited Yirrkala School, Nhulunbuy High School and the Gove community garden team to visit their gardens, share ideas and run some workshops for students and teachers. Emily is a fabulous school and community gardening guru with expert tropical gardening knowledge – so, we’re very excited that she has agreed to be a FoodSwell Ambassador along with her current role as President of the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network (ACFCGN). I travelled on to Croydon to join the fun of Gulf Kids Environment Day - a celebratory learning day on the theme of school gardens and healthy food that 140 or more students from six very remote small schools attended. Fabulous kids, schools and teachers growing food, learning and participation in tough (and droughty…) times. A big ‘thank you’ to Erica Blumson (Northern Gulf Resource Management Group), Gemma, Jaide, Madi, Jacqueline and Claire from the amazing Gulf Kids team for the chance to share, grow and learn together. Yep, there were more wicking bed ‘how to’ demonstrations at Gulf Kids Day. Water efficient, easy and productive! Other FoodSwell and RIG Network News? We’re very excited to be working with four teams of UTS students on a variety of business development, marketing and social research projects. And – as recent RIG Updates have announced - we’re delighted that Lenore Dembski has kindly agreed to be FoodSwell’s Patron and that Emily Gray, Shaun Fowler and Costa Georgiadis have joined FoodSwell as Ambassadors.

Lenore Dembski, ‘Paperbark Woman’ FoodSwell Patron

Shaun Fowler, Right Hand Remote Solutions FoodSwell Ambassador

Emily Gray, ACFCGN President, DGEN Darwin FoodSwell Ambassador

Costa Georgiadis, Gardening Australia & Grow Your Own Guru, FoodSwell Ambassador

The Federal Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy Grant Funding Round is now open, applications close 17 October. Many RIG News readers are no doubt in the thick of preparing proposals – as are we. Good luck with it all! If you’d like to speak with us about whether we may be able to contribute to programs you are planning please be in touch. I hope you’ll enjoy this edition - our 30th - of RIG News. As always, if you have news or projects you’d like to share with our readers we’re keen to hear from you to share news about good things you’re growing. Anthea


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Growing community, connection, food - Two special community gardens The BEST Food Garden – Inverell, NSW Danny Middleton is a passionate program manager with BEST Employment who, with colleagues and a team of local residents and partners, is growing a volume of food and good connections in Northern NSW. Danny got in touch shortly after June RIG News. The following story and images kindly provided by Danny. BEST Employment has created a unique, creative and socially inclusive way to assist disadvantaged groups in their community. The BEST Food Garden has been developed by a community based company with staff passionate to improve the lives of elderly and disadvantaged people.

BEST Employment is a not-for-profit community organisation committed to alleviating disadvantage in our local community. BEST’s vision is “to see our community (particularly those most disadvantaged), independent and free from disadvantage”. The BEST Food Garden has been developed by a community based company with staff passionate about improving the lives of elderly and disadvantaged people.

BEST has partnered with Connections Disability, a local provider of services to people with disability, to create the BEST Food Garden. BEST Food Garden is a project solely created to facilitate participation and engagement in meaningful activities for disadvantaged people, particularly those with a disability and the long term unemployed. Produce grown from the garden is distributed by Connections Disability clients (at no cost) to over 50 elderly residents weekly including Aboriginal elders. Just over 18 months ago this garden was an unused, paddock overgrown with weeds. Now it is a productive food bowl making a positive difference in the lives of all who play a part in this great social activity. One of the benefits the Inverell community receives from the BEST Food Garden is that it opens doors for disadvantaged people to enable them to engage in their local community. This engagement gives these people a sense of belonging and contributes to the overall wellbeing of our community. Participants learn life skills and the importance of food sustainability in the process of supplying nutritious food to elderly pensioners at no cost to create a healthier community.

A lot of elderly pensioners are doing it tough and are at the stage where they can’t find any more means to reduce the cost of living or turn off any more appliances to save money. By supporting pensioners with fresh vegetables and saving them money each week these savings can then go towards other cost of living expenses.

