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RIG News – February 2013, RIG Network’s Bi-monthly Newsletter, No.23 1 Welcome to the first RIG News for 2013 – a bit of a bumper edition to kick things off, after what has been such a challenging hot summer and dry wet season for so many people. In this edition we welcome two new RIG Partner Organisations – the Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association (TEABBA) and Nutrition Plus Ltd and include a short piece about some really useful new gardening and garden design resources you can download from the RIG website . As it’s the first for the year, we’ve rejigged the order of things. Leading off, is a listing of coming events from within the Network and from across the nation that relate to food, health and social and economic development on country. For your information and possibly for your diary? Saving the best for last, read on for technical tips, advice and inspiration for central Australian and top end gardens, respectively, from gardening gurus Geoff Miers and Leonie Norrington. Many thanks Geoff and Leonie for your stories - Technical Tips that we aim to include as regular features this year. RIG Network aims to support people in remote communities who want to grow food for better health, wealth and wellbeing. We share information, facilitate partnerships and initiate projects to help build local skills and capacity. Our core programs are: 1. Network communications and information sharing, and 2. Strategic research, advocacy and partnership projects. I hope you find something interesting or useful in this edition, and as always, welcome your feedback and suggestions for future editions. Anthea. RIG News – February 2013 News from the Remote Indigenous Gardens Network – www.remoteindigenousgardens.net Advertisement THE PLANTSMITH ( Girraween Nursery) Wholesale growers of seedlings, herbs, advanced vegetables, paw paw passionfruit, chilis and more. Also flowers shrubs, palms and cycads. Supplying NT and WA Ph 08 89832001 fax 08 89111965 email [email protected] Tabatha Saunders, an Individual Supporter of RIG, profiled in RIG News early last year has plans for an exciting new project…she is SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST From Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with Horticultural Knowledge from both a Professional or Traditional Perspective * Do you Love Plants? * Are You A Keen Gardener? * Do You Work within the Horticulture Industry and if not, do you have stories about plants that you would like to share? * Do you think you could commit your stories in writing? Then I'd LOVE to hear from you! There is an opportunity for you to tell your stories and technical knowledge about plants from an indigenous perspective. If you think you may be interested in contributing, then please contact me by emailing me directly at [email protected] or via the RIG Network for further details. Tabatha lives in Brisbane and is a qualified Horticulturist.

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Page 1: RIG News Feb 2013 No23 - Remote Indigenous Gardens Network › wp-content › uploads › ... · RIG News – February 2013, RIG Network’s Bi-monthly Newsletter, No.23 1" Welcome

RIG News – February 2013, RIG Network’s Bi-monthly Newsletter, No.23 1"

Welcome to the first RIG News for 2013 – a bit of a bumper edition to kick things off, after what has been such a challenging hot summer and dry wet season for so many people. In this edition we welcome two new RIG Partner Organisations – the Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association (TEABBA) and Nutrition Plus Ltd and include a short piece about some really useful new gardening and garden design resources you can download from the RIG website. As it’s the first for the year, we’ve rejigged the order of things. Leading off, is a listing of coming events from within the Network and from across the nation that relate to food, health and social and economic development on country. For your information and possibly for your diary? Saving the best for last, read on for technical tips, advice and inspiration for central Australian and top end gardens, respectively, from gardening gurus Geoff Miers and Leonie Norrington. Many thanks Geoff and Leonie for your stories - Technical Tips that we aim to include as regular features this year. RIG Network aims to support people in remote communities who want to grow food for better health, wealth and wellbeing. We share information, facilitate partnerships and initiate projects to help build local skills and capacity. Our core programs are: 1. Network communications and information sharing, and 2. Strategic research, advocacy and partnership projects. I hope you find something interesting or useful in this edition, and as always, welcome your feedback and suggestions for future editions. Anthea.

