“The King was in the counting house,
Counting out his money.
The Queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey…”
I am both King and Queen sitting on the verandah, surveying the sight before me.
Pumpkins of every shape, colour, size and variety.
My foot casually supported by a large Kent shaped, Queensland Blue and Butternut Squash.
To my left, a table supporting an assortment of seeds drying in Autumn sun.
Mountains of pumpkin, watermelon, tomato, chilli, corn and capsicum.
All the plants harvested from Summer past.
Punnets of chilli grow, sprouting valiantly despite cooler days.
Soon to come indoors, to live a life of enforced warmth to ensure we can add their heat in Winter to stir fries and curries.
The biodiversity of the garden still teaming with life.
Tiny wrens flitting from plant to plant.
Giant bumblebees and their honey cousins gathering nectar from marigolds, cosmos and stark yellow pumpkin flowers. Buzzing industriously.
Satisfaction and down right smugness of creating abundance, then sitting back to admire the handiwork - a bit like the King in his counting house.
Except these treasures are real.
Sustaining life. Appreciated by those with an eye for value.
Produce grown in our own back yards are nutrient dense.
Packed with micronutrients specific to our own climate and region.
Zero food miles. No packaging. No diesel to get them to our plate.
We know exactly how they were grown. No pesticides. No herbicides.
And God forbid they should go off before we can eat, give away or sell, they make their way to the compost heap to nourish next year’s crop.
In these times of scarcity, create your own abundance.
Your own backyard, balcony, windowsill is calling you!
Thanks for reading as always,
You’re awesome.
Kylie x
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Reminder -my book Soil Sister, Farming for our Future is not just for kids. It explains, in simple terms, how regenerative farming works and how it can help heal ourselves and our planet.
And I’m also on LinkedIn.
You can contact me here
Message Soil Sister - Kylie Magner
if you would like me to speak at your event.
Upcoming Events:
April 20 - Book signing at the Green Seed Grocer, Kelly St Scone from 8am.
April 27 - Meet The Expert, American School of Dubai.
June 1 - Smallholder Long Lunch with Matthew Evans, Tocal Homestead. SOLD OUT.
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