workshops
I find myself sitting up in bed at 4.30am considering the past two months, the two years spent in the city, with my own blinkers on. This blog and the work I have done in an effort to be self sustainable has been completely fruitless financially, yet, if I were to cease to exist as I do, and get a job (as in stop trying to make money doing things I love doing, get some bills to pay etc, instead of following my heart, I know I would not afford the fruits of this world as I do now. I put myself and my talent out in every way on this blog, and some perceived me as a company (great and quite a trainsmash too for my ego- thank you); others perceived me as some kind of expert on all the fields and others show great compassion and step up to take back their power as people.
I often receive messages of gratitude and encouragement, big smiles from those who have supported me with unintentional false promises, trades and finances. Ive written about The Vintage Kitchen merging with me and selling my products, but The Vintage Kitchen is two people still picking up on creating a business, and a preference and passion for biodegradable cleaning products prevailed for them. I also wrote about Bianca and Joanna assisting me, they did, but they did not make money, neither did I. I lost my cottage cage in Linden, I was getting sick there – trying to connect with my neighbors, impress the landlords by growing food on Yakka roots hmm not an easy thing to do… Bianca and Joanna no longer assist, but follow their hearts I trust. The previous blog posts will explain completely why I, therefore, decided that working and living on a farm, outside of Johannesburg, in an effort to trade for land and assistance in creating a home and business is more lucrative for me than to continue with this trade for Pirates Sports clubs bit of land.
Yes, I still want to grow my teas, get a potting wheel and make giant teapot fountains and teapots to drink from, sell you the teas, the seeds, the plants, the workshops etc etc in an effort to muse, inspire and empower. It’s always my intent. In jhb community is too large for me maybe? I wanted support from local businesses, local residents and perhaps my perception of local being wherever I can reach without transport was what stirred this holy anger within me to stubbornly continue to create and destroy the awesome gardens I did there twice over two years. I did muse and amuse many and I did inspire many too. Empowerment comes from within though, not from numbers in an account, it is up to each of us to add value, through compassion, with or without numbers.
Intuition is part of or a form of natural medicine. In a dictionary, I have in my possession, Intuition or that which is known intuitively is defined as truth obtained by internal apprehension without the aid of perception or the reasoning powers. I like to believe that intuitively we all know that living foods straight from our backyards are more beneficial to our bodies, and that the same goes for medicine too. Medicinal tea is one of the oldest medicines known to us, and herbologists were labeled witches and burnt at the stake some time ago for a reason. I believe that in that time our perception of value or capacity changes as well, and our intuition literally went out the window as far as medicine from our backyards goes, when we stopped listening to our bodies out of fear and went to doctors instead. We also lost community in the same way we lost our connection to our intuition and nature itself.
So, on this farm, my host has opened up her home to me and also another family (we are all in limbo and without much money, some of us are not in good health), progress is slow but steady at times. I am learning a lot about people, plants and medicinal infusions to assist. E.g tick bite fever and recovering from malaria. We randomly found a volunteer from Amsterdam, who assisted for a day. The wild horses come say hello at the fence more often. We started making a tunnel using the invasive wattle removed. Chopping wood, moving logs, pots, teepees, leveling, walking, water divination and more go on – even planting seeds in this unique winter inside my tent. I am finding joy, and learning what nurturing really is. I will write a lot about us here on the farm, and I am pleased to have already got a big patch of the garden almost prepped for Spring
Leaving my pirate garden behind has been quite a struggle to me, I deeply apologize to all who feel my efforts failed their dreams about community there, and to those that used it to promote only themselves, that removing it completely fails.
I would still APPRECIATE assistance, definitely more soil and more fruit trees. Please let me know if you wish to trade or donate something toward my efforts in bringing people together to add value in this world by emailing me…. nntreasure@gmail.com as I am not around signal all day.
A good friend of mine, Jamie Shepherd offers an online course, please contact me if you want to sign up for it 072 146 9017.
He designs and structures an environment to yield the maximum carrying capacity of the land and implements a water and waste management system to form functional working community and sustainability. With water contouring techniques and natural process he allows for nature to thrive and creates an eco-system that teaches people to live in harmony with nature.
