Signs for the future

After several months of rich unsettlement we came again to garden together. Many signs help us in a community garden. Informing, handing over, and gathering knowledges and skills such as 'writing up a jobs list.'

 

Some signs let folk know about the ethics of the garden,

and some about what is going on in places that look like not much is happening,

When new beds are planted they are vulnerable to many things. Our tending and the chance tending of kindly community folk bring gifts to this garden of love.

Some signs give simple insights. It's not that Thai basil is anti life, rather our medical culture, like the dominant culture it springs from, is simplistically human centric. Learning to become hardy and resilient participants of life brings many insights and gifts.

Some signs encourage spontaneous participation,

some sing praise to other-than-human agency and service,

and others alert us to future abundance.

When we water today for tomorrow's fare, fare that we may not even get to eat ourselves, we too become participants in service to the living of the world.

Letting others know when we've last watered is again another way of handing over precious information in order to save precious resources.

Directing kitchen wastes to our community compost hub to make enriched soils for future food is true money in the bank. If the virus has taught us anything, it is how vulnerable industrial food chains are.

We planted this weeping mulberry several years ago for children's play. This little nook doesn't need a written sign to invite children in. 

Reading can reduce our capacity to play and experience life in the present. Some places are better without signs.

Many thanks to Jen, Meg, Andrew, Ruth, Tyson, Fe, Jasmine, Jasper, Woody, Fab, Luna, Archie, Elias, Solaris and Apollo for helping in the garden this month. And big thanks to Patrick for organising and facilitating the working bees and communications in the garden. When we come together our souls and our soils are lifted, turned and enriched.

And when we garden on Djaara land we know that it always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Meeting @ Meeting

Another DCFG working group meeting was held at Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre to further refine handover roles and responsibilities. Acknowledgement was given to the Dja Dja Wurrung and us, the people of our local community. Also, the meeting recognized the remarkable input of Meg Ulman, blogger extraordinaire and steady hand of the Ulman-Jones realm. We thank-you Meg for all your contributions and love.

The meeting brainstormed a list of DCFG Aims. A final 12 was decided upon and listed on the whiteboard. The aims listed below are a basic understanding of our shared intent and participation, not definitive, graded or constituted. A snapshot of DCFG in November 2103. You are welcome to randomly throw them up in the air and see where they land. Or sing them as a mantra in the garden….

1. Organic Food Production

2. Abundance

3. Common Ground

4. Social Warming

5. Joy

6. Raise Awareness

7. Community Participation

8. Learning

9. Inclusive

10. Inspire

11. Group Sustainability

12. Local resilience

Patrick further fleshed out DCFG structural roles with a focus on communication. Showing exemplary white-board skills Patrick conjured up a dynamic map diagram (see below) of what is required to ensure that DCFG remains in open communication both internally and with wider community. The meeting agreed with the roles outlined. Other noted roles were.

.

• Luke to be general info contact 

• Tia to assist Kate with Facebook

• Ian to be blog contact

• Event facilitators to provide blog write up+ photos to Ian

• Pete to be Hepburn Shire contact 

In keeping with our recognition of the need for strong communication, it was decided that a general DCFG meeting would be held bi-monthly. The meeting schedule roughly coincides with the six seasons of the Wombat Forest as identified by local field naturalist Tanya Loos. These seasons are early spring (late Aug-Sept), true spring (Oct-Dec), early summer (mid Dec-Jan), late summer (late Jan-March), autumn (April-May) and winter (June-mid Aug). Tanya notes that indigenous Australians have long understood that our continent has more than four seasons. We acknowledge that understanding here. See Tanya’s Daylesford Nature Dairy website for more information.

The meetings will be held at Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre commencing at 7.00pm with a firm resolve to finish at 8.30pm. 

DCFG meetings are open to all people.

Tuesday 3 Dec 2013

Tuesday 4 Feb 2014

Tuesday 1 April

Tuesday 3 June

Tuesday 5 August

Tuesday 7 October

Tuesday 2 Dec

In closing the meeting discussion was held about garden signage and possible general information poster. Further dialogue on these has been held over to next meeting. Along with other stuff. Will keep you posted!!

Pete O'Mara

Autonomous Art at Albert Street

Thanks this week to artist-essayist Jeff Stewart for his beautiful stencil work and to tattooist-illustrator Heath Todd for his handy sign-writing.

Jeff has lived in Daylesford for over 20 years and has contributed significantly to the cultural life of the town. Heath is a visitor from NZ and is in Daylesford to learn more about permaculture and community food systems. Both your crafts are much appreciated and welcomed within the gift economy of DCFG. Thank you Jeff and Heath!