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Tag Archives: fresh food

Mid-winter in the garden
aquaponics / revelations / veggie garden

Mid-winter in the garden

Posted on 31/07/2014 by Sharon • 2 Comments

…and it’s surprisingly abundant Every other week I get to be ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ in the garden as my better half undertakes tasks away from home: improving the world, one person at a a time 🙂 So, in my meanderings today I took some snaps of the veggies and the system. We have … Continue reading →

It’s often about timing …
aquaponics / chickens / veggie garden

It’s often about timing …

Posted on 28/03/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

and this time we were a bit out Sigh of relief! We finally received some good, soaking, at some points, torrential rain over the last 48 hours. Our tanks are now at peak capacity (so 4,000 litres all up) and we even had to bail out the sump (the grow beds and the sump are open to the … Continue reading →

Frozen fishballs!
aquaponics / veggie garden

Frozen fishballs!

Posted on 23/03/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

… feeding the marauding hordes I think we have reached bottom with the barramundi. They are now a small clutch of 10–15 and still displaying quite different, individual tendencies. They feed differently to the Jades, who just go nuts when we sprinkle in the floating pelletised food. The barras, however, prefer to strike their food … Continue reading →

The flowers that bloom…
aquaponics / veggie garden

The flowers that bloom…

Posted on 02/03/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

…for the purposes of pest control! OK…so this flower did so much ‘bloom’ as was constructed and put into service to ward off unwanted birds. It seems like the tender delights of lettuce and broccoli seedlings, nestled in their little baskets in the NFT system, are all too tempting for some flying thief. We suspect … Continue reading →

Growth in four weeks
aquaponics / veggie garden

Growth in four weeks

Posted on 28/02/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

…getting greener by the day! A short post today…so many things are going on, and I have to catch my breath and take stock, so I hope to bring you some new ideas and topics in the coming days and weeks. Today I just wanted to share with you the growth in Bed 4 of … Continue reading →

Don’t be cruel to a vegetabuel
aquaponics / veggie garden

Don’t be cruel to a vegetabuel

Posted on 26/02/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

…don’t forget a lettuce has a heart! It’s been a busy day for me today, becoming familiar with a new campus where I will start studying next week. I was tempted to write about issues to do with sustainability, and indeed my first assignment topic—’wicked’ problems, but that will have to wait until I get … Continue reading →

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
aquaponics / how to / veggie garden

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Posted on 25/02/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

AKA Stage 2 of the aquaponics system I think if I stood in one place long enough, I would be picked up, modified and made into a useful piece of the aquaponics system. It has been a mere four weeks and the changes in the backyard are extraordinary, and on a daily basis I am … Continue reading →

When aphids attack…
how to / resources / veggie garden

When aphids attack…

Posted on 15/02/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

…try not to panic! It’s another hot and humid morning here, and, over a second cup of tea (which most mornings makes me feel almost human) we have tested the chemical levels in the fish tanks, fed the fish, ogled at the fish, commented on the fish, visited with the Salmon Brothers (also fish) and … Continue reading →

Grow my pretties, grow
aquaponics / resources / revelations / veggie garden

Grow my pretties, grow

Posted on 14/02/2014 by Sharon • 2 Comments

Documenting the early days OK…so it is an obsession, and I admit it. But in the words of my lovely man and co-creator of our backyard experiment: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”. And so measure we do…and photograph…and document…and…well…you get the picture! (At this juncture I may as well admit to running a … Continue reading →

aquaponics / chickens / resources / veggie garden

The Good Life in the 21st Century?

Posted on 12/02/2014 by Sharon • Leave a comment

What is it to live a good life? It seemed both quirky and comical back in 1975 when the British sitcom The Good Life aired on TV, and Chris and I watched (from opposite sides of the globe) as Tom and Barbara Good attempted an escape from the daily grind by converting their little suburban block into a … Continue reading →

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aquaponics chickens cooking eggplant how to rants resources revelations soap Supersizers Go … veggie garden

Creating a SHRUB

The original inspiration—all the way from the US of A!
The original inspiration—all the way from the US of A!
Ginger from the garden: scraped and grated
Ginger from the garden: scraped and grated
We bought local organic honey and also used our own home-grown and dried turmeric!
We bought local organic honey and also used our own home-grown and dried turmeric!