He has developed an exact science of transferring authentically sustainable land use practices into populations based on his identification of natural patterns of behavioral change and consciousness transformation in populations. The lives, livelihoods and quality of life of millions of citizens depend on these unique insights.
Jamie has a UNISA B.Sc. in analytical natural resource geography and botany and did his permaculture design course with Bill Mollison. He has mapped the wetlands of the Umkomazi catchment for KZN administration, compiled alternative land use reports for the Msunduzi town planner and laid out hundreds of self regulating micro homestead food forest ecosystems around South Africa.
His report on the harvesting of built environment runoff as the foundation of sustainable development was published in the submissions to the 3rd international conference on public open space management held at TECHNIKON PRETORIA and presented at an international conference on sustainable architecture facilitated by the CSIR.
He proved his training management strategy for effective behavioral change on the 180 gardens project in the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, sponsored by the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
DISCOVER:
- How to produce a variety crops in less than 2 months.
- How to cycle moisture within the system and improve rainfall.
- How to increase the productive capacity of your system over the years.
- How to maintain a continuity of production 365 DAYS A YEAR and avoid the feast and famine syndrome.
- How to create a self regulating productive ecosystem that can survive without maintenance and still produce a continuity of annual crops.
- Produce at least 50% of your families’ nutrition needs; that will cure anybody of anything short of an amputation; at home effortlessly.
- Equip you with practical skills that will empower you to apply what you learn yourself.
- Empower you with a real ownership and connection with your self-regulating food forest ecosystem as an extension of yourself; your habitat.
- How to sequestrate atmospheric carbon at a rate of 2 storeys of biomass / year and grow a rich organic soil from seed on any land.
- How to provide your own pristine quality domestic water from a well in your backyard that never runs dry.
- How to drive your local area revolution that will make this possible for your neighbors effectively.
- How to lay out an authentically sustainable Eco-village that will provide abundantly for posterity.
- How to multiply your property value
- How to turn pollution and impending desertification, famine and escalating oil prices on their head.
Contact me on 072 146 9017 or email me nntreasure@gmail.com for more details on how to do the course
I am working on being in the garden more consistently during market hours at the Pirates Sports Club, inviting public and club members to join in and learn, and trade in the garden. I understand that people got a bit confused as to where I was for a bit, because I was not around as consistently for a while in the market.
This weekend, I managed to put an awesome young landscaper Jess Rankin at my table. I was in and out the garden all day, and got alot done regardless of only two people coming in to see me in the garden. I was gifted with an Avo tree, and traded 4 x Hopi Blue Corn seedlings for 6 packs of Rocket, Pak choi and Rainbow Spinach. I think people need to realize that trading is not charity. Charity is awesome, but if we are going to create a community with a system of fair trade and equal wealth distribution ever then we really need to re- evaluate our ideas on what trade is and what value is based upon. A seedling is worth R3 maximum, it aught to be traded for something to that same value. I agree, some things are ridiculously under-valued or over- priced so to speak, but that is an entirely different tangent.
I do, appreciate the charity and gifting of seeds and plants and especially COMPOST always. Thank you for these beautiful plants
Come say hello in the garden, join in, bring some compost if anyone has…. 57 members in this group and ???? I am pleased that two awesome volunteers have returned from their travels, and are keen to assist again… welcome back James and Louise. At least from this point, its not just wheeling and sifting soil but some interaction and learning going on too.
This is Jess – big thank you Jess, I hope community support grows not only for my stall and the garden, but for every trader at the Jozi Real Food Market every Saturday too.
So many people want what is there but not many seem to be taking note of what their support really means. It means the market can sustain regular stall holders, so that bread or tea or Indian food you tried and boasted about, and returned for months later and couldn’t find and complained about not being there at the market saying the market sucks actually is there every weekend… BUT it starts with buyers being as consistent as traders.
Lets get healthy, strong, free and abundantly sustain our communities together. Lets stop speed reading, liking, sharing, saying yes, giving our power to social media and start DOING
LOVE AND LIGHT <3
I have neglected to apply the discipline I have learned, when it comes to blogging on a regular basis. My apologies for this.
