Sprouted Grain Bread or Our Version of Essene Bread

We have been experimenting with sprouted grain bread.  There are quite a few variables to assess but slowly we are getting a clearer picture. Making a solid loaf seems beyond our skills at the moment and therefore we are sticking to making a flat bread to use with cheeses, dips and smoked Salmon.

First attempt in the oven

First up only three grains are involved Wheat, Rye and Buckwheat. The Wheat and Rye are dead easy to sprout but not so the Buckwheat. Maybe it isn't of sprouting quality. We tried a different source alongside the original and found the original worked fine. It just seems it needs more than one decent wash each day.

At first we limited the sprouting to just the tiniest of white shoots but further reading suggested that getting some green sprouts to appear may be better. The sprouting goes for about 4 days now.

Wheat Sprouts

We use a Champion Juicer to mill the sprouted grain into a coarse slop then pat it out onto a flat tray.

Champion Juicer

Quinoa doesn't really mash up

Usually we make two variations. One is the 100% sprouted slop and the second is the slop with a sourdough starter added 24 hours earlier which gives a acidity flavour. But in the quest for perfection we now stuck with nothing else but the ground sprouts.

Broadening the horizons we added Spelt grain to the mix with disastrous results. It had too many broken grains. The Quinoa worked fine but the Millet and Sesame seeds failed. Both Mung beans and Lentils had no trouble. At the moment the trial was about which seeds were easiest to sprout. Later we will try to assess overall flavour with various mixes. Although when you think about it the more variation the merrier.

Mung Sprouts

Lentil Sprouts

Along the way someone said it was best not to heat the mix above 120 F (48.8C). Although the 150 C baking provided a luscious caramelly  crisp biscuit we persevered with the low temperature in the Nara dryer while baking some in the 150 C oven for comparative testing.

Baking Tray

The Nara dryer was adjusted to stay below the 48.8 C. The first batch was spread too thin and we ended with the biscuit breaking up when it was removed from the tray.

Drying Tray

The crumbed version made a good topping for soups and stews and even salads

In the next test a much thicker layer was applied, about 10-12 mm thick and only used the dryer. This worked really well and it didn't matter whether it was directly on the tray or on Baking paper. The direct to tray dried in under 24 hours and the Baking paper solution took just a few extra hours. We also added about 10% by weight of Olive Oil. This resulted in the final biscuit not sticking to the cooking surface.

Using Baking Paper on a drying tray - 10-12 mm thick

Final result

The final bread/biscuit is dry and keeps well. We didn't use any sourdough starter either.  It doesn't have that nutty caramel flavour of the oven baked version but it at least retains all its goodness. Using the dryer is cheaper than running the oven for six or more hours and burning is not risked. The flavour is hard to describe but probably dried sprouts is most applicable. It goes well with cheeses and other toppings.

If you want to avoid traditional breads this is a pretty good alternative, relatively easy to make and versatile. And they say sprouted grains are extremely nutrient rich.

Making Bread - 100% Wholemeal Flour, 100% Sourdough Starter

What in the past have been rock solid bricks requiring only the most passionate devotee to begrudgingly consume are now gone forever.

Seed Loaf

Parmesan and Pepper

Thank you Josie Baker and your book Josie baker Bread for solving our problems of technique.

But also thanks to Richard Bertinet and his book Crust with its DVD on handling dough.

Josie's book is structured to lead you through a series of breads starting with simple loaves using bakers flour and yeast. Each new recipe adds a degree of complexity as you move to wholemeal and other flours and then making and using Sourdough Starter in place of commercial yeast. This gradual process builds confidence as success follows success.

Sourdough Starter

 Richard Bertinet publishes his videos online here. We were lucky to have our local library stock two of his books.

BUT there are a few things to remember from our experience:

• Start with a sloppy wet dough which is what you get when you follow Josie's recipes. Use the weight measurements in the recipes which are deadly accurate as opposed to the volume measurements where cup sizes vary.

One of our well used bread tins

Oiled and floured ready to take the final rise dough

• Being lazy we use the bread machine to do all the mixing but it is pretty easy by hand or in an electric mixer.

Final Proving rise

• After the bulk rise, shape the loaf and put it in the refrigerator overnight before its final proving rise the next day. Miracles occur with the dough. Don't forget to wrap it in plastic wrap to stop the top drying out. And always use plastic wrap during the rising phases. Although it is only an option to refrigerate and come back to making the bread is in every recipe (before the bulk rise or after shaping) we found it a key element of the success to perform either one of the refrigeration's. Yes, that means it takes two days to make bread. In fact three days if you include prepping the starter.

