Organic food production is most sustainable when regional or local. The Mt Warning Caldera Region (NE NSW & SE QLD, Australia) is rich in Horticultural and Agricultural (food, herb and textile) producing soils, locations and communities. Permaculture, Bio-dynamic and Organic Principles are practiced by many people and small communities.
The Mt Warning Caldera Region has both high rural and urban densities, high pressures from developments (approved and in the pipeline), much fragmented native vegetation and a heritage of vast, long gone biodiverse habitats and natural systems.
Still, there remains a rich and diverse number of Ecosystems, ranging from the Gondwana Rainforests and tall timbered Open Forests to the Coastal Heathlands, Swamplands and numerous Catchments that flow from the Mt Warning Caldera Ranges and Plateaus to the coast or further inland.
Organic growing of Food can exist happily within and about these ecosystems, fostering increasing biodiversity and providing healthy food for a growing Coastal Urbanised poplulation.
Food Links:
A Modern Herbal by Mrs M Grieve -
The Fukuoka Farming Website – Resources page
Commemorating Masanobu Fukuoka
Select Organic – seeds for home gardeners
Organic Food Directory : Regional Organic Groups
Sustainable Gardening Australia – mainstream horticulture – you may find some interesting links here, depending on what you are looking for!
Organic Growing – Organic Research Group , University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Organic & Quality Foods – supplying SE Queensland, Australia
Australian Bush Food – bushfood.net : FORUM – search their Forum, Bushtucker, Native medicines and more
Beechmont Community Market more info on Beechmont markets at : beechmont.org.au
Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market : location, times, articles, information
Threeworlds Organic Pizza Mermaid Beach Gold Coast, Qld Australia
Organic Federation of Australia
Brisbane Organic Growers Inc – a short history by Vic Calthorpe
Brisbane Organic Growers Inc : links
Permaculture Principles : A foundation for sustainability
Introduction to Permaculture – concepts and resources
Permaculture – Tagari Publications, Australia
Permaculture Research Institute of Australia -
Biological Farmers of Australia – Australia’s largest representative Organic Body: increasing consumer awareness of organic food and supporting growth of local food economies
Demeter Bio-Dynamic Agriculture in Australia -
- The Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association of Australia (BDAAA) : farmer based advisory organisation for commercial producers
- The Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI) : Organic and Bio-Dynamic Certification Organisation responsible for the DEMETER Trademark (Australian Accredited).
- Biodynamic Marketing Co. Ltd. (BDMC) : Distributes Bio-Dynamic produce to Australian consumers and facilitates export
National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia -Australian and International Organic Certifier : resources, networks, links, steps to organic certification
Organic Research Group -Links for Organic Research ( University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia)
Organic Growers of Australia – links and more
EcoDirectory : food, farming, blogging, organics and alot more
Food Connect : Local and Sustainable Foods South East Queensland. With eighty or so farmers in the SE QLD regional area, Food Connect offers a simple regional solution to feeding your family.EcoMart :- ” producer/consumer cooperatives to distribute local produce and goods to village and neighbourhood shops and to consumers who order online.” Their strategy says they are about local food networks and they are currently setting up in Northern Rivers (November 2009). More details on their website
USA : National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service : Market Gardening – A Start Up Guide . Although in USA, this site still offers relevent info for starting up a market garden
Finding a market in Mt Warning Caldera Region (NE NSW & SE QLD) : you can try some of the following links to locate a market in this region-
- Big Volcano - Farmers and weekend Markets guide
- Gold Coast Good Food Guide : Regional Markets guide
- The Byron Shire Echo – Portal to the Byron Shire and Tweed Shire Echo
- beechmont.org au – local markets info
- Beechmont Community Market
- Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market : location, times, articles, information
- Tambourine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc -EVENTS – close to the Mt Warning Caldera Region, Mt Tambourine has a rich biodiversity, farming and markets industry -
- kyogle.nsw.au – community directory – community markets
- Markets in Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia
- Paramountpublicationhouse.com – Markets in the Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia
- My Tickets Blog – First time guide to Farmer’s Markets
- Startlocal : Organic Food Product Stores Australia - regional listings
genetic modification – “Do We really have a Choice” by Rachel P. Lorenzen in Resource Management in Asia-Pacific News
Palm Oil – the Killer Oil - article at candobetter.org
phantythat blog : spuds to us – a nice article summing it up. I think that alot of us “know” that genetic tampering by large corporations that have a stranglehold on agricultural and horticultural seed crops is one of the most damaging scenarios that food source biodiversity faces. Best way I can think of facing this monster is by putting your money and support behind those NON genetically engineered crops and distributors, who market organic, genetically biodiverse “natural” seed
Honey Bees and genetically modified Canola
Organic Research Group – Funding Considerations on homepage
The Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Queensland – resources, links, restaurants and more
Down on the Farm – villagejournal.org.au – Rosebank, NE NSW, Australia
Qld Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Associated Agencies
World Trading and the Global Stuff……
BIOSECURITY Australia – wikipedia
WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION – home
Finalised Plant IRAs – DAFF (import risk analysis)
Small local businesses are the Backbone of Regional Sustainable Industries. Why not support them by spending your dollars there, supplying them with local produce and textiles to sell , or creating value added crafts / other merchandise for them to offer on a local and regional basis.