I have continued in the garden and compost sections, with watering and weeding, changing the mulch and mothering planted seeds. The seeds have germinated, and are nearing the time for transplanting. I have spent some time bagging twigs and leaves, with some fresh compost at the composting section, which I need assistance moving from the compost section to the garden. This is a process of arranging with two community members, over the next few days. I aim to also get some of the soil these people digging and planting cables seem to be neglecting, into the garden. If you want to assist and learn about growing your own soil, please contact me. 072 146 9017
I also run around trying to harvest and dehydrate and package plants, Ive started doing Bryanston Organic Market. Carmien Organic Rooibos Teas wanted a stall at the Jozi Real Food Market, and I asked them to join with me instead. This business interaction has led to more exposure of my teas in Rosebank Market, starting THIS SUNDAY and we have awesome cast iron teapots and gift packs of pots and teas available.
Over the past month or two, I started mentioning Seedy Saturdays to people at the market and managed to make one poster. I’m never sure of whether the information went out in Pirates Newsletter or not, and some shared and liked photos of my poster on facebook. Please keep sharing. Big love to you for that <3 Also bear in mind that my finances are not abundant yet.
Despite the lack of marketing, I have managed to meet a few community members. One who grows an awesome variety of edible plants and herbs. In exchange for selling some at the market at Pirates on Saturdays (Jozi Real Food Market), Shahn from Greenside will supply me with established plants asap from her farm. She also assists me with transporting materials from one end of Pirates to the garden. This literally takes a few loads off my shoulders. For those wanting to purchase plants or seeds, Shahn’s website is www.thekitchengardencompany.co.za Check out her facebook page too
I’ve also become part of a group on facebook and whatsapp discussing owls and birdlife in the Greenside area. I must say, I am impressed with Mother Nature there I hope that someone will sponsor an owl box for me to put up on Pirates land in the near future, and we may be able to convince someone to come and talk about the taboo surrounding owls and pest control. If you are interested in that, please contact me 072 146 9017
Anyone interested in joining in on a Seed Swopping Saturday – please keep an eye on my facebook page called Art of Craft Interactive Gardening @ Pirates – I aim to do this from the garden at Pirates in Johannesburg, Greenside, one Saturday a month in SPRING (although, I am usually willing to trade many items from the garden when I am seen) in Greenside at The Pirates Sports Club, please send me your contact details. 072 146 9017 or come through.
In last years blog post about seedy Saturday, I posted the following, I still think it relevant for thought…
“I am learning the different perceptions many have about value and what it is based upon. Most of us do things for the financial remuneration for those we do not know. When it comes to doing things with love, we do things for family, friends, partners…. I think if the value system or perception that value is money changes, we can have community and organic non GMO food everyday no matter how much money we have. I see how we put some kind of financial value on people, whereas it is worth about R4000 a month for me to tolerate disrespect of my space or mindset or spirit. It should be a human right to grow food, to be self sustainable, yet in some countries rates and taxes go up because people grow tomatoes on their pavements. Ive also learnt that the human capacity I have far out weighs the human ability I have, which makes it virtually impossible to ever exert all my energy in an exchange that is equal to the value of what combined perceptions have given to the way of life I would like to create … it includes underfloor heating It has been a sad crossing over from doing more trading for space than paying a currency for space.
Anyway, the point is that this idea to gather people from the area to meet with people all over Johannesburg who want to eat a variety of organic veg for health and longevity, people who want exposure for their businesses to raise the value of what they do in this world, people who want to assist in rehabilitating the land and river…. I am hoping this will result in getting the composting and the garden complete, eventually having the rugby games and all events at the club flowing into a space of love where exchanges, laughter, growth and sustainability are the results.”
Anyone can come with nothing or come bringing tools, seeds, plants, cuttings to trade and/ or sell.
I can use alot of seed, trees, tools, soil to plant in etc… and Id like to continue my garden at Pirates with a community that is growing with me.
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A successful example of community involvement