RIG News – February 2013

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News from the Remote Indigenous Gardens Network – www.remoteindigenousgardens.net

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THE PLANTSMITH ( Girraween Nursery) Wholesale growers of seedlings, herbs, advanced vegetables, paw paw passionfruit, chilis and more. Also flowers shrubs, palms and cycads. Supplying NT and WA Ph 08 89832001 fax 08 89111965 email [email protected]

Tabatha Saunders, an Individual Supporter of RIG, profiled in RIG News early last year has plans for an exciting new project…she is SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST From Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with Horticultural Knowledge from both a Professional or Traditional Perspective

* Do you Love Plants? * Are You A Keen Gardener? * Do You Work within the Horticulture Industry and if not, do you have stories about plants that you would like to share? * Do you think you could commit your stories in writing?

Then I'd LOVE to hear from you! There is an opportunity for you to tell your stories and technical knowledge about plants from an indigenous perspective. If you think you may be interested in contributing, then please contact me by emailing me directly at [email protected] or via the RIG Network for further details.

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"Tabatha&lives&in&Brisbane&and&is&a&qualified&Horticulturist.&&

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RIG Network connections - people, events, programs, new conversations, partnerships. COMING EVENTS 2013 – FOR YOUR INFO &/OR DIARY Coming Events – Around the Network March 8: JCU Symposium and Fair, ‘How can we live and eat sustainably in the tropics?’ The JCU Sustainability Symposium and Fair will be held at JCU, Cairns, Friday March 8 from 8:30am – 7:00pm. Speakers from RIG Network will contribute to the program, short presentation at 2:00pm. For the full program of events and speakers see: JCU Symposium and Fair Program March 11: RIG Cairns Regional Group Meeting, Cairns The group’s second meeting will focus on discussion to identify and plan strategic and practical project priorities group members wish to progress, including how the regional group will meet/interact going forward. To be held on Monday March 11, from 12:00pm – 4:30pm, Meeting Room 1, Cairns Library. March 21: National Close the Gap Day Get involved in the National Close the Gap Day campaign and join the thousands of people and organisations around Australia holding events to raise awareness of the Indigenous health crisis. Consider a local event to celebrate local people, food, useful bush plant, gardening ands other skills? If you do, let us know! https://www.oxfam.org.au/explore/indigenous-australia/close-the-gap/ March 22: CDEP Provider Meeting – Darwin The final all CDEP Provider Meeting for providers in the Darwin ICC region will be held on Friday March 22 at the ‘older’ Holiday Inn, The Esplanade, Darwin. This will be the final meeting of the group before this CDEP Contract ends and RJCP Contract begins. Presenters will address various topics including one on new ideas for social design for garden projects by Anthea from RIG Network. For more information, contact Samoane Regattieri, CDEP Regional Mobility Coordinator N.T Region, DRIACDEP, [email protected]. March - April: RIG Programs – EduGrow School Garden Awards 2013, NT Stay tuned for announcements about the EduGrow School Garden Awards before the end of Term 1! Planning is well underway for the EduGrow School Garden Awards 2013 that RIG Network and our EduGrow partner organisations plan to offer to build upon the achievements of last years ALPA 40th Anniversary EduGrow School Garden Awards. If you or your organisation are interested in supporting the Awards please contact Anthea directly by March 20. [email protected] or 0419 478856. June 1-2: The 2013 Tropical Garden Spectacular – Garden Party theme, Darwin Planning for this years Tropical Garden Spectacular is well underway ‘let’s have a garden party – lettuce turnip the beet!’. RIG Network is again working with the organisers to encourage and support gardeners from communities out of Darwin to get along to this years event. Stay tuned for further details. If you’d like to learn more or get involved in one of the planning sub-groups contact Michele Shugg, Executive Officer, Nursery & Garden Industry NT, [email protected]. June 3-4: Growing Communities, Learning in the Garden National Seminar, Brisbane Six years on since the last national seminar, the LITGNS will bring together educators, health professionals, parents, individuals and organisations for a two-day journey of gardens-based education and professional development to explore how school gardens can equip school age children to respond positively and proactively to a changing world. In light of recent natural disasters around Australia, this year’s seminar will focus on the role of school gardens in addressing issues of adaptation, resilience and food security for future generations. The National Seminar program will include presentations, discussion panels, hands-on workshops and activities, visits to operating school gardens, lunches, dinners, and information stalls. As well as exploring the above themes, the program will also cater for people at various stages of the process of setting up, growing and harvesting a school garden. Growing Communities is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to speak, present, facilitate or entertain at the seminar. If interested, please send your details and a 200 word description of your proposed activity. Closing date for EOI’s is Friday 28 March. For more information: 0424 985 383 or email [email protected].