Comments(2); 1. I was referred to your webpage today in-Lismore(by ‘G’), who said there was ‘more of a/n’ interactive-site, by which one could send-in product/s becoming available, trade and/or purchase requirements (as on eBay!) – which would of course be possible, it seems to me; there are as you correctly and wisely point-out ever so many growers(& gardeners) up-here, producing good produce, often to-excess; yet……..
2. As one who has a top-honours Ag.Science degree(Syd.Univ.), with two subsequent Certificates in organic growing(NASAA Inspector’2000), and in 2009 BFA-TAFE Organic Auditors’ Certificate completed, YET there are still ‘no jobs’ or nothing-obvious, since the ‘organic movement’ is so-diffracted, into so many ‘isms’ and won’t talk amongst all-the-groups(!) ; could your webpage help to overcome this anti-democratic streak’ in the long-talked about(since 1960s) and so-called ‘organic movement’ – which my late-Father helped to get-moving(after 1970 in nw-Sydney);
Joe A Friend, ex-HDRA(Syd.), c 2 Green thumbs! Organic Gardener and Farmer;
‘expert Adviser’ on toxicwoodyweeds, and enviro’narcotic toxins in waters and the-air!
P O Box 1518, Lismore. 2480 (and @)
P O Box 100, braidwood. 2622. (Messages: 0248428071)
Interesting comments Joe. I understand frustrations at “closed house” mentalities – These protective human mechanisms are often fear/ignorance based, perhaps with money or status driven delusions.
I was unsure of your use of the “democratic” word. Like “free will and choice” – we mostly have “democracy” here in Australia, compared to many other places. Although, peoples’ greed is really stuffing the “free will, decision making and democracy” up for large numbers of simple living folk who are largely just living their lives.
Rather than focus on the constraints, see them as opportunities.
Local organics networks can spread across any number of cultural and sub cultural localities.
The very nature of small and local, medium and regional contrast healthily to large and global
concepts, when it comes to agricultural and horticultural production in an uncertain future.
However….. Whilst many organic growers “know” that local and regional organics makes sense,
they also know that the Australian population is in the cities and urban / semi-rural sprawl. It is mostly there that the population is tele marketbrainwashed
as they chase FREE lifestyles dependent on non-organic mono-cultured, high energy corporatised production. They unwittingly, and often just from plain survival mode… support large economies of scale. These high energy input, habitat destroying “food” and “textile” non environmentally sustainable production systems will eventually destroy themselves.
My own experiences with Organic Growers Groups/ Co-operatives largely came about through the 80′s, 90′s onward.
Watching the formation of National Standards, i saw the enthusiasm to embrace new, authentic national organic guidelines.
Various individuals and groups interfacing with beaurocracy and political powerplays and spin.
This is the same as it ever was, and to me, staying small, under the radar, like a bluecray, so to speak,
can lead you to the wonderful world of organic growers that are just doing their thing…. no groups, no fads,
no stringently signed guideline strings attached.
Healthy regional agricultural and horticultural industries,
based on localised marketing and authentic Environmental Stewardship (obviously that would include “ORGANIC” Growing).
These industries and their networks face the most fierce competition from the economies of scale mainstream, high energy producers and marketers.
Forums and knowledge/ideas exchange is a valuable service of the internet. But also somewhat of a red herring. Blogs can be valuable mechanisms to promote discussion, and use of the various directories and search engines can help.
Exchange of information is fantastic on the internet, and this is a strength for ORGANICS.
Regarding local and regional organic produce marketing and cooperative sharing –
well, i think it is just the beginning , as more networks evolve
meanwhile… the plants and animals keep thriving in those organic gardens scattered about the Mt Warning Caldera and beyond.
All the best, Al P.