A Seed In Time | Rushka Johnson | TEDxPortElizabethSalon

Whoop!! my TEDx talk. please share the love for seed and earth..



"Rushka Johnson - Environmental Activist

Times and conditions are changing so rapidly
that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.
The onus is on each of us to cultivate the change we need, if we are to see ourselves, our
communities and our environment not only survive, but thrive.
Communities are confronted with challenges from all spheres and we need leadership with solutions
by us, for us.
Laws which affect the survival of our environment are being passed and enforced for corporate monopoly, forgetting that we are borrowing this environment from future generations.


The future is taking place with or without us… Will we shape the future or turn a blind eye? an Environmental Activist, Seed Freedom guardian, permaculture enthusiast and organic vegetable farmer.



Head convener for the March Against Monsanto Port Elizabeth for 3 years from 2014, is part of the No GMO South Africa community, Resistance is fertile South Africa, started the Roundup Out campaign in 2016 and organizer for Over Grow the system South Africa 2017.



Currently working on eliminating toxic herbicide from public areas in Port Elizabeth as well as creating awareness on the Seed Laws that are in the process of being passed.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

A Seed In Time | Rushka Johnson | TEDxPortElizabethSalon

Whoop!! my TEDx talk. please share the love for seed and earth..



"Rushka Johnson - Environmental Activist

Times and conditions are changing so rapidly
that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.
The onus is on each of us to cultivate the change we need, if we are to see ourselves, our
communities and our environment not only survive, but thrive.
Communities are confronted with challenges from all spheres and we need leadership with solutions
by us, for us.
Laws which affect the survival of our environment are being passed and enforced for corporate monopoly, forgetting that we are borrowing this environment from future generations.


The future is taking place with or without us… Will we shape the future or turn a blind eye? an Environmental Activist, Seed Freedom guardian, permaculture enthusiast and organic vegetable farmer.



Head convener for the March Against Monsanto Port Elizabeth for 3 years from 2014, is part of the No GMO South Africa community, Resistance is fertile South Africa, started the Roundup Out campaign in 2016 and organizer for Over Grow the system South Africa 2017.



Currently working on eliminating toxic herbicide from public areas in Port Elizabeth as well as creating awareness on the Seed Laws that are in the process of being passed.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

How to get organic food to the masses with Matt Purkis

Inside scoop with the amazing

Matt Purkis from https://www.saoso.org/about-organic-standards


Lots of amazing work happening in South Africa to support organic, small scale farmers. In this interview, listen to what the issues are, how to fix them and what SAOSA are doing to help make it happen.

Inside scoop on that you won't hear any where else.

Why can only the elite afford organic food. Why do the majority live off GMOs and junk food . The stats of obesity, diabetes and cancer in South Africa are off the charts.

The monopoly of our food supply, seeds, farm lands, needs to stop.

How can our people feed themselves healthy wholesome food and make a good living from it. How can we stop this chemical form of agriculture that is destroying our people, diversity, environment and soil?
Here we go. Grass roots. Let's make it happen.
Solutions

Why I don't want the seed bills to pass - Seed freedom

Some of My Issues with the plant improvement and plant breeders bills. Here at the public hearing for the plant breeders and plant improvement bills today. What I want changed and why they take our freedoms away. #seedfreedom#resistanceisfertile

More from me and others in this video - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v7uU20vcOGU

So excited that the beautiful agriculture students from Nelson Mandela University came to take part in their future. YES THE YOUTH ROSE UP to my great expectation.

The army has grown. So proud to be a part of changing the course of the future with the wonderful farmers, activists, moms, dads, youth who are taking up this campaign and seeing how much it matters, worthy people!

NB NOTE THAT EXTENSIONS for the Eastern Cape submissions have been given until 9 OCTOBER 2017.
THIS is very important in helping them formulate what we want and don't want on those bills. DON't FORGET TO SEND THEM.
Send to - smahobe@ecleg.gov.za mholohlo@ecleg.gov.za
NB - cc seedhavens@gmail.com

#seedfreedom #resistanceisfertile #seed #seedsovereignty #freedom #africa

Water is life - and we will have bananas

The day we could soak our trees properly. Sharing with you. 
Finally we have water!! our pump is in. We have NEVER watered our trees properly in the two years since planting. We have rain tanks but not enough rain for a proper soaking. 
Whoop! much excitement in this Garden.
#growfood #overgrowthesystem #resistanceisfertile

URGENT - What exactly is happening with our Seeds in South Africa

CALL TO ACTION -

Start saving seeds!!!! Open pollinated, (OPV, heirloom) They are currently exempt from these laws to an extent. (Not hybrids, ) -

Gather your movements, ideas, skills, connections, Family, friends together. If you have ideas. Share. All hands on deck.

