Joemat-Petersson said agriculture had been placed as a high priority of government. “It is a good achievement for agriculture in the history of the country that it has been placed at the second level of the economy as the primary job creator. We’ve committed to create 300 000 jobs through small holding farms,” she said. The minister used the opportunity to emphasise the importance of subsistence farming in the country. “People should go back to their backyards, school and hospital backyards. Each family must have a vegetable garden and each family must grow food. South Africans don’t grow food and they eat food which they did not produce,” she said. Joemat-Petersson announced that her department would be launching a call centre soon where people with an interest in becoming a commercial farmer will be provided with relevant information, including access to finance.

BuaNews

Permaculture is an accessible and affordable way to grow safe organic food at minimal cost to both one’s pocket and the environment. Courses and programmes will be of interest to the home owner, children, teachers, students, land care practitioners, and community gardeners.

Courses available in both English and isiZulu. Download Permaculture Courses 2011 details here and Booking Form for courses here.

Martin Clement, Acting Curator Durban Botanic Gardens

E-mail clementm@durban.gov.za

Tel + 27 31 322 4013 Fax + 27 31 201 9045

Time: 1pm – 4pm
Date: Friday, 12th November 2010
Venue: Addington Primary School (43 Bell Street, Point, Durban)
Cost: R25 per person – a donation of any item on the resource list attached.

Please contact Michelle Brookes brooksfamily@telkomsa.net to confirm what items who would be able to bring along.

Let’s join forces and help Addington Primary School kick-start their long-awaited food garden, while learning how to cultivate an organic kitchen garden for a regular supply of fresh and nutritious leafy vegetables and herbs at the same time.

Please complete the booking form on the following page and email it back to Jennifer by Monday, 8th November.

Note: Telephone Jennifer/Thami or Sandile before you complete a form or pay, as the workshop may be booked already – thanks!

Martin Clement Acting Curator Durban Botanic Gardens Tel + 27 31 322 4013 Fax + 27 31 201 9045 E-mail clementm@durban.gov.za

• Permaculture food garden resource list
• Booking Form

• English food garden booklet
• Zulu food garden booklet

I got my guys at work to knock together a box dim (80cm x 35cm x 43cm deep) out of some old left over planks we had lying around. The bottom has a nice 5cm gap along the entire length in the middle which provides great drainage.

I followed your instructions on how to go about layering the box and planted some seedlings a little bit haphazardly, but the lettuce is growing super, almost time for a taster. I just mixed it up with some spring onions, chives, parsley, basil, a tomato plant, and some marigolds to lure the bugs.

So far so good I will be planting some beetroot and radishes in the visible gap. The soil level is about 15cm below the top on the wooden box which has been a huge advantage protecting the young seedlings from the pretty harsh Cape winds which have been decimating some of my other herbs. Watering everyday is proving to be essential.

Will keep you posted on the first fresh homegrown salad from the balcony. The little seedlings have a great view of ³the mountain² from there

Thanks Sprig.

Toastie.

PS Photos are pretty low res.

John Xmulo is Siyakhana’s full time gardener and has been working on the project for 9 months.

On the 16th of October, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) commemorates World Food Day, and the 2010 theme is United Against Hunger. It comes at a time when rising food prices and looming food shortages are gaining heightened focus from different sectors of our society. Local and sustainable food production is highlighted as an antidote to a global food system that has always fallen short of food security for all.

The Siyakhana Food Garden Project is a model of community food gardening using permaculture principles and methods to produce fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs. It also serves as an education centre, providing capacity-building workshops that transfer skills in permaculture design and practice, as well as showing others how to generate income from local and sustainable food production. Produce from the Siyakhana Food Garden Project is distributed to a coalition of Home-Based Care initiatives and Early Childhood Development Centres providing essential services to indigent inner-city residents.

Sarah Masahala with some of the dried herbs they give to local peopl .The rest is sold and the money goes back into the gardens development.

All across the world, community food gardening using natural systems farming techniques is increasingly regarded as a vital strategy to enhance food security and sustainability. Woolworths has long supported this view with its historic support of EduPlant, a national programme, co-ordinated by Food and Trees for Africa, which assists schools in developing permaculture food gardens. EduPlant involves thousands of teachers, parents, children and community members in the production of vegetables, herbs, fruit and medicinal plants on  school grounds for the benefit of learners and the wider community. The Woolworths Trust is commemorating World Food Day with the creation of a virtual ‘Living Wall‘ that showcases a permaculture design for a vertical container food garden. Visitors are invited to join the effort to enhance food security in South Africa by planting a seedling of their choice on the Woolworths Trust Living Wall. Every seedling planted on the website will be a real seedling donated by the Woolworths Trust to an under-resourced school with a permaculture food garden.

Promise Hlongwane is a volunteer at the Siyakhana Food Garden project.

Petros Mncube with some strawberries he just picked . He has been working full time at Siyakhana for 4 years.

We will be going across Africa on an education, literacy and permaculture drive for communities, countries and schools.

We are looking for

1. Permaculturists who would join us on the campaign.
2. Somebody to run permaculture training on a farm in Zim – for two schools and the farm team
3. Somebody to teach our team about permaculture. We have land, water and accommodation both in Zim and near Fourways – Jhb.

Can you help?

Brian V Moore – 079 643 4457

Celebrating Humanity International “At the level of Respect all people are Equal.”

E-mail: brian@africa-dreams.com