Sustainable Organic Gardening

animal care

A winter treat – Peruvian ground apple

Posted on:
Friday, June 28th, 2013
Author:
Earthwise

Yacon – otherwise known as the Peruvian ground apple, strawberry jicama, Bolivian sunroot, llacon, sweet-root and ground pear – is ready to harvest now. We eat its sweet, juicy tubers raw, cooked or added to juices. I love this winter sweet treat with its great crunchy crispness; it tastes to me like nashi pear and […]

Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted in Kitchen | 13 Comments »

Hot chooks – or cool chicks

Posted on:
Tuesday, January 15th, 2013
Author:
Chook Whisperer

It’s very rewarding keeping chickens – they help recycle nutrients, keep pests down and provide us with food and amusement. We, in turn have a responsibility to keep them healthy, safe and happy. In a warm climate, making sure your flock doesn’t get heat-stressed is crucial. I don’t think many creatures would survive summer days […]

Tags: , , ,

Posted in Sustainability | 2 Comments »

Aromatherapy for chooks

Posted on:
Wednesday, September 19th, 2012
Author:
Chook Whisperer

Lining your chooks’ nesting and laying boxes with sweet-smelling herbs may seem a bit ‘out there’ at first, but when you think that many species of wild birds add aromatic plants to their nesting material, the idea may be worth considering for the local flock. Herbs used in this way by wild birds usually have […]

Tags: , , ,

Posted in Organic Gardening | 2 Comments »

Charcoal and chickens

Posted on:
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012
Author:
Chook Whisperer

It’s not the first thing that springs to mind when I hear the words ‘charcoal’ and ‘chicken’ together, but charcoal as a chicken feed supplement can provide real health benefits for your chooks. Because animals’ water and feed can be exposed to contaminants – from rodents, flies or birds, for example – many poultry farmers […]

Tags: , ,

Posted in Organic Gardening | 21 Comments »

What’s the buzz?

Posted on:
Monday, July 9th, 2012
Author:
Lazy Gardener

“The only reason for being a bee that I know of is to make honey…. And the only reason for making honey, is so as I can eat it.” – Winnie the Pooh. Recently my neighbour dropped off some home-harvested honey. It was delicious and ran like liquid silk. While quietly eating crepes with honey, banana and […]

Tags: , , ,

Posted in Sustainability | No Comments »

Reasons to keep chickens

Posted on:
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Author:
Chook Whisperer

What have chickens ever done for us? Let’s see – for a start, they produce eggs and fertiliser, control pests, eliminate weeds and take care of kitchen scraps. But for me, they are just great little creatures to have around and they make me feel more connected to the whole cycle of the garden. It’s […]

Tags: , ,

Posted in Organic Gardening | 5 Comments »