The sustainability group had an outing to Susan and Sandy Campbell's property on the Shepparton Rd for our first session of April. They have a large worm farm which produces fertiliser for their farm. It was amazing that an apparently simple system, with the irrigation powered by solar, can replace 'industrial' fertiliser. Inputs are horse manure from the nearby equestrian centre and chicken farm waste; just add water and worms. We all came away with a sample to try out.
Photographs - David Palmer
At our second April session we looked at a report from an Australian research group called the Scanlon Foundation who has been reporting on social cohesion since 2007. There were two key elements to this work, the first being related to financial pressures and the second to trust in government and institutions. Needless to say the findings were a mixed bag but I took away an important finding that our community is quite resilient in response to difficulties. You can have a look at the findings here.
John Lane
John Lane
