Gallifrey Forest Farm

#catlife

2016/03/19 Danielle 0

Our darling Cloud-kitty has returned from her trip to Adelaide, and she does indeed look pregnant. She seems to remember us, and is super affectionate, hungry all the time, and starting to look a bit barrel shaped. However. She’s been away for long enough that she’s forgotten George and Prism, and they’ve forgotten her. Prism wasn’t too much trouble – she’s not the dominant cat in the house, and never has been, so she just backed off and gave Cloud space until they were friends again. George.. not so much. First he growled at her because she smelled of other […]

Black Rice, Mango & Purslane Salad

2016/03/11 Danielle 0

I’ve mentioned before about the little supper club that I’ve formed with some friends. This is an idea that combines some of my favourite things – good food, spending time with my friends (and indulging in interesting discussions), and cooking. As Gallifrey starts producing more edibles, I expect that out contributions to these dinners will include more of our own produce. We had our second dinner party last weekend, and K and I volunteered to make an entrée. I happened to have some black glutinous rice in the cupboard, and a couple’ve mangos in the fridge, and I was feeling […]

Animal Profile: Guinea Fowl

2016/03/08 Danielle 0

This is the first animal profile I’ve written, to complement the plant profiles (of which I will post more, soon). Guinea fowl, specifically the common helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) are native to Africa, but have been widely introduced to other areas with similar climates. They’re not an uncommon sight on farms and rural properties in WA. As far as I can tell, the main reason is that they’re very, very good at controlling insect populations – including ticks and the various crop-destroying grasshoppers, locusts, and beetles. They also eat flies and maggots, so they help control the fly plagues […]

flowers and fruit

2016/02/27 Danielle 0

We harvested our first apples from the orchard yesterday. A pair of tiny little King David apples – very nice, too, for what is meant to be mainly a cider apple. Nothing else is fruiting right now, except the black nightshade (NOT deadly nightshade), but the adverts and signs are up all along the Swan Valley for fresh fruit, grapes and mangos. I like this season, with the last of the summer fruit, and the last of the swimming weather, but the first few cool nights of autumn. The frangipanis are flowering, too, and the roses are all going crazy […]

tree cover

2016/02/19 Danielle 0

Not every landscape “wants” to be a forest. Although forest gardens are a staple in the planning diets of many permaculture enthusiasts, there are (or were) lots of other complex, balanced ecosystems. For example, there are savannahs, based around perennial grasslands and large herds of grazing animals, as well as shrub and wetland ecosystems. Forest gardening is actually a slightly controversial topic in sustainability/ regenerative agriculture/permaculture circles because so many people simply pick it up as a default without looking at what works best for their location. It’s important, I think, to keep that in mind and to challenge your biases […]