Protected from drying out - reusable many times

• Always use the tinfoil tent cover for the first part of the baking. This one of the keys to success. Other than protecting you from aliens this is best use of tinfoil hats.

Tin Foil covering - reusable many times

• Use a pizza stone or a granite tile as the heat sink in the oven. This requires heating the oven well in advance. We use an overly thick granite tile which takes a lot longer to heat through but it really pays off.

Granite tile on top of a pizza stone

• The bread will keep for weeks in a freezer bag in the refrigerator.

Our favourites are the Parmesan and Pepper Loaf followed by the Seed Loaf.

The seed mix soaking - about 6 or seven different seeds

Coarse ground Pepper

Concrete Mixer Update, Sunday Lunch, Ciabatta

Our lunch with friends was scheduled for a 12.30 start encouraging us to both rise early and finish off any last minute tasks.

I was supposed to collect milk yesterday evening but shortly before heading off the neighbours called in to let us know that our three cattle were in their leased paddock. They (the neighbours) are animal lovers and have a huge collection of stray and previously mistreated animals. Our three cattle were eating their purchased hay but they weren't concerned, just wanted to let us know. I was concerned. They had only just been moved to a fresh paddock groaning with green feed. What was going on? While Jean chatted to them I went down to our back paddock to find a wooden fence post snapped off and laying down with our three strays waiting on the other side begging to come back. Standing on the wires to keep them down was enough to encourage their return. An hour later having brought down some steel posts, hammer and wire the repairs were complete and some other weak spots toughened. But too late to get milk. So that was my priority this morning.

Jean continued on in the kitchen with all the last minute preparations. All those little tasks that can't be done too far in advance. We set the table between us. The Biga for the Ciabatta was souring in the Bread Maker and just needed the final ingredients added and set to mix. This time rather than make a full load, everything was halved to make a much smaller batch which worked well. The risings were all planned ahead so that the baking would finish just as the guests arrived.

Fresh Ciabatta

Being well organised for a change we both had plenty of time spare and it meant a trip to the workshop for an hour to spend some quality time with the concrete mixer being refurbished.

Descaler

Air Compressor

The job has been split into two for ease. The base which includes the electric motor is in progress now. Previously the wheels had been cleaned with a descaler  attachment on the air compressor. Then a wire brush attachment on the drill worked over the surface of the wheels and one of the metal panels. These were then painted with Rust Converter and left overnight.

We purchased the Air Compressor a couple of years ago. Rather than get an inexpensive small handyman unit we waited until we could afford a more versatile large model that would handle all sorts of air tools including a spray painter. It really has been worth the larger investment.

The metal wheels and some of the protective cladding.

Today with the spare hour these three items were cleaned down with a damp cloth to remove the excess Rust Converter and an additional wire brushing. They will be painted eventually but I'll wait until a few more components are ready for painting.

The next item for attention is the electric motor. It works but is in a poor state of maintenance. With the time allowed it was dismantled except for the pulley side which is a bit stubborn and will need more love.

Just needs some love

Lubricant and pressure

Back to the party. A shower and coffee before the guests arrive and we have an enjoyable afternoon eating, drinking and chatting. The visitors leave by 4 pm and after a clean up there is time for me to return to the workshop and work on the project until after dark. Great day.

Ciabatta, Watermelon, Rose, Perry, Garlic, Yogurt

Part of the preparation for lunch guests is some bread. In this case Ciabatta which requires starting a day earlier with the making of the Biga which is pretty much just a sourdough but using a little yeast. Tomorrow it will be used to produce those chewy free form loaves that go so well with baked Camembert and other dips.

Biga after 24 hours

Summer is finally at a close as we consume the last watermelon. Orange Glo a melon we tried for the first time appears to be late season ripening. If this is the case and not just good luck it will be perfect to carry us through until other fruits are ready. The fruit on offer at the moment is the last of the Dragon fruit and the first of the Cherry Guava. In less than a month the first of the Citrus i.e. Mandarin will be ready.

Orange Glow Watermelon

It is the time of month where some wine work needs to be completed i.e racking some of the reds that were pressed and demijohned a little over a month ago. This is the process to take them off the coarser sediment to prevent any unpleasant flavours in the wine. Today the Tempranillo was done. While in the Cave the Packam/Williams Perry was bottled. Only 15 litres or so producing about 40 half bottles. This Perry has a magnificent yellow/orange colour. Will look forward to sampling in a couple of weeks.