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Coming Events - Major Conferences and Gatherings 2013 The following lists major national events that relate in various ways to the food sector, Indigenous health, and different perspectives about, and opportunities for, social and economic development on country. March 20-21: 3rd National Sustainable Food Summit, Melbourne Convened by the 3 Pillars Network, this is the third of these annual events and will again be held in Melbourne. For more information or to register go to: Sustainable Food Summit Melbourne. April 7 -10: 12th National Rural Health Conference – Strong Commitment. Bright Future. The conference will be held in Adelaide. The conference Program is now online. With 46 concurrent sessions and more than a dozen keynotes on selected issues, the Conference will provide a timely analysis of where the health and wellbeing of rural Australia stands. To learn more or register, go to: http://nrha.org.au/12nrhc/ April 18: Global Food Forum – Australia’s Place at the Table, Melbourne The Australian – in partnership with Visy and supported by The Wall Street Journal – is presenting “a landmark conference on food security …to explore the potential for agriculture to become Australia’s next great economic boom”. For full list of speakers and conference information: www.theaustralian.com.au/globalfoodforum April 29 – May 3: Second North Australian Indigenous Experts Forum The Second Forum will focus on progressing governance and management frameworks of the key projects, establish project priorities by developing their terms of reference, and associated strategies for delivery. The North Australian Indigenous Experts Forum is supported under the Australian Government Northern Australia Sustainable Futures Program delivered by the Office of Northern Australia. NAILSMA provides secretariat support to the Indigenous Experts Forum.

Visit the NAILSMA website for further information. Contact Anna Boustead, NAIEF Project Officer, NAILSMA, to subscribe to Network News that provides updates on activities of the Indigenous Expert Forum. May 14 & 15; 23: Supply Nation Connect 2013 – Turning contacts into contracts Supply Nation (formerly known as AIMSC) provides a direct business to business purchasing link between corporate Australia, government agencies and Indigenous-owned businesses. Describing themselves as ‘a dating agency for business’ their premium annual event is the Connect Conference, Tradeshow and Gala Dinner. This event brings together corporate and government buyers with certified Indigenous suppliers solely focused on growing and developing business opportunities and relationships. In 2013 Supply Nation Connect will be held in two locations: Melbourne on May 14 & 15 and Perth on May 23. Early Bird registration prices have been extended to Friday March 15. For learn more and register for Connect 2013 visit www.supplynation.org.au/connect May 26 - 31: Inaugural World Indigenous Network Conference, Darwin, Northern Territory The journey of the World Indigenous Network (WIN) began in August 2011. Since then, the journey has gathered momentum and in June 2012, the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard with the support of Brazil, New Zealand and Norway, launched the Network at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in Brazil. The Australian Government established a National Advisory Group to support and provide strategic advice and direction for the WIN and WIN Conference in 2013. The group’s membership comprises representatives from key Indigenous organisations around Australia. As custodians of knowledge and expertise, the World Indigenous Network will bring together Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities land and sea managers to share stories, knowledge, cultural experiences and ideas to better manage ecosystems, protect the environment and support sustainable livelihoods. The overall aim of the World Indigenous Network is to encourage:

• better conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources • improved social cohesion • increased economic opportunities and the alleviation of poverty.

To learn more, to share your story, or to register for the conference go: www.worldindigenousnetwork.net

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Information sharing – for people and better practice Useful New Resources New - on the RIG website We’ve been updating the website – visit the new Resources and Events sections, that each have new pages and information you can download. New on the Gardening Resources page (under Resources) are two excellent publications that we have kindly been given permission to publish online. They are: Julianne Hartmann’s Highland Tropical Staples. This booklet provides information about food plants that grow really easily in the tropical highlands, as they are either adapted to frost or handle frost well. Julianne says most of them are really hardy and should also do well in tropical or subtropical regions. Easy to read, the booklet is structured in three sections: Tubers – the foods that fill the belly; Protein Foods – the foods that satisfy; and Greens – the immune boosters. For each food an Introduction, Cultivation, Harvest and Preparation notes are given. Banatjarl Useful Plants and Bush Tucker Garden Report, permission courtesy Alison Rogers, the Fred Hollows Foundation. This report provides design,