Fifty chickens are the latest addition to the BEST Food Garden which were kindly donated by Westpac bank. The chickens (Westpac Chicks) provide a therapeutic activity for clients with a disability and turn all the waste from the garden into usable compost which will go back into the garden. Nutritious eggs produced by the chooks is another food staple that the garden is providing the elderly in the Inverell community.

Westpac Chicks in their new home at BEST Garden

The capacity of the garden has been extended, enabling us to increase weekly deliveries to approximately one hundred residents including Glen Innes another town where BEST Employment has a strong community presence. This increase has built further partnerships with two additional disability service providers Brighter Access and Glen Industries, aged care organisation McLean Care and KCL child minding day-care all signing up to participate in the BEST Food Garden activity.

A dedicated garden is being constructed for aged care dementia patients to participate in weekly activities growing their own vegetables, flowers and tending the BEST Food Garden chickens

A shaded BBQ area is also being erected enabling the elderly participants and disability clients to have morning tea and a lunch time BBQ utilising some of the fresh vegetables they harvest.

One of the BEST Food Garden areas


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Another BEST food garden bed behind chook run…. Apart from some small grants and local donations to assist with infrastructure the BEST Food Garden has been established and funded by BEST. By growing a stronger community the BEST Food Garden is enabling us to “look after our own”.

Please click on http://treetenders.com.au/index.html to view a short presentation on the BEST Food Garden. If you’re in the Inverell area - Spring planting get together is on October 8!

A happy BEST ‘Westpac Chick’ doing her thing.

Community gardens grow in value to people of St Pauls, TI Dr Anne Stephens, a FoodSwell Board member who works with the Cairns Institute, regularly visits Torres Strait communities. She recently caught up with Pastor John Levi who kindly provided the following story and images from the garden he and community members plan to expand into a community enterprise. The gardens at St Paul on Mao Island in the Torres Strait have played an important role in the life of the community of the Island, as well as the Torres Straits. After a short period of dormancy, Pastor John Levi is leading a team of workers dedicated to maintaining and building up the gardens in both size and harvest again.

Pastor John Levi at work in the garden he and community members of developing. “When you hear the community who see the changes and activity taking place, you can just hear their exuberation. People are coming again. It bonds the community. It uplifts people.” The garden has had a history of feeding the community during important ceremonial events, and

supplementing households during times of abundant harvests. But for Pastor John, his connection to the garden is very personal. “My grandfather Napau Pedro worked in this garden. Vegetables and fruit from this garden supplied Thursday Island during the war.”

The team are currently developing a 5 year business plan to shift the gardens from being a community garden to a market garden, and are in talks with the IBIS food store managers. Pastor John and his team want to develop a business plan and market garden model that is replicable to other Island communities. “I’d like to see it feed this community, restore community life and help us be self-reliant. It’s right here under our feet!” Pastor Levi says.


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Enterprise – North Queensland

King Brown know how produces premium compost at scale Jaide Burkitt is an experienced permaculturist and businesswoman who lives on the Atherton tableland. I caught up with her at Gulf Kids Day and learnt more about King Brown’s work to close the resource loop on waste to produce premium compost for farmers and gardeners in their region. Councils and communities who’d like to turn waste into a valuable input for food production can learn more by contacting King Brown. Story and images below kindly provided by Jaide. King Brown Technology, (KBT), is based in Mareeba and works in partnership with Mareeba Shire Council and Northern Gulf Resource Management Group. At their facility in Mareeba, KBT process agricultural waste to produce premium compost product that complies with Australian and Organic standards. Farmers in the local region who use the compost are able to cut back on their artificial fertiliser usage, improve water efficiency, build soil carbon and reduce runoff to the Great Barrier Reef. The project also supports a large number of home gardeners who are passionate about growing their own healthy, nutrient dense organic fruit and vegetables. KBT was founded by a small group of young locals passionate about creating alternative options for low impact and healthy food production systems, and the multiple environmental, social and economic benefits of utilising recycled organic matter. KBT staff view organic ‘waste’ as one of the most valuable resources available to anyone involved in growing food. KBT is involved in a number of research projects in the region. One is the Carbon Farming compost/biochar research project, a major three year trial funded by DAFF. Research is currently underway into the benefits of compost and biochar use in sugar cane, banana, maize, peanut and papaya production and the effects of these amendments for increased carbon sequestration, increased soil resilience and decreased greenhouse gas fluxes in tropical agricultural soils. This project is a collaborative effort between organisations including James Cook University (JCU), Northern Gulf Resource Management Group, Terrain, KBT and Select Carbon.