Brassicas

Cauli
Cauli
Our first broccoli
Our first broccoli
Din dins :D
Din dins :D

July 2015

Portia: our lovely silver Barnvelder
Portia: our lovely silver Barnvelder
The girls getting used to the new feeding mechanism.
The girls getting used to the new feeding mechanism.
Eggs in the shed
Eggs in the shed
Mess in the shed :(
Mess in the shed :(
A bit of extra netting to discourage olympic high jumping for free food
A bit of extra netting to discourage olympic high jumping for free food
Tiny signs of potential fruit on our finger lime—fingers crossed!
Tiny signs of potential fruit on our finger lime—fingers crossed!
Maggie and her well worn path—adjacent to the netted stand of brassicas
Maggie and her well worn path—adjacent to the netted stand of brassicas

First week April 2015

Spring onions and beetroot: the older generation in the soil
Spring onions and beetroot: the older generation in the soil
Tomatoes, radishes, peas and rocket
Tomatoes, radishes, peas and rocket
New bed full of seeds
New bed full of seeds
The brassicas bed
The brassicas bed
Eggplants in the aquaponics and still fruiting like crazy
Eggplants in the aquaponics and still fruiting like crazy
The current lettuce crop
The current lettuce crop
The beauty of the turmeric flower
The beauty of the turmeric flower
Our citrus trees are starting to bear fruit!
Our citrus trees are starting to bear fruit!

Fluffy bums

Maria and Juliet share some broody time :D
Maria and Juliet share some broody time :D

Harvest: Stardate 07:03:15

Eggplants a plenty!
Eggplants a plenty!
Butternut pumpkins :D
Butternut pumpkins :D
Our first ever crop of turnips
Our first ever crop of turnips
The cherry tomatoes continue to produce day after day
The cherry tomatoes continue to produce day after day
Edumame here we come!
Edumame here we come!
Sweet potatoes: the purple variety
Sweet potatoes: the purple variety
This corn is particularly sweet
This corn is particularly sweet
The veggie patch before …
The veggie patch before …
… and after harvest!
… and after harvest!

The current cast: 2015 (and beyond)

Emilia: Gold Barnevelder
Emilia: Gold Barnevelder
Ophelia:Blue/gold Barnevelder
Ophelia:Blue/gold Barnevelder
Portia: Silver Barnevelder
Portia: Silver Barnevelder
Juliette: New Hampshire
Juliette: New Hampshire
Hermia: Farmyard
Hermia: Farmyard
Maria: Commercial
Maria: Commercial

The building of THE GLOBE

Every good chicken house needs a sign :D
Every good chicken house needs a sign :D
Collecting the hardwood and tin from the recycled building supplies place
Collecting the hardwood and tin from the recycled building supplies place
Marking out and string lines
Marking out and string lines
'Nice hole digging, dad!' Maggie: chief hole inspector
‘Nice hole digging, dad!’ Maggie: chief hole inspector
Hardwood framework up
Hardwood framework up
Constructing the doors
Constructing the doors
Timber cladding on the doors
Timber cladding on the doors
Doors on, now working on the internals
Doors on, now working on the internals
Inside showing the mesh floor, nesting boxes and perches
Inside showing the mesh floor, nesting boxes and perches
Roofing goes on…
Roofing goes on…
Almost complete: just have to pop in the straw
Almost complete: just have to pop in the straw
Complete! :D
Complete! :D

… and 2015 begins

Our lovely corn about to be relished!
Our lovely corn about to be relished!
The growing area of our aquaponics system … grow beds on the left and NFT rails on the right (Garden Guru at the potting table—back of shot)
The growing area of our aquaponics system … grow beds on the left and NFT rails on the right (Garden Guru at the potting table—back of shot)
The soil garden in late afternoon light
The soil garden in late afternoon light

At the end of September

Galangal all dug up, washed and now on drying racks...we will NEVER use this amount, so will have to find homes for it.
Galangal all dug up, washed and now on drying racks…we will NEVER use this amount, so will have to find homes for it.
Baby zucchinis from the aquaponics system. They were putting out a lot of leaf and not so much in the veg department so they have been pulled from the system
Baby zucchinis from the aquaponics system. They were putting out a lot of leaf and not so much in the veg department so they have been pulled from the system
Little pea plants grown from seed ready to be planted out
Little pea plants grown from seed ready to be planted out
One of the four or five patches of potatoes: I think this patch is the Dutch Creams
One of the four or five patches of potatoes: I think this patch is the Dutch Creams
Green beans starting to climb
Green beans starting to climb
New packets of amazingness :D
New packets of amazingness :D