Please please support and share this video.

Here is a summary of whats up with our Seeds in South Africa, from my understanding and perspective.  Youve seen videos of hearings and snippets of info. This is a summary in simple terms from my perspective, of what some of the issues with the changes in the Bills are about and why we are making such a fuss about them AND our last chance to do something. NOW YOU CAN WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS.

Note that some of the changes that they have made are little better then they were before. Ie excemptions for Open pollinated heirloom varities, thanks to places like Livingseeds.co.za who have been fighting the act. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY take the objections to the act, seriously and impliment them. Even so, HEeirloom, Open pollinated variety seeds need even more freedom then the act is willing to give. FOR ALL PEOPLE and farmers, not just seed companies. They should not only be exempt but be able to sell seed in bulk and exchange as they will with reasonable regulations or none for those who don't wont to be controlled.

Please watch, read the summary info below and decide what in the bills you want changed. Send an email to addresses below before August to make sure that they hear us.

THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE to make sure that we don't get into a system where we will be ARRESTED for GIVING away our own seeds and under total control of the corporations like Monsanto. (The wording of the act leaves the possibility of corporate control wide open)

Find a summery with videos and pics of the hearings attended and people who spoke - http://seedfreedom.info/…/opposing-the-new-plant-breeders-…/

African Centre for Biodiversity wrote: The Plant Breeders’ Rights and Plant Improvement Bills restrict the saving, trading, exchanging, and sale of seed. This can have massive ramifications on seed and food sovereignty, agricultural biodiversity, access to diverse seed, and increasing the disparities and inequalities in South African agriculture, food and nutrition.

We urgently need to protect and preserve our food and seed sovereignty. It is in our best interests that we make our voices heard and retain what really is ours, which is the right to our food, the quality and control of our seed.

Short read: https://acbio.org.za/easy-to-read-mat...

Long read: https://acbio.org.za/standing-farmer-...

http://acbio.org.za/wp-content/…/2017...

http://acbio.org.za/wp-content/…/2017...

SEND EMAILS BY AUGUST TO the following and NB bery important that you cc seedhavens@gmail.com

sibusiso@acbio.org.

Seed@saoso.org

-- Eastern Cape

Mr Makabongwe Tyiwani

079 496 6490

mtyiwani@ecleg.gov.za

Free State

Mr Kgathatso Nkeane

(082) 555 9987

kgathatson@fsl.gov.za

Gauteng

Ms L Mampe

011 – 498 5996

071 483 0221

KZN

Mr Derrick Dimba

0730014026

Dimbad@kznleg.gov.za

Limpopo

Mr Phanuel Mabija

015 -633 8150

082 413 1007

mabijar@limpopoleg.gov.za

mabijarp@gmail.com

Mpumalanga

Ms Pretty Mahlangu

Provincial Committee Co-ordinator

Tel: 013 – 766 1441

Cell: 073 196 2274

prettyma@mpuleg.gov.za

Northern Cape

Mrs N Borchard

Tel: 053 839 8024\33

Cell: 083 632 3330

Email: nborchard@ncpg.gov.za

North West

Ms K Magagane

Tel: 018 392 7150

karabo@nwpl.org.za

Karabom1@gmail.com

Western Cape

Ncediswa Mayambela

(Provincial Liaison officer)

Tel: 021- 487 1826

Cell: 086 577 4534

NMayambela@wcpp.gov.za

Please if you have points to add, or question - post on this thread.

If you have questions, please ask, Ill try and answer or find someone who can.