plant selection, management and other information that were used to develop the Banatjarl Bush Medicine Bush Tucker Garden at family healing and resource centre at King Valley. See Garden Stories, October 2012, RIG website to read more. New - from around the Network The Fitzroy Valley cook book: volume one (the wet season). Includes bush tucker recipes using ‘wet season’ foods and a ‘dry season’ cookbook is coming soon. Contact Nindilingarri Cultural Health services or HealthInfoNet for more information.

Community GrantGuru - Australia's largest free searchable listing of nation-wide grants and funding programs for community-based and not-for-profit organisations. The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance launched the Peoples Food Plan (PFP) working paper in February. Popular input welcome, for July 16 launch. To learn more or get involved go to: www.australianfoodsovereigntyalliance.org

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RIG Network – working with partners who make a difference Warm Welcome - New RIG Network Partner Organisations RIG Network partner organisations are key contributors to RIG’s network and our outreach and communications programs. We’re delighted to welcome the Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association (TEABBA) and Nutrition Plus Ltd as partners in 2013 and look forward to working with them in the year ahead – both great organisations who make a real difference to the communities they serve. About the Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association (TEABBA) TEABBA was incorporated in 1989, and is a Remote Indigenous Media Organisation (RIMO) with 28 remote Indigenous communities across the Top End of Australia within the Northern Territory.

TEABBA provides support with technical concerns for these communities, and their radio and even some television services. TEABBA, also plays an active role with broadcast training workshops within this footprint.

TEABBA broadcasts daily, with information segments and interviews that are relevant to the remote community issues such as Health, Education, consumer affairs, news, weather and sports etc.

During the dry season TEABBA gets out to as many music, arts, sports and culture festivals as possible. So we can share all of the highlights, across the TEABBA Network and to other Indigenous Media Networks across Australia.

TEABBA has strong and stable membership from these communities, therefore have proud and proactive Board members to represent the Organisation.

Tune in to TEABBA on March 21 at 11:30am – TEABBA have invited RIG to join them for a live chat on air and together we’re keen for local people to share their garden, bush plant and other stories with TEABBA’s audiences. Look out for stories about TEABBA and their programs in future editions RIG News.

Visit: www.teabba.com.au

Nutrition Plus Kitchen and Bush Tucker School Gardens Story by Dr Kate Hartig PhD. and Dr Louise Ormerod PhD.

Nutrition Plus is an Australian wide not-for-profit organization whose purpose is “building healthy futures with Aboriginal children” through the encouragement of increasing the kids’ consumption of fruit and vegetables. This goal is achieved through supporting school kitchen and bush-tucker gardens and providing whole-food fruit and vegetable based supplements (Juice Plus+®)* . The provision of the supplementation is made possible through a partnership with NSA

Australia (suppliers of Juice Plus+® products) and their staff and Franchisees. With a focus on schools with at least 30 percent of Aboriginal children, our current projects include two gardens established in the Northern Territory at Wulungurru School Kintore and Raymangirr Homelands School, as well as Awabakal preschools in the Hunter Valley and Tingha Public School in north-west New South Wales. Nutrition Plus based in Newcastle, east coast NSW and has confronted several challenges establishing gardens in the Northern Territory and the more remote area of New South Wales.These challenges include access to and delivery of supplements and garden infrastructure, limited water supply, feral animals and poor soil productivity. What has not been lacking is

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the enthusiasm and commitment of teachers, students and the wider community. Kintore and Raymangirr are still in the early stages of their gardens, but the garden at Tingha Public School is an exemplar of what can be achieved by school and community involvement in establishing a kitchen and bush-tucker school garden.

In the greenhouse at Raymangirr Homelands School, NT.

Tingha Public School’s vegetable garden, NSW

Tingha Public School is now entering its third year of involvement in the program. The contribution of the children under the guidance of teachers, parents and Elders has resulted in an extremely productive garden. Integration of gardening into the school curriculum and cooking lessons along with the garden produce being utilized in breakfast and lunch school programs has promoted the kids’ enthusiasm for working in the garden. The success of the garden has also encouraged the involvement of the wider community.