While bottling it was decided to also bottle the very small amount of Rose that we made. Only seven litres. The Merlot Rose was incredibly good. It had a balance of fruit and oak flavour and not that sickly sweet Rose that is prevalent in the shops. Just a refreshing luncheon wine. Will serve some to the guests on Sunday.


Merlot Rose

The Garlic planted last week has started to pop out of the ground. The bulk of the 450 cloves have now sprouted. A wonderful sight to the gardener.

Garlic

Unlike house work, food production is an ongoing task. Because of a slip up in planning on my part we had to go two nights without yogurt. But a batch is now made and a little draining tomorrow will provide us with a few weeks supply. There is a steady flow of production in the kitchen that doesn't always rate a mention in the blog. Cheeses, Butter, Yogurt, breads, scones and various other essentials are always in steady production in the background. All part of the process of a healthy lifestyle.

Yogurt made but not drained.

Sunday

No trouble leaping out of bed at 5 am. There is a lot to do today and Jean is returning from Victoria tomorrow.

The main  job is to finish the shed construction which progressed well. The front wall went up with its door opening and before applying the roof time was spent making sure it was square in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. Horizontally it was pretty close and only a little adjustment was necessary before applying tent pegs around the base to secure it all in position. The vertical dimension was more important as the door opening needed to be exactly right so the door could be inserted. Again adjustment was required in the form of packing under one corner. Once it was correct a temporary diagonal brace was screwed into the door way. Once the roof is secured the brace will be redundant.

The door assembly was a little trickier as it had never been assembled by the previous owner but eventually it came together with the correct size. A confession at this point. There were some pieces of material left over. I don't know why as everything looks fine.

The door is quite large and seemed a bit wobbly and cross bracing was applied using some scrap metal in the workshop. Finally some recycled hinges and a door bolt.

The opening and the door were measured a dozen times in the process and the result was a perfect fit. Phew! Hanging the door was no problem. Everything received a good clean with the hose afterwards and then all the chicken food plastic drums were wheeled in.

Job done.

Jean will arrive at Central Station about 7 am and then change trains to catch the earliest one possible to Newcastle. The plan is for her to telephone from Central Station and provide an arrival time for Newcastle. Last year the public telephones were not functioning well and would cut out before she could say more than a few words. Knowing that the earliest she can get to Broadmeadow Station in Newcastle is 9 am means that if she can't telephone for some reason the assumption will be an arrival time of 9 am.

A simple matter of packing a book and waiting. She will have left Benalla last night 10 pm and will be tired and hungry and probably thirsty. It takes about an hour to drive home and rather than wait till then to eat I'll pack a big healthy sandwich.

In preparation yesterday a Biga  was started and in between shed building today a few loaves of Ciabatta were made using strong white flour. A bit naughty but a treat for the returning wife. And to boot there was some success in achieving a crisp crust. A  process of regular misting of the bread as it was baking. Just to make sure it tasted good a test eating was performed by the baker and it received 4 stars of approval.

Rain, Pinot Noir

Some rain finally. A few scant millimetres in the past two days and then today a steady drizzle with a few heavier falls. The end result was 25 mm for the day. More than was forecast and a good start. This should kick off some grass growth for the cattle in the area. A bit early to say the dry spell is broken but the 28 day rain forecast indicates a few more showers on the way.

Ok to wander about outside briefly but not worth getting wet by staying out in the open creating a perfect day to get some tasks done under cover.

Firstly the Pinot Noir had reached its 22 days on skins and pressing commenced and plodded along slowly all day. Pinot Noir is renown for its lack of skin colour pigments. This batch was no different. Not as black as the Chambourcin of a few days ago but still pretty good for Pinot. At least the long soak has extracted everything it has to give. It was put in a demijohn with a 50/50 mix of American and French Oak chips. The taste was sensational. This will develop well.

In the kitchen a batch of Fetta was produced. A straight forward cheese easy and uncomplicated to make.

While that was underway some peanuts were roasted and a batch of chocolate made. The new recipe is so good that a little extra was mixed and some ported prunes in an ice cube tray received a dash of chocolate.

A loaf of bread mixed in the bread maker and then let rise most of the day before baking in the bread maker. After the mixing the paddle is removed and the mix is kept warm as the bread maker thinks it is going through the various punch down stages, With our own coarse grinding of flour it is best not to disturb the rising process.

Jean took the time take some watermelon to friends. With so much ripening at once we tend to distribute a large quantity other people.

