Newsletter Summer 2016 - Wilderland · towards Prana New Year Festival and were lucky to have a...
4
Newsletter Summer 2016 a fruitful season Tangelos have been all go this season with much juice being sold! This has lead us to become involved in new markets, including the Waikato farmers market this January. We’ve put a lot of energy towards Prana New Year Festival and were lucky to have a large stand, hosting a chill space and book exchange. We survived the storm and heavy rain and did really well, selling many litres of juice, dhal and pancakes! The milder and wetter season has slowed down the growth of many of our summer crops, including a late plum harvest and the great number of tomato plants which are finally ripening. However our winter gardens are gearing up to provide us with a great winter crop. We are working towards a greater diversity and abundance of vegetables to maintain us through the winter. We have already harvested almost three times more potatoes than last year, some of which we will use to grow next year’s supply. Pumpkins are on their way and there are hundreds of happy and healthy kumara plants. We are continuing to seed save most of our crops to hold on to the good strains of plants. word out for new residents! We are still seeking enthusiastic and dedicated people to join our team of residents to help us develop and maintain Wilderland. We are particularly interested in people with skills in beekeeping, orchard care and forest management, business, IT and localised food initiatives. However we are open to anyone with the right attitude - often this is more important! Help us achieve a truly sustainable model that influences people from all around the world, daily. ● Throw yourself full-time into a project that is all about positive change for the world, holding and developing a space for hundreds to come and learn with us every year ● Help us to engage with and strengthen local community and economy to become a well-balanced, healthy, and mutually-supportive group of people ● Learn a huge range of skills, share your skills with us, get a full dose of the extent of holistic sustainable living and what it really takes. Apply yourself to an ongoing need for creative solutions in all aspects of living and working For more information visit http://www.wilderland.org.nz/ Or contact us through [email protected]
Transcript of Newsletter Summer 2016 - Wilderland · towards Prana New Year Festival and were lucky to have a...
Newsletter
Summer 2016
a fruitful season Tangelos have been all go this season with much juice being sold! This has lead us to become involved in new markets, including the Waikato farmers market this January. We’ve put a lot of energy towards Prana New Year Festival and were lucky to have a large stand, hosting a chill space and book exchange. We survived the storm and heavy rain and did really well, selling many litres of juice, dhal and pancakes!
The milder and wetter season has slowed down the growth of many of our summer crops, including a late plum harvest and the great number of tomato plants which are finally ripening. However our winter gardens are gearing up to provide us with a great winter crop. We are working towards a greater diversity
and abundance of vegetables to maintain us through the winter. We have already harvested almost three times more potatoes than last year, some of which we will use to grow next year’s supply. Pumpkins are on their way and there are hundreds of happy and healthy kumara plants. We are continuing to seed save most of our crops to hold on to the good strains of plants.
word out for new residents! We are still seeking enthusiastic and dedicated people to join our team of residents to help us develop and maintain Wilderland. We are particularly interested in people with skills in beekeeping, orchard care and forest management, business, IT and localised food initiatives. However we are open to anyone with the right attitude - often this is more important!
Help us achieve a truly sustainable model that influences people from all around the world, daily.
● Throw yourself full-time into a project that is all about positive change for the world, holding and developing a space for hundreds to come and learn with us every year
● Help us to engage with and strengthen local community and economy to become a well-balanced, healthy, and mutually-supportive group of people
● Learn a huge range of skills, share your skills with us, get a full dose of the extent of holistic sustainable living and what it really takes. Apply yourself to an ongoing need for creative solutions in all aspects of living and working
For more information visit http://www.wilderland.org.nz/ Or contact us through [email protected]
new look for our shop! The previous years work has finally come together to improve the image and layout of our roadside shop! On the exterior our signs have been designed and painted with a new look and hung outside in place of the old ones. We have a large center counter and new wooden shelves and produce stand installed.
Rows of fruit trees, feijoas, peaches and figs have been planted in an attempt to establish fruit trees out the back behind the railway line. We have extended our range of herbal products to include ‘Lady of the Flowers’ cosmetics by Anthea Reynolds and ‘Plant Rhythms’, wildcrafted organic plant remedies by Amy McComb.
earth friendly packaging
We are now using 100% home compostable packaging for all our nuts, dried fruit, grains and legumes for sale! The product is called Natureflex and is made from sustainably forested wood pulp and the chemicals used are
recycled or repurposed for further use after manufacturing. They are all home compostable and certified by the European ‘OK’ Compost Home’ standard. Check out this New Zealand company Friendlypak who sell a whole range of bio packaging: http://www.friendlypak.co.nz/ and www.vegware.co.nz
products now available online You can now buy our ointments, honey, teas and lip balms through our sleek new online store! We can ship our products anywhere in New Zealand and are considering having them available worldwide (you can send us an email if you want something overseas).. You can access the website through our main site or it can be found directly at:
http://organics.wilderland.org.nz
diary of a herb: Kūmarahou/Pomaderris kumeraho Kūmarahou is a native bush of New Zealand. The name is derived from Māori, meaning ‘kumara planting time’ when the plant flowers in early spring and is used in RongoāMāori (traditional Māori medicine). Wounds and skin irritations were bathed in extract collected from boiling the leaves or fresh leaves were applied directly on the injury. Leaves were also steeped in bathing water to sooth skin irritations and ease arthritis and rheumatism. Internally it was taken as a general health tonic for cleansing the liver and kidneys and to treat tuberculosis.
We use the leaves, buds, flowers and young stems which all have active properties. In early colonial times it was used by the gum-diggers in Northland, New Zealand. The flowers and leaves were crushed and mixed with water to create a soapy lather, hence its alternative name ‘Gumdiggers soap’.
Kumarahou is a key ingredient in our Everyday Herbal Healing ointment and works as a topical antiseptic and soothing skin healer for wounds, sores, rashes, eczema and skin cancers. We also sell the herb as a medicinal tea which aids the elimination of toxins from the body (a blood purifier, liver and kidney cleanser and tonic) and relieves constipation and indigestion. It also strengthens lungs and the respiratory system and helps with colds, coughs, flu and bronchitis.
looking after our bees We have minimised our honey harvest this season in order to feed half of it back to the bees and reduce the amount of sugar we feed them. Our hives will also be split to increase our hive numbers and more queens bred to occupy each new colony. Our aim is to make them stronger over the winter and healthier for next season, supporting a more sustainable approach to beekeeping and looking after a vital organism of our eco system.
benefits of brewing vinegar Cider vinegar is an ancient folk remedy which was used to treat a wide range of health problems. It contains antioxidants and beneficial bacteria which is important in supporting the immune system. It’s high level of acetic acid acts as a strong anti-microbial which is used as a disinfectant for infections and cleaning. Our apple cider vinegar is now ready to be jarred and sold! After a successful test batch of yellow plum vinegar, which has a delicious new fruity flavour, we have just begun the fermentation on a larger scale. We look forward to the feijoa season when we will be
beginning the production of feijoa cider vinegar which also had a very successful trial!
Wilderland is a unique educational center open to all where learning is experiential and inseparable from daily life and a personal development emerges through reconnecting with nature, practicing sustainability and living collaboratively.
www.wilderland.org.nz
[email protected] [email protected]
www.facebook.com/WilderlandTrust/