Local elders have taken the children on bush-walks in the collection of bush-tucker food seeds. Despite some set-backs with feral animals, the bush-tucker garden is beginning to flourish. This is a great example of how the local culture is incorporated into our programs. Plans are now underway to erect an outdoor kitchen, pit-fire ‘yarn circle’ and a garden sculpture by a local Aboriginal artist adjacent to the school garden. This will further enhance the solidarity of the community around the Nutrition Plus kitchen and bush-tucker school garden.

Kids in the garden at Tingha, NSW.

In addition, Nutrition Plus is excited to also be working with Dr Ray Jones from Bulgarr Ngaru Aboriginal Medical Service, Grafton, NSW within another remote community in NSW utilizing the addition of a “before and after” study of our programs, later this year. *Juice Plus+® contains the powders of seventeen vine ripened fruits, vegetables and grains and has been the subject of over 20 published medical journal articles from universities and research institutions from around the world, including Sydney University www.juiceplus.com.au .The Children’s product, containing the same powders as the capsules is one of only two children’s products to be listed with the Therapeutic Goods Authority of Australia and is the subject of the world’s largest quantitative study with over 1,000,000 participants including Australian children www.childrenshealthstudy.com. Images kindly provided, with permissions, by Nutrition Plus Ltd.

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Technical Tips Selecting Plants for Central Australian Gardens Story kindly provided by Geoff Miers, Geoff Miers Gardens Solutions, Alice Springs Having experienced one of the hottest summers in Central Australia on record with Alice Springs experiencing 21 days in January alone between 40 to 46 degrees, home gardens have surely been tested, with universal plant casualties in literally every garden. Interestingly it’s been rare to see a dead Central Australian plant species. They have coped well while even the hardiest Australian plant species from elsewhere have suffered greatly. Surely there is a lesson to be learnt from this. Two decades ago there were few Central Australian plant species available commercially through local nurseries. Today however, there exists a wide selection of trees, shrubs, ground covers, grasses and bush tucker plants. Consider these sorts of options - a combination of small to medium Eucalypts and Acacia along with trees like the Whitewood Atalaya hemiglauca, Kurrajong Brachychiton gregorii, Grevillea striata or Beefwood and the small but delightful Santalum acuminatum or Quandong tree. Amongst my favorite local Eucalypts are the tall growing Thozet’s Box Eucalytpus thozetiana, the small Shiney-leaf Mallee Eucalyptus lucens and the Round-leaf Mallee Corymbia orbifolia with its red mottled bark and bluish-grey foliage. Amongst the wattles its hard to beat the tough old Mulgas such as the Common Mulga Acacia aneura and the Red Mulga Acacia cyperophylla (two excellent small to medium trees) and the Witchetty and Umbrella Bushes Acacia kempeana and Acacia ligulata, respectively, as two drought survivers, and the rapid growing broadleaf Candelabra Wattle Acacia holosericea. The native fuchsias or Eremophila species are largely unknown plants however they are generally tough, drought tolerant and great bird attracting plants. Eremophila bignoniflora is a small tree, Eremophila christopheri and Eremophila freelingii are great hill-side plants while the vast range of Eremophila maculatas or Emu Bushes can bring red, orange, lilac, purple and yellow blooms to the garden. If you’ve got a dry, hot spot with clay soils consider Eremophila polyclada. This is a medium size shrub that flowers continuously from Spring right through to late Autumn and no matter how hot it gets during summer it continues to flower at its peak. All plants introduced into Central Australian gardens need to be watered well initially and as they are established. As plants get established, the watering regime needs to change – allow for less frequent waters but for longer periods in order to promote deep rooting. A deep rooted plant is much more able to withstand periods of drought. The most efficient system to install is a drip irrigation system as this places water right where it is needed. The polypipe should be buried 100mm below the surface with 4mm feeder line bringing the emitters to the surface. A 1-31 day battery operated irrigation

