Comments on: Seeking information – do you grow your own food for ‘survival’? http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/2009/03/13/seeking-information-do-you-grow-your-own-food-for-survival/ The Cities are Re-inventing Themselves Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:25:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ivan http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/2009/03/13/seeking-information-do-you-grow-your-own-food-for-survival/comment-page-1/#comment-4205 Ivan Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:35:19 +0000 http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/?p=1114#comment-4205 I have a couple of main reasons for 'growing my own'. One being that I know I am not buying pesticide ridden or GMO foodstuffs at all. Second, that I try to be as sustainable and 'closed loop' as possible. So I compost all scraps, have a worm farm and then put that back into the garden to grow food. I don't have a lot of space at present, but do what I can. I would love the time/space/money to setup an entirely self sufficient bio-dynamic operation! I have a couple of main reasons for ‘growing my own’. One being that I know I am not buying pesticide ridden or GMO foodstuffs at all. Second, that I try to be as sustainable and ‘closed loop’ as possible. So I compost all scraps, have a worm farm and then put that back into the garden to grow food. I don’t have a lot of space at present, but do what I can. I would love the time/space/money to setup an entirely self sufficient bio-dynamic operation!

]]> By: suzanne nunn http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/2009/03/13/seeking-information-do-you-grow-your-own-food-for-survival/comment-page-1/#comment-4184 suzanne nunn Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:52:04 +0000 http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/?p=1114#comment-4184 I have started regrowing my vegies after not being able to for about 5 years. Reason: water restrictions in Ballarat area and lack of normal rainfall. I finally managed to buy a tank and put close to my house so I can water. I am only one now, as kids are at uni have moved to Melb, but I want to do it because I know that I have to spend the time to get used to it as food will be more expensive and short in the future. I know this, because I can see the writing on the wall. I am not doing it for survival but to be more self supporting of my own household and life. water and food security and energy, needs to be tackled from the household side of things I believe. ( I also have made use of rebates and now have free hot water from a solar hot water system). Basically as I go into my later years, I want to know I can grow a bit of my own food and through this learn to source food from more sustainable sources - I think we adapt one stage at a time. suzanne I have started regrowing my vegies after not being able to for about 5 years. Reason: water restrictions in Ballarat area and lack of normal rainfall. I finally managed to buy a tank and put close to my house so I can water. I am only one now, as kids are at uni have moved to Melb, but I want to do it because I know that I have to spend the time to get used to it as food will be more expensive and short in the future. I know this, because I can see the writing on the wall.

I am not doing it for survival but to be more self supporting of my own household and life. water and food security and energy, needs to be tackled from the household side of things I believe. ( I also have made use of rebates and now have free hot water from a solar hot water system). Basically as I go into my later years, I want to know I can grow a bit of my own food and through this learn to source food from more sustainable sources – I think we adapt one stage at a time.

suzanne

]]> By: Monique Decortis http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/2009/03/13/seeking-information-do-you-grow-your-own-food-for-survival/comment-page-1/#comment-4182 Monique Decortis Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:10:57 +0000 http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/?p=1114#comment-4182 Hi Ferne, I used to grown my own veggies till a couple of years ago. I have eight good size beds. I grew the veggies to be selfsuffient, for health reasons and for sutainability reasons. My veggie garden was enclosed by a fairly high fence of chook wire, which kept out the hungry wilidfe (kangaroosm wallbues, wombats etc. even the possums.) And yes, I was guiilt ridden at times, but they did have access to the compost. The water for the veggie garden came from the dam, and my crop was usually so much that I was able to give away (at times trade) quite a bit. Along wiht the veggies I had chooks for eggs. Anbout three years ago the rats started to move in. Always had rats before, especially as I have wildlife in care, but at that time the rats started eating the veggie seedlings I planted (or they waitied till the broadbeans were ripe and then left me the empty shells.) This was drought related. I never had problems wiht water for veggies before, - although I have only a very small house tank -and no town water - but I also have much less water in the dam now - pittyfully litttle in the summer - and I need to ensure that there is enough for fire-fighting - and wonder whether there would be sufficient to grow veggies at all. Never the less, I intend to enclose the whole veggie patch - roof and all with 1-inch welded mesh to keep the rats out, and start again with the veggie garden - when I have a minute to put up the mesh. (I wil need quite a few minutes in fact.) If you know anyone who wants to build an enclosure or assist with veggie garden resurrection for an experiment, please point them in my direction!!!!) Hope the above info is usefull. Cheers, Monique Hi Ferne,

I used to grown my own veggies till a couple of years ago. I have eight good size beds. I grew the veggies to be selfsuffient, for health reasons and for sutainability reasons. My veggie garden was enclosed by a fairly high fence of chook wire, which kept out the hungry wilidfe (kangaroosm wallbues, wombats etc. even the possums.) And yes, I was guiilt ridden at times, but they did have access to the compost. The water for the veggie garden came from the dam, and my crop was usually so much that I was able to give away (at times trade) quite a bit. Along wiht the veggies I had chooks for eggs.

Anbout three years ago the rats started to move in. Always had rats before, especially as I have wildlife in care, but at that time the rats started eating the veggie seedlings I planted (or they waitied till the broadbeans were ripe and then left me the empty shells.) This was drought related.

I never had problems wiht water for veggies before, – although I have only a very small house tank -and no town water – but I also have much less water in the dam now – pittyfully litttle in the summer – and I need to ensure that there is enough for fire-fighting – and wonder whether there would be sufficient to grow veggies at all.

Never the less, I intend to enclose the whole veggie patch – roof and all with 1-inch welded mesh to keep the rats out, and start again with the veggie garden – when I have a minute to put up the mesh. (I wil need quite a few minutes in fact.) If you know anyone who wants to build an enclosure or assist with veggie garden resurrection for an experiment, please point them in my direction!!!!)

Hope the above info is usefull.

Cheers, Monique

]]> By: WPC http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/2009/03/13/seeking-information-do-you-grow-your-own-food-for-survival/comment-page-1/#comment-4181 WPC Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:29:55 +0000 http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/?p=1114#comment-4181 Yes, I started growing my own vegies on my window sill about 18 months ago. I live in the CBD so I don't have a garden. I grow edible plants for many reasons: convenience of salad, herbs, tomatoes and beans (seasonal) that I can hand pick every day; better tasting vegies (being vegetarian). But my reasons have now changed due having not enough money to buy seasonal, local and organic food. I would rather pick it out of the ground than to pick it out of a vegie stand - then I really know where it has been, who has touched it and how it was grown. I have started growing vegetables in other people's gardens such as my parent's place and a few friends. Yes, I started growing my own vegies on my window sill about 18 months ago. I live in the CBD so I don’t have a garden. I grow edible plants for many reasons: convenience of salad, herbs, tomatoes and beans (seasonal) that I can hand pick every day; better tasting vegies (being vegetarian). But my reasons have now changed due having not enough money to buy seasonal, local and organic food. I would rather pick it out of the ground than to pick it out of a vegie stand – then I really know where it has been, who has touched it and how it was grown. I have started growing vegetables in other people’s gardens such as my parent’s place and a few friends.

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