Jean returned with Aldi's $50 E-reader. We have been talking about acquiring an E-reader for some time mainly because a large number of electronic agriculture and gardening  books have been accumulated.

It is possible to read them on the laptop as long as you are prepared to sit in the office and do so. The laptop's battery is long gone. We do most of our reading at night in bed and lying down with a laptop is not easy especially navigating a book with the touch pad.

A lot of research was conducted before we rushed in. It was a matter of not being caught in the spiral of accumulating gadgets which only keep the attention briefly before finding a spot in the bottom drawer.

After charging the E-reader it went through its paces that night with Edward  Faulkner's "Ploughman's Folly, A Second Look" The E-reader is very good and a real pleasure to use.

Summer Salad, Oysters, Preserved Lemons, Bread, Peacocks and Peahens, Chillies

Summer Salad

The problem with Summer is that everything grows so quickly. The lawns need constant attention, not so much for looks as to enable free passage and a clear vision of any resting snakes. The weeds in the vegetable beds aren’t dormant either. As quickly as the vegetables grow so do the weeds. The humidity and heat make working outdoors unpleasant and worse is the need to wear long pants and sleeves to protect against the sun. The hat to shade your face also keeps in the bodily heat. It’s for all these reasons that little in the way of capital works gets underway. Capital works include re-trellising the vineyard, a new front boundary fence, a bedroom that needs painting etc. Well at least you could say after a busy Autumn, Winter and Spring maybe it’s time to take some rest and recreation and read a book or three in the heat of the day.

Well, if the weeds grow well so do the salad ingredients. A salad we are enjoying at the moment reflects the Summer. Starting with onion halves thinly sliced and sprinkled with vinegar (red, white or apple cider), scrunched with your hand to bruise the onion and mixed in the vinegar. The tomatoes sliced and then the slices quartered not too thin and not too thick. Aim at some chunkiness but don’t overdo it. Then the cucumber, small Lebanese less than 25 mm in diameter with immature seeds sliced into 4-5 mm thick rounds. For larger cucumbers halve or quarter length wise first. If you have carrots cut lengthwise into quarters or smaller, then slice into little chunks. The aim is to get raisin sized pieces that won’t feel too heavy in the mouth. The same process with young immature raw zucchini and capsicum can be followed if you have them. Avocado can be added as well for some softness. A good sprinkling of chopped or crumbled feta. Finally a couple of boiled eggs also chopped. Mix it all up and add some olive oil or any dressing you like. The chunkiness of the salad truly reflects Summer.

Oysters

About this time of year the oysters are beginning to come into their best. In our area the best time is from Christmas to Easter. Collection for us involves an hour’s round trip and to be economical we take the dogs to the beach for an important dose of salt water and some exercise. The oysters are collected on the way back. Not too many just four dozen enough for two nights.


Oysters still muddy

The oyster farmer and his wife have become friends over time. We bring along some surplus vegetables, cheese or wine as a friendly gesture. Later, when opening the oysters somehow the four dozen has grown considerably. I suppose they either breed in bucket on the way home or the oyster people have lost count. Either way it is a generous gesture on their part and we are loyal customers.

Preserved Lemons

There are two recipes we use which produce outstanding results. They differ significantly. One uses olive oil and salt while the other uses nothing but the salt and the lemon juice, best called Moroccan Lemons.


Moroccan Lemons

Moroccan Lemons

Use as many lemons as you want.

Slice the lemons into quarters but leave the quarters attached. Put a table spoon of salt into the sliced lemon and stuff into the jar. Pack tightly and be generous with the salt. When the jar is fully packed, top up with lemon juice from spare lemons. Seal and leave for at least a month. They keep forever. Once the jar is open keep it in the refrigerator. A quarter or two goes nicely with all sorts of dishes. They are so tasty they even work with scrambled eggs.

Preserved Lemons

450 gm Lemons sliced thickly

¼ cup salt

5 cloves garlic finely minced

5 tablespoons crushed hot chillies

3 cups olive oil

Salt the lemon slices and pack into one litre jars with the chillies and garlic mixed throughout.

Heat the oil in a saucepan until hot (but not hot enough to break the glass jars then top up jars.