controller will provide the flexibility required to develop a watering regime that will water daily as required initially to up to 30 days once plants have become established. To compliment a drip irrigation system, mulch should be applied to most garden beds or applied to the immediate area around individual plantings. Where termites are a problem use non-organic mulch like sand, pebbles and rocks. These mulches will all help conserve the water applied, moderate soil temperatures and reduce weed growth. In the home garden other organic mulches can be applied and while acting as a decorative surface treatment they also help reduce water loss through evaporation, moderate soil temperature and reduce weed growth. Soft organic material like pea straw, Lucerne and sugar cane mulch are also excellent as they break down relatively quickly providing valuable nutrients and organic content to the soil. In dry Inland Australia organic content is often lacking and most soils need regularly to have organic material added to stimulate all the necessary microbes and fungi, etc in the soil needed to break down the organic content releasing much needed nutrients to sustain healthy plant growth. There are many plant species that can be purchased in nurseries today and most are sold on the strength of a colourful plant label, irrespective of whether they are suitable for your soils or climatic conditions. Don’t purchase on impulse, learn to understand your local environment, look to see what is growing well in your region and seek local expert advice before becoming a victim to the impulse buying based on a colourful label. Thoughtful plant selection and adapting gardening techniques to suit arid land conditions will reward you with a healthy garden that doesn’t experience massive plant losses when hot summers and freezing winters are experienced. If we believe in global warming then more climatic extremes are likely to be experienced in the decades ahead and gardening will become tougher unless we adopt a common sense approach to gardening that is reflective of soil, climatic and environmental conditions.

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Technical tips Growing in the Wet Season Story kindly provided by Leonie Norrington, author of Tropical Food Gardens – A guide to growing fruit, herbs and vegetables in tropical and sub-tropical climates. We've just had one of those huge storms that leave you stunned in a silence of dripping leaves and shell-shocked plants. The air is wet with suspended particles and so absolutely clear, it is like the rain has washed away the dust in the air itself. The garden is so wet even the high ground sparkles, dark green moss covers every surface and the ferns are gold with new leaf and drunk with sloshy joy… And now back to this year – this tear we're starved for monsoons - more sun than rain - but doesn't it make everything grow! We've had so little rain my thyme and sage are still alive. It's so hot! All you can do is make sure you have plenty of water on the inside and water on the outside. Submerge yourself as often as you can in water. A shower, a bath with icecubes floating in it, a pool, even a 44 gallon drum is perfect. And drink, drink and then drink some more. WATER that is...Then at the end, if you have room perhaps some things to do. Our growing season for cool weather veggies is very short so you need to get the seedling going now. Sow them now in seedling punnets in a shade house to protect them from marauding insects and pummelling rain. Try some beetroot this year along with the normal, snow peas, tomatoes, capsicum, rocket, lettuce, broccoli, dill and coriander. Fertilise the water chestnuts. Wrap little balls of blood and bone in stocking material and bury them in the mud where it won’t kill the fish or mosquito larvae in the surface water. Taro and cassava are half way through their growing season now so they will also enjoy a bit of encouragement. Compost is perfect if you have enough to spare, but blood and bone scratched into the surface and covered with mulch will also do the job. There’s an abundance of Ceylon spinach, Kang Kong and sweet potato leaves rushing about the garden. Pick them, chuck them in the blender and throw them into pastry for quiche, pie or when your making chapattis to give a delicious green colour. And the banana are flowering. Break off the purple flowering ball when the bunch is big enough and give the plant a good dose of composted chook manure . . . (the pelletised stuff is okay if you can't get the real stuff). Put mulch under your pumpkin and watermelon fruit while they’re growing so they don’t rot and cover them with mulch to protect them from sunburn. Remove your bird nets and prune the lanky fruit trees into shape so they can recover before the Dry season slows them down.