Last day of July 2014

Is there anything more beauteous than a zucchini flower?
Is there anything more beauteous than a zucchini flower?
Strawberries in flower and fruit!
Strawberries in flower and fruit!
My success! Spaghetti squash plant!
My success! Spaghetti squash plant!
The parsley patch—so much growth!
The parsley patch—so much growth!
Butter lettuces have a heart!
Butter lettuces have a heart!
Lettuces still up the wahoosie!
Lettuces still up the wahoosie!
The Salmon Brothers are growing really big and are very accommodating of their new tank-mates: the Tiger Team and Smudge :)
The Salmon Brothers are growing really big and are very accommodating of their new tank-mates: the Tiger Team and Smudge :)
Wonderful growth on the potatoes (one of three patches)
Wonderful growth on the potatoes (one of three patches)
I forgot to mention the broad beans, but then I am a girl and most girls don't like broad beans :P
I forgot to mention the broad beans, but then I am a girl and most girls don’t like broad beans :P
Little handfuls of green jewels!
Little handfuls of green jewels!

Veggies mid-March 2014

The NFT rails with strawberries and baby brocolli
The NFT rails with strawberries and baby brocolli
Bok Choy is doing exceptionally well
Bok Choy is doing exceptionally well
We are eating corn from the soil garden
We are eating corn from the soil garden
Success in growing watermelons and butternut pumpkins :)
Success in growing watermelons and butternut pumpkins :)
Lebanese cucumbers have taken off in the grow beds
Lebanese cucumbers have taken off in the grow beds
Celery is a thirsty plant and seems to thrive in the grow beds
Celery is a thirsty plant and seems to thrive in the grow beds
A menagerie of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and basil
A menagerie of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and basil
Beautiful iceberg lettuces!
Beautiful iceberg lettuces!
Chard loves the grow beds (NFT rails in the background)
Chard loves the grow beds (NFT rails in the background)
The peas are not doing well in the system—probably don't like the pH...
The peas are not doing well in the system—probably don’t like the pH…
Red cabbage, purple broccoli and standard broccoli in the soil garden
Red cabbage, purple broccoli and standard broccoli in the soil garden
The corn is sweet an juicy!
The corn is sweet an juicy!

Veggies—mid Feb 2014

Recently harvested red (Spanish) onions
Recently harvested red (Spanish) onions
The jungle patch—full of lemon grass, ginger, galangal and two chilli bushes
The jungle patch—full of lemon grass, ginger, galangal and two chilli bushes
Newly planted butternut pumpkins
Newly planted butternut pumpkins
Watermellons
Watermellons
Finger eggplant
Finger eggplant
Leeks a'plenty
Leeks a’plenty
Capsicums
Capsicums
Tomatoes with their fruit set
Tomatoes with their fruit set
Bean close-up on flowers
Bean close-up on flowers

chicken antics

The original crew: Georgia, Murphy, Blanche and Cilla
The original crew: Georgia, Murphy, Blanche and Cilla
IMG_1207
Always hungry...the girls used to climb the stairs in search of food
Always hungry…the girls used to climb the stairs in search of food
The girls help clean up the empty potato pot
The girls help clean up the empty potato pot
Mini watermellon was a real treat!
Mini watermellon was a real treat!
Nothing like a good dirty bath, hey Blanche?
Nothing like a good dirty bath, hey Blanche?

fishy fishy fisy

The mighty Salmon Brothers
The mighty Salmon Brothers
Our first bag of Jade Perch being 'floated'
Our first bag of Jade Perch being ‘floated’
Jades at large...these days they spend most of their time in the bottom of the tank in the far corners
Jades at large…these days they spend most of their time in the bottom of the tank in the far corners
Barramundi the the bag
Barramundi the the bag
Barra are lovely looking fish and they seem so strong and independent...
Barra are lovely looking fish and they seem so strong and independent…
Having a kip? A few of the barra fingerlings displaying odd tendencies on release into the tank
Having a kip? A few of the barra fingerlings displaying odd tendencies on release into the tank
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