The Action on the Ground research project is trialing the use of compost and other soil amendments to increase soil organic carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in tropical perennial horticultural systems. KBT is collaborating with JCU, Northern Gulf Research Management Group and DAFF on this project.

The Compost Carpentaria Project is conducted, in Karumba, in partnership with Carpentaria Shire Council and is funded by Northern Gulf Resource Management Group. As a trial in 2013, local waste streams such as cow manure; green waste; fish waste and food scraps were processed into a high quality compost product. This had the multiple benefits of reducing waste to landfill, and associated leechate problems, reducing transport costs and supporting the growth of food production in an area that has limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables. The compost product produced in the initial stages of the project will be used by local schools in the region for their vegetable gardens. This project is expected to be in full operation early 2015. King Brown also delivers compost and organic gardening training to groups and schools and is available to help councils and farmers and other organisations establish their own composting systems.

Pictured above, from left, different stages of production at the Karumba site, bulk compost sales pictured far right.

For further information visit the King Brown Technology website at www.kingbrowntech.com Or contact Jaide Burkitt, email: [email protected] ph: 0488 229 700


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Wicking beds ‘large and small’ grow in popularity In 2011 RIG News August edition featured a story about the then ‘new’ CAT Wicking Bed system that was designed by Jen Clarsen and is made available by CAT as a flat pack to be shipped cheaply to remote places. Three years on CAT Wicking Beds, and variations on the theme by people such as David de Vries, are proving popular in a variety of central Australian settings as the following stories show. Wicking bed garden systems are super water efficient and can ‘look after themselves’ for up to two weeks as they water plants from the ‘bottom’ up’ via a water reservoir. They can be made in various ways and sizes to grow herbs, vegetables, ornamentals and fruit trees, using found materials such as old drums, bath tubs, containers such as polystyrene boxes or larger systems such as CAT’s. Well known to permaculturists and popular with community and school gardeners, wicking beds can be built into the ground or created as raised garden beds – ideal for the young and aged, and to keep snakes, rabbits and dogs at bay! These gardens are very popular in top end and central growing areas: they enable people to deal with poor soils by building productive soil in a contained area and they also help avoid waterlogging of plants during the wet season via an overflow outlet. Homelands Gardens at Ulpanyali, NT Hilary Furlong works with the Community Development Team at the Central Land Council. Over the past few years she and communities she works with have worked to put in place a number of CAT wicking beds to enable people to readily grow food where they live. Hilary shares news from Ulpanyali below.

Earlier this year Ulpanyali community beside Kings Canyon Resort at Watarrka installed their new garden wicking beds. The beds’ design and development are the brainchild of landscape architect Jen Clarsen, then working for Alice Springs-based Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT). Two Ulpanyali community members, Arnold Limbiari and Lizzie Pearce built and set up the beds with Jen Clarsen’s guidance. The project was funded by the Uluru Rent Money (URM) project. URM is a community development project supported by the traditional owners of Uluru-

Kata Tjuta National Park. The traditional owners receive annual rent under the 99 year lease they negotiated with the Commonwealth for its use of the Park. The traditional owners use their rent money for community benefit across their region.

It’s a round trip of over 600 kilometers from Ulpanyali to Alice Springs shops. And the small “tourist” store at the Resort has a limited supply of expensive fruit and vegetables. So the wicking beds will make a huge difference for the Ulpanyali families to have fresh, healthy, on-hand vegetables and fruit – as well as saving them heaps!

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Pictured left: Arnold Limbiari and Lizzie Pearce constructing CAT wicking beds at Ulpanyali. They were assisted by Jen Clarsen and her daughter. The pictures show most of the key elements to factor into a wicking bed. Images courtesy Hilary / CLC.


