Tuesday, November 27, 2012

PLENTY OF GREEN THUMBS AT FESTIVAL OF THE GREEN


27 October, Springwood Public School 
by Anne Elliott


It was  most satisfying for Slow Food Blue Mountains and the BM Fruit and Nut Tree Network to be involved with this Festival.  Hard to imagine that a very hardworking P & C of 5 people organised this event! So many hands-on activities  covering worm farming, no dig gardening (with guest "verge garden king "and tv presenter Costa Georgiadis, making a special guest appearance)  - to raising backyard chickens. 

The whole school was taken over with activities, with scarecrows as direction points.  There was even an 'eat street' and numerous stalls featuring handmade and locally-made. The scarecrow competition had some exciting entries, and the waste to art was also popular. Our stall consisted of information on Slow Food,  and the BM Fruit and Nut Tree Network as well as the first of our Hands-on  'Cooking From Scatch' activities at local festivals, using local/rescued/bulk food.  We invited Festival participants to make their own muesli from scratch, featuring bulk, organic ingredients from the Blue Mountains Food Coop.  There was also educational material available (and taste-testing!) on healthy sugar-free alternatives such as xylitol, which is available in bulk from the Food Coop. 

It was also heartening to learn just how many people are now 'growing their own' , and have embraced kitchen gardens in all their different formats. A number of people also added their details to our Fruit and Nut Tree Network enewsletter in order to keep in touch with Fruit and Nut Tree activities.

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BLUE MOUNTAINS FRUIT CALENDAR

We can harvest a wide range of fruits and nuts locally each season.

Local fruit and/or nut gardeners are invited to make additions or suggest modifications to the following work-in-progress compiled by Lizzie Connor.


SPRING HARVEST

Across the mountains: loquat, mulberry, rhubarb, strawberry and (in late spring) raspberry

Best in the lower mountains: avocado, jaboticaba, lemonade


SUMMER HARVEST

Across the mountains: apricot, blueberry, boysenberry, cherry, currant (red, black, white), gooseberry, kumquat, loganberry, loquat, mulberry,nectarine, peach, plum, raspberry, rhubarb, strawberry and (in late summer) almond, apple, fig, hazelnut, passionfruit, pear (incl. nashi), pomegranate, youngberry

Best in lower mountains:lemon (Eureka), lemonade, lime, mandarin, orange, persimmon (non-astringent) and (in late summer) avocado, babaco, macadamia, rockmelon, wampee, watermelon

Best in upper mountains: jostaberry, lemon (Meyer), persimmon (astringent)


AUTUMN HARVEST

Across the mountains: almond, apple, chestnut, feijoa, fig, grape, hazel, kiwi fruit, kumquat, medlar, olive, passionfruit, pear (incl. nashi), plum, quince, raspberry (some), rhubarb, strawberry, strawberry guava, walnut

Best in lower mountains: avocado, babaco, cherimoya, grapefruit, lemon (Eureka), macademia, monstera deliciosa, orange, pine nut, pistachio, rockmelon, tamarillo, walnut, watermelon, white sapote

Best in upper mountains: lemon (Meyer), mandarin (Satsuma)


WINTER HARVEST

Across the mountains: apple, hazelnut, kiwi fruit, kumquat, pear (incl. nashi)

Best in lower mountains: grapefruit, lemon (Eureka), orange, tangelo

Best in upper mountains: avocado (Bacon), lemon (Meyer)