#SaveOurSeeds

#SeedFreedom

#ResistanceIsFertile #overgrowthesystem #seedlawsinSA #seedrights #farmersrights #smallfarmers #handsoffafrica #growfood #nogmosa #freedom #southafrica

Flippen leave the plants to grow where they like

You would really think that by now, I would know this!!! Im not afraid to admit when Im being a poopal and not getting it and I will SHARE my realisations with you when I go along so that you don't fall into the same traps.

Although sometimes I get it. We learn from doing and living and being.

Update on secret food garden, with little sister

How we harvest potatos

Home/Unschool Q&A - what curriculum? The answer is not what you think

How to plant and look after Brinjal , Egglplant, Aubergine

high raised, no till beds

Best way to plant seedlings - love this trick !! Recycle and Re-use

Learnt a really great way of doing seedlings at my first hands on permaculture course with the wonderful Andrew Mugford. 

Need to share with you all, just because. 
here's the video - part1 of 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdae2N34Sv4

Plant seeds out into anything really an old box, seed trays, anything you can find. 

The soil can be simple soil taken from the garden for this phase (the seeds have most of what they  need for the first 3 weeks of growth so won't need too much fancy stuff for this part) - (a note - please check my facts, they are most likely not too accurate as I tend to remember things in a visual way and play around with what I have until it works for me, never remembering ingredients or time frames but rather just how things look and feel. 

Anyone who has been with me in the kitchen when I'm cooking will confirm that.. ahhaaha).

At about 3 weeks (3 or so leaf phase) - transplant into their final resting place. 

Make little cups from rolled up newspaper (we used a recycled cardboard tube (bigger then a toilet roll inner). Wrap the newspaper around and fold in the bottom and slide off the tube. 

Pack closely together and fill with delicious soil mix.
This is a perfect job for kids to do when they are tired of digging or just feel like sitting in the sun and chatting while working. When friends visit we rope them in to help too, so if you are coming for tea get ready to make some newspaper cups. hehe. 

The soil for this phase needs to be the good stuff as the plants need lots of nourishment so that they can get a good start.

We mixed - volcanic rock dust (some people use bone meal) , soil from the garden , Vermicompost, (beautiful stuff that red worms make, we have  a worm farm made form old tyres) and some ground up horse or donkey manure. If you don't have all of the above, get what you can and play around.

Fill cups and gently put seedlings in. They stay in these cups and after about 2 more weeks go straight into the ground. The newspaper disintegrates and the roots don't need to be disturbed again.

This is our first batch this way - I've seen how beautifully it works for other people and am very excited to compare this method to the one we were using of planting straight from the first seed tray into the ground. 

Will keep you updated. 

The secret garden part 2 (Bush and thorns cleared, seedling going in, grey water! YAY!!)

WOW so much has happened in a short space of time.
Most of the thorny stuff taking over this beautiful space is out. We left a high canopy of beautiful existing trees (pics of before in previous post).
This is where we are now.

Today I had time to be in the soil for longer than usual. Hanging with my boychild, (who loves this as much as I do), getting excited about growing more stuff. Lately life has taken over and my heart was just longing to be there.

My hands are dirty, my new prennial additions are happy, boychild & I learnt something new about nurturing life and always love doing it together, my longing to be outside has stopped until tomorrow
 & resisting big AGriculture and their corrupt GM and poisons and CONTROL.

Its all pointless to me if I'm not creating a solution in my own space and with my own family. #resistanceisfertile .#theorganicrevolution

dirty therapy

Here we have cut up the branches of the trees that were suffocating our other trees and used them to make a fence to hold the leveled out a piece of the land for sweet potatoes soon soon. this is as you enter this space.
YES I KNOW - the bare soil freaks me out too don't worry - IT WILL NEVER BE BARE AGAIN that I can promise you.

Theres a baby grapevine near the little out house on the left and will be planting more soon soon. (our dream to have it covered in grapes and sit inside on a big puffy outside chair with a book in the dappled light, picking sweet grapes straight from the vine, hehheehehhe... DREAM BIG PEOPLE)

 Below the other half just getting beds ready for mulching up and planting seedlings and perennials for our bushy layer. trees are recovering from being suffocated so will bush out soon soon.

The last corner in progress. Poor trees!!! rescued and will be leafy soon soon. we used the thorny plant on the edges as a windbreaker and are going to grow creeping plants over them. Maybe Su su, granadilla creeper, cucumber, pumpkins...

