Cockroach crusade and other journeys

These last six weeks, with help and guidance from Russ Grayson and Helen Bradley of Sydney City Council, we’ve been fertilizing, getting rid of cockroaches, and mulching the gardens here. Russ managed the purchase by Council of the lucerne mulch and the organic fertilizer.  I haven’t seen the fertilizer before and here are the details: Paton Fertilizers Gold Citrus Food, 126 Andrews Road, Penrith NSW 2750  tel 1800 644 753   www.paton.com….au Helen managed... Read More

Food is the second biggest greenhouse polluter after power stations

This quote from the NSW EPA helps to explain why we’re growing food where we live and work in Chippendale: ‘In Australia, the food supply chain is responsible for approximately 23 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second-highest emissions generating activity after power stations. This includes direct emissions from agriculture, and those attributed to energy, transport, food production, processing and distribution.” NSW EPA www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov….au/love-food/environmental-impacts.aspx  Read More

Sydney Council’s ‘Ethical food policy”

Sydney City Council has created guidelines for buying food for Council purposes. The Guide says: “The City of Sydney recognises the importance of healthy, safe and sustainable food to the general health and wellbeing of our community and our environment. In line with Sustainable Sydney 2030, the City of Sydney intends to lead by example in promoting and providing sustainable, healthy and cruelty-free food choices to our employees, residents and external visitors.  By choosing... Read More

Chippo Garden & Compost Workshop Wed 23 March

On Wednesday 23 March – next week – Sydney City Council will hold a workshop about composting and gardening in Chippendale. Commencing at 630 and finishing at 8 pm at the Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, the workshop will enable each participant to express their ideas and opinions and to offer criticisms and to ask questions. The information from the workshop will be used to develop the Sustainable Streets and Communities Plan being prepared for Chippendale by the... Read More

Workshops for Sustainable Streets & Communities Plan

Sustainable Chippo Public Meetings Info On Wednesday 16 March at 630 to 8 pm Sydney City Council will hold a public meeting to provide information and hear feedback on the Sustainable Streets and Communities Plan that’s being prepared. Information is in the flier from the Council which you may download above; it’s about 1 MB – if you’re a ChippoIte then do try to get there, ask questions, offer ideas and help us work together to sustain where we live and... Read More

Clean up Chippo this Sunday 6 March

Clean up chippendale A new local, Thais, has set up a group to clean up Chippo this Sunday 5 March  Read More

Paw Paws harvested from Myrtle Street this week

Paw Paw tree with fruit ready for harvesting Using a long, extendable pruner this week we harvested about a dozen green paw paws from the tree on the corner of Myrtle and Pine. Five households have them and three of us have made green paw paw salad (I used the recipe in Stephanie Alexander’s ‘bible’).  With nuts, lime juice, chilli, fish sauce, and more it’s a beaut recipe.  Light, easy and quick to make and fine to the taste. We’ve got another... Read More

Chippo is part of Clean Up Australia Day

A new local to Chippo, Thais, has started a Clean Up Australia Day Chippendale site and would love help on the day and in promoting the event. To visit Thais’ site  and contact to get involved, go to: www.cleanupaustraliaday.org… It’s great to have new blood and ideas – thanks, Thais, May the clean streets be with us, Michael  Read More

How to repel stink bugs from citrus

Auntie Fran, an elder from the Dharawal people (aka Frances Bodkin, author of Encyclopaedia Botanica, etc), walked with me around the gardens here yesterday then emailed me today about the stink bugs on the fingerlime tree: “The Stink beetles on the citrus, one sure way of getting rid of them is to hang an empty plastic bottle in their viciinity.    When the sun shines on the plastic it gives off a vapour that repels the beetles.  (If it does that to StinkBeetles, what... Read More

Trees in the middle of the road

Richards Ave, Surry Hills, Sydney NSW Free air con, walk away -Trees in the road One of Earth’s finest arborists, John Lennon, advised us well with his rhetorical question, “Why don’t we do it in the road?” Trees in the middle of the road provide free air conditioning. Which road would you rather walk in, live in and pay the electricity bills in – a road like Richards Ave, Surry Hills, or the thousands of other roads in our cities which have little... Read More