Author: Laurie

Your Garden Pest Control Tips

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Last month, to get Spring started, we teamed up with Vegepod to give Crop Swap Sydney members the chance to win a Vegepod starter kit.  The competition required entrants to share a garden pest control tip with the community, and they did!  There were companion planting anecdotes, recipes and homemade deterrents galore. With almost 100 entries it was difficult to choose just one winner but we loved Maree’s tip “I vacuum the orange stink bugs that get on the citrus trees. Totally organic and works perfectly. Although, I have had to explain why I am vacuuming my lemon tree at times.” We’ve compiled your tried, tested and local advice, and categorised it for easy reference below.  Enjoy.
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Berowra Crop Swap – Nov 6, 2016

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Join us at Club Berowra as we swap on the newly renovated Sky deck.  Meet locals, exchange recipes and chat about growing tips over tea and coffee. This venue is very family friendly with plenty of space and children’s play areas to keep everyone entertained.  A kids menu is also available should you wish to[…]

Pocket City Farms Swap – Nov 5, 2016

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We’re excited to announce that our first Inner West crop swap will be held at Pocket City Farms at Camperdown Commons. Come along and swap in the grounds of the former bowling greens which have now been transformed into a 1200m2 market garden. These are accompanied by 180m2 of community food forest, a chicken coop,[…]

Cook Your Crop: Leah’s Mulberry Cobbler

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Beautiful, bountiful mulberry trees are a Sydney institution and a favourite amongst kids and adults alike.  The only problem is that when the berries are in season they can be picked in bucket loads.  Here, one Crop Swap Sydney member shares her recipe for Mulberry Cobbler with us, using her homegrown berries. She says that it is perfect for school lunches and can also be eaten cold or frozen. Enjoy.
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Grower Profile: Nadine’s Monster Kale

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Many of you may have seen Nadine’s post about her monster kale earlier in the week.  In one year she grew 6 plants in raised beds that were so prolific that they are now taller than her.  There’s no wonder she always had mountains of kale to swap at previous events. There have been many enquiries about what her secret is, so here she kindly shares some growing tips.

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Cook Your Crop: Henrys Artichoke Hearts

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I have always loved the earthy and tender flavour of artichokes, but have just never thought to cook them myself… until last week. When a surprise visit from some friends yielded a homegrown hamper of broccoli, honey and the most perfect artichoke you have ever seen, the challenge was on to do it justice.
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Homegrown Country Produce: Explore the NSW South Coast

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If you’re in need of a country escape this Spring, the South Coast of NSW has plenty to offer gardeners seeking inspiration. In just a few hours you’ll be amongst cows, traditional cottage gardens and homegrown produce aplenty.
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Grower Profile: Tonys $1 a day Food Challenge

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Crop Swap Sydney member Tony Tang is a well-travelled family man, who cultivates his own mushrooms and wears a suit to work.  As the son of an engineer and a good cook, gardening was always in his blood, but it was his interest in education, food insecurity and waste, that lead him to undertake a month long, $1 a day food challenge.  Not only did he succeed, but he also managed to raise $3,350 for the charity, Second Bite.
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Grower Profile: Sophia’s Self-Sufficient Journey

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Crop Swap Sydney member Sophia and her family have been working towards becoming self-sufficient for the past 4 years.  Their Turramurra backyard is a cleverly designed and integrated system which includes aquaponics, soil beds, chickens, ducks and bunnies.  It’s the kind of magical place where kids can explore and experience a taste of farm life, but it’s just outside the city. The ‘homestead’ has been lovingly grown from scratch but they are now starting to taste its delicious dividends.  Here Sophia tells us a little about her sustainable journey.
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Moss House Sustainable Swap – Sept 11, 2016

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Last weekend Moss House opened to the public for Sustainable House Day, and served as the venue for our first swap of the  season.  This property is a great example of a working permaculture garden on a suburban scale, and was an inspiration for many members who were able to see elements of sustainable permaculture food garden design in action.
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Apps to Help Manage Your Garden

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Remembering what to plant when, when you last fertilised and when something is due to be harvested can be tricky to manage along with the rest of life’s moments.  Fortunately, there are various apps available to help you with these details.  We’ve compiled information on three of the most popular available.  All offer slightly variable functionality depending on how you would like to document information and access support.
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The Lowdown – Crop Swap Sydney’s Inaugural Meet

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On Saturday March 19th a group of 40 Sydney crop swappers met for the first time at Eden Gardens, Macquarie Park.

People came from far and wide armed with bundles, bags, boxes and baskets of produce.  The best part was that it was all local, homegrown, homemade and delicious. The only problem was that there was too much!  (Rest assured all left overs were either given away or composted.)
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