Brrrr it was a frost last night and there’ll be another tonight. Just what we need to knock back populations of flies and other insects that built up numbers in summer. It also kills kikuyu which I am pleased about!
Plantain soup, chickweed & mallow pesto and orange and magenta spreen bliss balls at my lastest Chadwick Road workshop
However, there are many greens and wild weeds that are still growing and flourishing in the cooler weather like chickweed, speedwell, onion weed, bitter cress and land cress. So there is no shortage of fresh greens to make into smoothies and salads. If you’d like to explore the world of edible weeds come along to the next winter weed workshop Sunday 12th August at my home in Greerton. To book go to www.juliasedibleweeds.com/workshops
Chinese pumpkin or Danny’s special pumpkin. I got this at the Community Garden crop swap in Bethlehem. I don’t know it’s real name.
Winter is the time to enjoy eating the fruits of our labours during summer and autumn when we grew and preserved food for just this time of year. Now we can enjoy delicious soups and dishes with our pumpkins, butternuts, kumara, potatoes, frozen green beans, tomato soup and relishes, bottled produce and whatever else you tucked away. Perhaps you harvested lots of seeds, way more than you can use.
The question arises: what to do with any excess produce and how can I share it? This is exactly the idea behind the growing movement of ‘Crop Swap’
Crop Swap gathering
where folks bring along produce, preserves, plants, seeds, seedling trays or anything garden/food/recycling related. In Tauranga gather for an hour enjoying a cup of tea and a good chat with friends and neighbours helping to build and strengthen connections in our community. After a time Andrea Green of Good Neighbour who leads the group, rings a bell and we all in a respectful way move around the table taking anything we want from the offerings and there is NO exchange of any money. It is a win win recipe of reciprocity and sharing.
The New Zealand crop swap movement began in Merrilands, Taranaki in September 2014 when a group of backyard gardeners got together to share their garden produce. Now there are seven groups that meet monthly around Mount Taranaki. There is a Facebook page where you can watch a short video about how it started and grew. More and more groups are popping up all over NZ. In the Bay of Plenty there is a proposal for two more groups and it would be wonderful to have them in all the suburbs so people wouldn’t have to travel far. The existing BOP group meets at the Historic Village on the 4th Saturday of the month from 2pm. We will soon be moving to the new container village called ‘Our Place’ in the city next to the Library.
What I love best about this wonderful initiative are the crop swap values: We come together with a mindset of abundance, give with generosity and take mindfully. We understand that we as individuals are only then truly
Produce at a Crop Swap. Andrea in the background giving an introduction to the group
well when everyone’s needs are met. We are open and inclusive and support people in finding their gifts. We are building a multi-generational network of gardeners to support local food production, preserving gardening knowledge and enjoy each other’s company.
How wonderful is that!