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Tennant Creek Women’s Refuge Garden David de Vries works with school and community groups to establish food gardens. They include the large ‘blue drum’ home gardens in Alice Springs recently featured on Gardening Australia. David has also worked in Tennant Creek with the Women’s Refuge to create an extensive garden that includes a variety of wicking beds as part of an integrated design. Story and images below kindly provided by David. A large new garden was constructed in June this year for the Tennant Creek Women’s Refuge. The Refuge had successfully negotiated with the Barkly Regional Council a lease over an area of adjoining public park. The development of this area has been funded by the Australian Government to provide a Culturally Appropriate Counselling and Activity Space for Clients of the Refuge. Part of the vision was to create a secure garden with gathering areas and abundant food production as well as areas for cultural activities and outdoor cooking. After the major infrastructure (fencing and a pergola) were built the design and coordination team of David de Vries and Alex McLean were brought in from Alice Springs by Redcross to coordinate community volunteer participation in the garden design and provide Permaculture Training. Willing hands-on support was provided by a team of seven from Barkly Region Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group with other general community Volunteers. These participants did much hard work whilst getting training in permaculture design over 4 days onsite. Initial goals included assessing the site, testing soil, finding garden media, building composting bays and commencing composting. Once we had developed a design the garden bed building and planting got underway. A feature of the garden was the use of a range of wicking bed designs for intensive gardening. They provide water to the plants from a reservoir below the soil rather than requiring watering constantly from above. They are water efficient, low maintenance and easy to access. These were put together by the crew and planted out with perennials (including cassava and taro), annual vegetables and herbs. Beds with an area of 4 m2 beds featuring steel frames and corrugated iron bed walls were purchased from the Centre for Appropriate Technology. One bed utilised gravel as the water holding reservoir while another featured milk crates to create the reservoir. Participants also created two x 1 m2 wicking beds using a donated IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container), a polyethylene container cut in half with crates creating a reservoir. Another 0.3 m2 bed was installed by cutting down a 200L blue barrel. These designs, created by David, recently featured on ABC’s Gardening Australia.

Planting on site included additional plantings of bush tucker (kutjera, larngwe, yalke etc), large and small native shade trees and exotic fruits (mulberry, fig, orange, lemon, mandarin, mango, grape, passionfruit, banana, papaya). An automatic irrigation system was also installed. Budding permaculturists are continuing to volunteer their time to develop and maintain the garden through the wonderful June-July growing season.

Pictured left: The three types of wicking beds at the Tennant Creek Women’s Refuge: CAT design in foreground, white IBC cut down containers against fence and blue barrel designs. Pictured 8 weeks after installation. Pictured below: Closeup of the blue barrel showing longterm perennial (Common Fig) as well as short-term leafy annuals.


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Pictured above: The overall garden design that integrates placemaking for people along with productive bush plant and fruit and vegetable gardens. Contacts: Tennant Creek Women’s Refuge: [email protected], David de Vries: [email protected], AridEdge: [email protected]