And this is the other half that we have been working on the most... As before, trees in rescue phase. beds in with thick Blanket of dried grass and seedlings in!!

Check out this cool use for old recycled pallets.. Our main pathway.. We used some fo the others for a gate.. love them to bits

 Below -  using our GREY water!! YES - finally we managed to stop the precious water from our baths and showers from going into the septic tank and into an outside accesable tank instead. We have so much precious water now and water seedlings everyday!.

To think that all of this that precious water was just going no where!! NEVER AGAIN.

The climate is so perfect in that secret garden space.. high canopy, just enough shade and sun.. Just going to get some herbs and medium sized layer going..
Much excitement.

Such a beautiful breathtaking space in our secret garden. Those pesky thorny vines are down mostly, Seedlings so so happy! High canopy prrrrfct! Beautiful soil and thick blanket. Working wonders. Still working on our bushy layer. 
There is nothing like growing food. Seeds are organic. We catch them and reuse and are learning seed saving techniques slowly but surely soon we will be able to share the love with you again 

PLEASE notice the rich black soil! this is from being in a natural forest system with the leaves falling and sticks and mulch over years. We won't use and abuse what nature has given us here by not filling the soil with more leaves and Gods Blanket. Worm tea, mulch and more.

Thick blanket of dry grass - keeps the moisture in.
squash, pumkin and cucumber growing nicely but I think that it might be a bit late in the year to hope for no mould.. We can only wait and see I suppose. Lettuce and swiss chard. LOVING this space.

Staye tuned for part 3 - as we go Ill update..

The Secret Garden part 1 - Time to change things up a bit.

Time to relook and change things up a bit part 1 - The secret garden

Drought, water restricitons, empty rain tanks all trees still babies - there goes the shade.Mulch packed high so which made everything last longer than it should have but SCORCHED veggies.
AGAIN !! Weve been here for almost 3 years and for both of the summer seasons the same thing has happened.. I feel like a bit of a poopal for having to go through it TWICE before waking up.

Ok we planted a zillion trees which are growing nicely but still hardly past the height of me. No shade or relief from there.

We are changing things up this time.
Remember the secret garden? jungly area close to the house with passages and canopies, so overgrown only the big fat pig and small children could get through the little pathways.. Really cute and exciting but not used as much as you would think..

 After being inspired by some of the garden walkabouts that I'd been on - using this space for crops that needed a bit of shade made such perfect sense.


I could kick myself for not thinking of it sooner - AND  it's closer to the house so zone 1 - yes please.. Keeping the piggy out of the b veggies might prove to be a bit of a challenge.


First things first - create a high canopy. Eish - its a mission, especially when some of the trees in there are big thorny hardcore terrifying creeper things that look like the thorns the wicked witch put around the castly on sleeping beauty.

 They are climbing and and over the other beautiful trees and suffocating them.. One branch even wrapped so tightly around anothere tree that it fused into it and even when roots were cut, continued to survive as part of the nice tree !!! quite amazing.
Our trees are looking like they can breathe again and the soil underneath is so rich and mulchy and beautiful.

 BUT with the help of our amazing farm guy who lives with us and helps maintain the farm, grow the food, fix stuff and generally just be supehero AND our new family member, the chainsaw and boychild, with wild mom - we are managing.


My two coffee trees went in soon and we are just keeping clear of them during the ripping and hacking of mangled vines. (they are thriving by the way).

TO THINK all of these years weve been TRYING to grow my own food canopy instead of using what we have.
Down in the field - Big crops - mielies, popcorn, sweet potato, orchard etc (once we catch that dreaeded porcupine and spinache etc when it cools down - up here - other veg.  Pet piggy will be allowed into that area to eat fallen fruit and leave his treasures bhOrchard already on its way and the baby moringas we are protecting from the dreaded porcupine the a makeshift cage.

see.. happy pig, happy tree.. Im liking.

so - we are giving ourselves 18 days to get it cleared and ready (keeping all the gorgeous trees, cutting low branches, ripping out thorns and scary stuff and digging out roots etc.
During that time making the 18 day compost, planting seedlings and getting woodchips ready and grew water system in place.

Will update you in part 2

WATCH THIs SPACE