With everything growing madly it’s the perfect time to take tip cuttings. Snip them off first thing in the morning, keep them moist in a plastic bag, give them a quick dip in the rooting powder and into the seed raising mix. They won’t even glance backward. No dig gardens work brilliantly in our perfect-for-compost weather. Try a couple for your veggie and flower beds garden beds this year. Throw down a layer of newspaper or cardboard to kill the weeds. Then just build up the garden bed in layers: mulch, blood and bone, mulch, green weeds, lime, horse or cow manure, mulch, kitchen scraps, trace elements, more mulch, chook manure, more mulch and a layer of compost and cover with well loosened mulch. Leave to settle and plant in April. This is the time of great anticipation, and triumph. Well most years it is. Some years it’s most depressing. Like the time my guava had a major fruit set – huge and abundant – then fell over before any of them ripened with whiteants. But I don’t want to talk about that. What is most exciting is when you have cut the guava right back after it finished fruiting last year. Keep it in shape with tip pruning so it grows neatly through the dry, its bark peeling gently to accentuate the beauty of its trunk. When it flowers put out the fruit fly traps, fertilise and mulch. The flowers set fruit, and straight away you toss on the net to keep the birds and moths off. So that right now you are hovering around the ripening fruit threatening the possums, fruit bats and fruit flies with the slow death if they dare to take one before you taste you first ripe fruit. That is success! A typical Wet season salad would be: Winged beans, snake beans and/or Brazilian spinach dipped in boiling water just enough to soften and deepen their colour. Add to that slices of cooked Jap pumpkin or orange sweet potato. Some sweet leaf or rosella tips, kang kong and Ceylon spinach, lots of Costus woodsonii flowers - the most delicious ginger flower imaginable. And this is showing off – some home made feta cheese made from my own goats milk. Cover it all with a dressing of olive oil and lime juice flavoured with garlic, Thai coriander, basil leaves and chives. And breakfast? A whole pineapple or mango or six mangosteens. Perhaps a fruit salad of mango, guava,

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abiu dragonfruit, mulberry with yogurt. Banana pancakes? And/or banana on toast with a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon. Oh and don’t forget the freshly squeezed Ruby grapefruit and or soursop or Kumquat juice. Wet season dinners would include Numus (it’s not a coincidence that the fish are biting when the lime trees are loaded). Basil chicken, sweet potato gnocci, green paw paw salad, luxa! Fish, chicken, or rice wrapped in turmeric, pepper leaf or pandan leaves. All with heaps of greens – boiled, stir fried, wilted or just raw. Fruit in season - bananas, black sapote, carambolas, coconuts, custard apples, jakfruit, ripe pawpaw, soursop, lime, passionfruit, sapodillia. abiu, Dragon fruit, durian, elderberries, guavas, lemon, mangosteen, South American sapoti, kumquat, pineapples, rambutans, ruby grapefruit. Greens in season - amaranth, abika, Brazilian spinach, cassava leaves, Ceylon spinach, kang kong, pumpkin tips, snake beans, sweet leaf, sweet potato leaf, winged beans. Vegetables in season – akee, Asian cucumber, bamboo shoots, breadfruit, elderflowers, pickling melon, mushrooms, Yam bean. - plantains, banana flowers, banana heart, gourds, cassava root, eggplant, green pawpaw, luffa, pumpkin (jap), pumpkin flowers,

sweet potatoes orange and white, okra Herbs in season – aloevera, basil, banana leaf, chilli (birds eye), chocolate mint, mint, Cuban oregano, curry leaf, flat leaf parsley, garlic chives, galangal, ginger, gota kola, hibiscus flowers, kaffir lime leaves, kenchur, lemon grass, mint, pandan, pepper (green and black), Thai coriander, Vietnamese mint, winter tarragon, elderflowers, green ginger, ginger leaves, tumeric leaves, wild pepper leaf, rosella leaves, tumeric leaves.

The cover of Leonie’s much loved book.

You’ll notice we have introduced limited advertising in RIG News in 2013 in response to the RIG Feedback Survey 2012 and to help us fund what we do.

If you, or your organisation, is interested in advertising in future editions please contact Anthea for further information.

RIG News is written and produced by Anthea Fawcett. © Southern Exchange. The Remote Indigenous Gardens Network is a project initiative of Augusta Nelson Pty Ltd t/a Southern Exchange. ABN: 46 110 133 134. Contact: [email protected]

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We acknowledge and warmly thank RIG Partner Organisations & Sponsors RIG Partner Organisations

Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture Limited Charles Darwin University Horticulture Aquaculture Group

In-Scape-Out Living Systems Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation CDEP

CuriousWorks Significance Heritage & Archaeology

RIG Sponsors

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