Last year Transition Kenmore carried out its first permablitz. But what are they exactly?
Permablitzing started in Melbourne a few years back and involves transforming lawns and disused yard areas into bountiful food producing gardens. The name is a melding of permaculture (the food production philosophy embraced by the Transition movement among others) and Backyard Blitz.
It works like this, a group of people get together, select a property to "blitz", design a new garden producing veges, fruit and herbs according to permaculture growing principles and then get together one morning/day to create the new garden. TTKD's first permablitz was very successful, just check out the before, during and after.
Although TTKD members carried out our first blitz, the general public are welcome to help out, and like our members are eligible to have their own place "blitzed" after attending three blitzes themselves.
Permablitzing has a number of benefits, producing healthy, sustainable local food for the household in question, sharing gardening and permaculture know-how throughout the community, strengthening community links and they are also good fun!
Importantly, we have plans to take permablitzing one step further by creating community permalblitz gardens, these are blitzed gardens where the produce is available to the local community free of charge to come and pick, promoting healthy sustainable food beyond our group and into the wider community.
Transition Kenmore is keen to get behind the permablitz philosophy and make them regular events on our calendar. Our next blitz is in mid March so if you're a TTKD member; belong a gardening group here on the west side of Brisbane; or are an interested member of the public and want to get involved. Drop us a line at transitionkenmore (at) gmail.com
A relaxing massage after a full day of work was the best reward for all hard workers who came to give a hand in one of the most inspiring suburban farm projects in Brisbane. Sunday morning was the day when a large number of environmentally minded mates came together with one thing in mind: to create an alternative space to fulfill some of the basic needs of humans, such as fresh food, beautiful environment, and social interaction. It is at Paradise Park, in West End, Queensland where all these innovative urban farmers started to construct a collective dream, the dream of re-connecting community with its environment, the dream of re-connecting people with Mother Nature.
ReplyDeleteBrisbane has good climatic conditions for growing most of the plants we need in our everyday diet. Vegetables, such as cabbage, lettuce, beetroot, turnip, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, capsicum, and herbs, are not but a short list of healthy “goodies” that Brisbanites can enjoy all year round. Just a little piece of earth, some compost, water, and the will to do some outdoors exercise is what we need to start the amazing experience of growing our own food.
But it is not only the fact of enjoying the freshness of our just harvested food; it is the fact of putting into practice a politically correct alternative to ensure food security and self reliance. Cities are growing organisms that need food to live and grow, but that have lost the tradition of growing what they eat, so Permablitz (See http://blitzbrisbane.org) gives the opportunity to cities to feed themselves, and to recycle most of the nutrients that otherwise would be wasted in a landfill, into rich compost to nourish the soil, and hence the plants.
People of all ages and backgrounds, neighbours and friends, relatives and people walking on the sidewalk came together last Sunday to build this amazing project, and to share the best food possible, prepared with love and veggies. After a long day of pleasant work, we all filled our stomachs, but also filled our minds and our hearths with this initiative that engages more and more people who are concerned about sustainable lifestyles. The relaxing massage was an extra gift from our friend: ......... .... and his contribution to this cooperative dream.
Thanks to everyone for coming and for sharing your workforce, your smile, your conversation your life. I look forward to participating in these events in the future.
All the best:
Michael Ayala