Bush Tucker Developments and related Coming Events In June RIG News we featured Bruce Pascoe’s important new book, Dark Emu, Black Seeds: agriculture or accident? that recovers and tells the story of extensive Indigenous local food cropping, care and cultivation pre colonisation and that puts out a call for traditional food crops to feature more prominently in future landscapes and food systems. The following story kindly provided by Maurice Griffin from WA’s Indigenous Landholder Service. It provides information about plants that could be part of our future food story. Read on for important related events on soon in Sydney* and Brisbane*. Indigenous Bushtucker Field Day in WA A successful bush foods workshop held late in 2013 by Dr Geoff Woodall and Greening Australia was attended by SAILS staff and local community. Three native species that have been researched for commercial production by Dr Geoff Woodall were discussed including the presentation of information around each species history and background, harvest and cultivation systems, as well as their nutritional, cultural and commercial values. Information around Wheatbelt verses Coastal plain varieties also sparked a lot of interest. Indigenous people from around the regions attended the workshop. Uptake of these native foods for use as commercial crops, especially amongst Aboriginal communities was encouraged by researchers present at the field day. Information on the three species discussed on the day is provided below: Youlk or Ravensthorpe Radish (Platysace deflexa). A South Coast native shrub that produces fleshy yellow tubers that are sweet and pleasant to taste. It is a relative of carrots, parsley, parsnip, dill and coriander. This species was routinely consumed by Noongar people and early settlers of the south coast of Western Australia and is found locally from Jerramungup to Esperance and Lake King. It has a firm and crisp flesh akin to radish or apple with pale to intensely yellow skin. When consumed raw it has a sweet, mild radish flavour. It is suitable to eat raw, with or without the skin for use in salads, but can also be fried in oil or whole-baked. Meen or Bloodroot (haemodorum spicatum). A relative of Kangaroo paws, this herbaceous plant produces a distinct flower spike from an edible fleshy red bulb that has a hot spicy flavour which is slow to develop in the mouth. In the past it was generally blended into food and often baked by Noongar people prior to consumption. It is


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commonly found on sands along the south and west coast of Western Australia from Geraldton to Esperance and inland to Kojonup. The compound responsible for the red colour and hot taste is soluble in oil and easy to extract by slicing the bulb and pickling in oil. The vibrant red extract has application as a colouring, flavouring, spice or additive in sauces or chutneys. Dry powdered product has application as a hot spice but not for colouring. Kulyu (Ipomoea sp.) A deciduous perennial climbing plant from the arid inland of Western Australia that produces an abundance of large, succulent and starchy tubers. Regularly baked and consumed by Aboriginal people of the arid inland of Western Australia and early settlers. It has cooking properties similar to sweet potato and is Best eaten when baked, roasted or steamed though can also be eaten raw.

Pictured above, images of the foods described above: Left – Youlk, Centre – Meen or Bloodroot, Right - Kulyu None of the above products are available commercially as yet. Research to date has been based around their cultivation and potential markets. Interested people can contact WA’s Southern Agricultural Indigenous Landholder Service (SAILS) on 08 9892 8459.

Roundup – Need to know now Coming Events

• All year, 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming

• * The second Indigenous Knowledge Forum, features local Indigenous experts and international speakers will take place on 2-3 October 2014 at the University of Technology (UTS) Sydney. The Forum examines key issues pertinent to the impact of biodiversity and intellectual property law and policy on Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity management, rights and interests. For information: http://www.indigenousknowledgeforum.org

*16 October, 10-11 am: 2014 World Food Day, UQ Bush Food Garden Tour and 'Tasting Tables' Morning Tea with Dale Chapman. The new bush food garden was planted in 2014 and showcases some of the unique flavours and medicinal properties of plants from South East Queensland. Contact University of Queensland for more info.

• 12 – 18 October: Anti-Poverty Week. More info: http://www.antipovertyweek.org.au

• 10 -19 October: Fair Food Week, celebrates the UN Year of Family Farming http://fairfoodweek.org.au

• 13-14 October: 'Putting Food on the Table: Food Security is Everyone's Business' Casula Powerhouse,

Sydney. For more information and to register: http://righttofood.org.au

• 4 - 5 November: Northern Australia Food Futures Conference, Register: www.northernfoodfutures.org.au

Foodswell acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community.

We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past and present.

Advertisement Outdoor Classrooms: a handbook for school gardens is a book to inspire teachers to manage the schoolyard for hands-on learning. Design for food gardens, habitat, imaginative play and more.$39.95 + $10 postage. Email: [email protected]

RIG News is written and produced by Anthea Fawcett for RIG Network, FoodSwell Limited, ABN 16 163 396 736. © 2013. The Remote Indigenous Gardens Network is a core program of Foodswell – an enterprising registered health promotion charity. 5A Duke Place, Balmain, NSW, 2041. www.remoteindigenousgardens.net, www.foodswell.org.au Contact: [email protected], [email protected]

rig news sept 2014 - remote indigenous gardens | rig …wicking bed magic at sadadeen and yipirinya...

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