Ethical threads
The environmental impacts of cotton production have been known for years, but the conventional textile industry remains plagued with problems that affect farmers and consumers, writes SIMON WEBSTER. Plus, an extract from a new book on ethical clothing by India Flint.
Beautiful by design
Garden designer Steve Hailstone has combined beauty and functionality to create a wonderfully productive property, writes SIMON WEBSTER.
Welcome to Spring
Some reality TV shows would have you believe that gardening is little more than a way to increase the value of your property or a means of keeping up with Joneses. JUSTIN RUSSELL takes a hatchet to these ideas, and suggests that the benefits of gardening run deep.
Milk in the veins
Elgaar Farm is a pioneering family dairy and cropping farm that has been paving the way in organic and sustainable practices for almost 25 years. HELEN CUSHING visits this Tasmanian treasure.
Homegrown food saves money
Sometimes gardeners are reluctant to admit it, but growing your own food saves money. JUSTIN RUSSELL runs through a few quick calculations to show that when it comes to generating astrononical returns on investment, nothing beats organic food gardening.
Become a Backyard Conservationist
With the world facing a sixth mass extinction crisis, Justin Russell highlights the need for gardeners to play a role in conserving domestic plant species.
Getting radical about organics
Has the organic gardening and farming movement lost its revolutionary edge? It's time to redsicover the radical spirit of the organic pioneers, suggests Justin Russell.
Strawbales & Sorbets
We catch up with LINDA COCKBURN and family on their quest for a self-sufficient lifestyle on the Apple Isle. Their owner-built house, being made without the use of concrete, PVC or chemical finishes, is progressing well. Linda and partner Trev are using locally-sourced materials such as clay, straw bales and timber – 400-year-old celery top pine otherwise destined for firewood. In their ‘spare time’ they’ve been making camembert cheese, planting raspberries and dealing with wayward ducks.
Tassie Tales
We catch up with LINDA COCKBURN and family on their quest for a self-sufficient lifestyle on the Apple Isle. Their owner-built house – being made without the use of concrete, PVC or chemical finishes – is progressing well.
When wild things disappear
Mary Oliver's poetry is a favourite, offering insight into what it means to share the planet with other living things.
Natural pest repellents you can make from your garden
Whether it’s mozzies, flies or cockroaches, humans are constantly plagued by insect pests. Here's some simple plant-based repellents.
Sharing lessons in sustainability
American activists are doing their best to get young people on the land and farming sustainably.