Saltgrass

Handing out popcorn can get you arrested these days, especially if you do it in a bank.  

In this episode I chat with three activists who did just that over a year ago. Then, earlier this year they went to court to argue that they had to do it to prevent great harm from happening, that is to prevent the bank's connection to future fossil fuel extraction.

Activists often get represented as ratbags or trouble makers, disrupting things just for the sake of it, but what you will hear today is much more in alignment with the vast majority of my experience of activists – which is people who have deeply considered what they are doing and why and feel that taking action is one of the only avenues left open to them to effect change.

Guests: Bernard Tonkin, Laura Levetan and Dean Bridgefoot

Go to saltgrasspodcast.com for links related to this episode.

This is the final episode of the three about the housing crisis and what my local community is doing about it. In this episode we hear about some of the creative solutions including community groups building housing specific for their needs, Council utilising existing sites to build affordable housing, adjusting council laws to allow more flexibility for tiny homes on wheels, working out how to use existing houses and how to keep people in their homes in ways that work for everyone.

For links go to the Saltgrass website.

In these three episodes we will explore how housing is a key climate issue and we’ll look at how the housing crisis is impacting where I live, in regional Victoria.

In this second episode we are looking at what deliberative development is and how co-housing and community building can be a part of our housing solutions. 

In the next episodes we’ll explore what the local community is already doing about housing and at some innovative solutions that may be helpful. 

For links go to the Saltgrass website.

How is the housing crisis linked to sustainability?

In the next three episodes we will explore how housing is a key climate issue and we'll look at how the housing crisis is impacting where I live, in regional Victoria.

In this episode we will look at how the land lies, what is the problem?

In the two following episodes we'll explore what the local community is already doing about it and also at some other innovative solutions that may be helpful. 

For links go to the Saltgrass website

I know it has been a while since there was anything new on Saltgrass, so here is a quick (6 min) update for you. 

In summary:

There will be 5 new episodes coming out soon which will wrap up season 5 of Saltgrass and then we will get stuck into season 6. 

Also, Saltgrass won some cool awards :) Yay!

This is the full audio from the Connecting Country event called ‘Revegetation Success in a Changing Climate’

The event featured presentations from Sasha Jellinek from the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Water, Oli Moraes - Project Manager at Djaara and Tess Greives from the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA)

Connecting Country is a not for profit organisation which works closely with landcare groups and others in restoring neglected and damaged ecosystems. Hadley Cole and Bonnie Humphries from Connecting Country join Allie to discuss how landcare groups contribute to various restoration efforts, and how the unprecedented nature of climate change and its impact on existing ecosystems makes the task complex and unpredictable. Various strategies are being tried, including mixing plant provenances to achieve a higher genetic diversity and boost ecosystem resilience. 

In this episode are excerpts from an event  called 'Revegetation Success in a Changing Climate' featuring Sasha Jellinek from the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Water, Oli Moraes from DJAARA and Tess Greives from the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA),

The full recording of the event will be shared in upcoming weeks.

Guests:

Bonnie Humphries – Connecting Country – Landscape Restoration Specialist

Hadley Cole – Connecting Country – Landcare Facilitator

Sasha Jellinek - the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Water

Oli Moraes - Djaara

Tess Greives - North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA)

Summary:

00:00 Introduction

02:28 Acknowledgement of Country

03:22 Hadley Cole and Bonnie Humphries in conversation about Connecting Country and Landcare

17:30 Excerpts from event: ‘Revegetation Success in a Changing Climate’

17:53 Sascha Jellinik – climate impact and importance of genetic diversity

21:14 Oli Moraes - The Role of Djaara in landscape restoration and climate strategies

25:36 Tess Greives – Climate ready Reveg projects

28:07 Bonnie and Hadley on the Importance of Genetic Diversity in Ecosystems

31:35 The Role of Climate Future Plots in Ecosystem Restoration

43:09 The Importance of Community Involvement in Ecosystem Restoration

46:03 Conclusion and Final Remarks

LINKS:

Connecting Country

Djaara’s Healing Country Plan

Related Episodes:

Wilderhoods

Walking Together

Caring For Country

Today we are going to Village Dreaming Farm and Orto cooking school. Mara and Ralf live on about 15 acres just outside of Daylesford – about a 30min drive south of where I am in Castlemaine. They have been there since 2015 and in that time have transformed the empty paddocks of former grazing land into a small farm that follows regenerative and permaculture principles, with a kitchen garden, orchards and wetlands. 

Links:

Village Dreaming

Ceres - environmental park in Melbourne

Natural Tucker - sourdough bakery

Damian Cook - who Ralf worked for for many years 

Critical Mass - cycling protest

Related Episodes:

Youth are Rising

Redbeard Bakery

Ilka White on her art practice and  Ethical Apparel

Are you good at composting? I certainly haven't been in the past. But with the help of a community composting group called YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) I have become a kitchen scrap saviour, a leaf collecting ninja and I make steaming hot compost. 

In today's episode I talk to Lucy Young, Joel Meadows, Mikaela Beckley and Claudia Lang about what this group is all about and why they are passionate about compost. (Spoiler: reducing greenhouse gasses, connecting community, building beautiful soil)

Recent episodes have been looking at the farmers out at the Harcourt Organic Farming Cooperative. We've been out there to explore how farming and agriculture might be done in a way that is earth, biodiversity and humanity friendly.

Each and every one of the farmers talked about how important the support of the local community has been, and how much enthusiasm they have received from people who get what they are trying to do, even if it costs a bit more and is not as convenient as shopping at the supermarkets.

But it isn’t just individuals buying for their families that support these farmers and so this week we're looking at small businesses who prioritise locally produced food, these are people who go to the extra effort and often spend extra time working with the farmers through the ups and downs, wins and losses of seasons and years and changing weather.

This episode features:

Mel from Gung Hoe Growers

Alex Perry from Bar Midland

Paul and Patricia from Sprout Bakery

Sas Allardice - co-founder of Gung Hoe Growers

Links:

Gung Hoe Growers

HOFC – Harcourt Organic Farming Cooperative

Sprout Bakery and their Instagram

Bar Midland

Other Related Episodes:

S4 E17 Djakitj Larr – Eating Country Healthy part 1

S4 E17 Djakitj Larr – Eating Country Healthy part 2

S5 E11 An Incredible Octopus – with Katie Finlay

S5 E12 The Orchard Keepers

S5 E13 Micro Dairy

S5 E14 Love and Garlic

S1 E06 Gung Hoe Growers with Sas and Mel

S1 E05 Mount Alexander Fruit Garden

S2 E13 Food Security and Farmers Markets

S5 E07 Root to Tip with Duang