Leave the jars in a warm oven for 2-4 hours

These lemons age well and the juices form a lovely pungent jelly. Ideal for additions to Indian or Moroccan dishes. Chopped finely it is excellent for making Moroccan olives

Bread

After making bread for going on 25 years it may surprise everyone that we just might be getting the hang of it. We both noted this week that we have had several consecutive successes ie the dough has risen well, the centre hasn’t dropped as it sometimes does and the loaf cooked nicely throughout. It seems after many years of mucking about with varying recipes, we have hit upon the few important things. Well at least the few important things that work for our method. The basic ingredients have stayed the same as the simple recipe in the bread making machine’s book. What has always beaten us is that our coarsely ground wholemeal flour behaves differently with differing results. The changes that have worked for us are that there is only one rising. It is ready to bake when it reaches a certain height up the tin. This height has been ascertained by trial and error. Too high and the loaf slumps, too low and the bread is heavy. The second key item is more water to make a stickier mix. It works. The substitution of milk for water also works well and appears to give a better rise. Finally, a longer cooking time finishes the loaf nicely. We have no plans to go commercial but at least we make a reliable loaf for ourselves with more successes than failures.

Peacocks and Peahens

Nearly 20 years ago we acquired a peahen. It wasn’t all that long afterward a mature peacock arrived seeking love and companionship.


Biggy

The favourite food of peacocks seems to be birds eye chillies, semi ripe blueberries, boysenberries and gooseberries. There are always enough chillies to around but we are yet to taste the blueberries, boysenberries and gooseberries

There was some breeding in the early years but disease, foxes and rehousing kept the numbers down. The biggest issue was at breeding time ie September through to April two males find it difficult to co-exist. Endless chases around the house and paddock. The eldest peacock ‘Big’ was a bit of a gentleman and treated his young son with some kindness. Unfortunately ‘Young’ left for better pastures. His replacement was soon named ‘Head‘. He was un-relentless in the pursuit of ‘Big’. ‘Big’s’ advanced age and arthritis led to his demise one night. A very sad event after nearly 20 years of his presence and friendly shared breakfasts where he would take titbits from your hand.

The unpleasantness of this combatative nature of males dictated that we would no longer breed. This has led to another great sadness. The peahen has tried over a number of years to produce offspring. One Summer perched on the water tank she had to be hosed repeatedly to keep her alive in 40 degree Celsius heat. Like all good mothers she was willing to die for her young. The job of destroying her eggs either by removal or drilling holes was always unpleasant. But the sadness of the failed mother was really devastating. Someone who just wants the warmth of her own kind to raise and cannot achieve that position. Whenever she sees a chicken mother with a brood of little chicks she just stops and stares, a great sadness shows in her eyes.

But the reality must be faced each year that they cannot survive in this area without protection and that protection can only be offered to a few.

Chillies

There was always this impression that there were mustard eaters and chilli eaters. This is no longer true. After many years of weeping eyes, running nose and burning mouth our mustard eater has acclimatised to chillies while still enjoying mustard. The pain and half eaten meals have been worth it. What a wonder of nature!

Dried Chillies

During the year our many chilli plants produce copious amounts of fruit. One bush has larger mild chillies ,while the other has small very hot little babies. Most of the time we will use the fresh chillies to spice up a dish but from time to time the bushes are bare and we keep a reservoir of dried chopped fruit.

Putting together a store of dried chopped chillies is quite easy. When in its peak the chilli bush is covered in fruit. Once every week or so it’s easy to spend a few minutes collecting a small quantity and laying them out to dry on racks. We are fortunate to have some retired pasta drying racks. This is merely a set of wood frames with some flyscreen as a base. To protect the mesh we lay down a few sheets of newspaper. Gradually over a period of months a good supply of dried chillies is built up.

The processing step again is simple, although care should be taken to not get the dust into eyes. We use a food processor with the blender attachment to coarsely chop the fruit. After processing the material is warm. To ensure it is completely dried the lid of the container is left off for a couple of days.

Warm Weather, Rain, Magpie, Bread Making, Casual Work, Asparagus Weed, Bicycles and Buying Chicken Food

Warm Weather and more water from sky

Regular rainfall at this time of year is welcome as it boosts the growth of the young vegetable seedlings. However, the downside are the lawns and weeds jump out of the ground with more and more time becoming devoted to mowing and weeding. The main reason for mowing is to get a clear view of the snakes before they get under foot. No more venturing out without the appropriate footwear and long pants.

The local public swimming pool is in full swing with Learn to Swim classes and swimming squad training morning and afternoon, interspersed with children cooling off after school and individuals with their own exercise regimes like ourselves. Fortunately, there is a monthly day by day programme on the whiteboard allowing us to insert ourselves in between classes and visiting schools. The water temperature is higher and more comfortable although there is something to be said for the cooler temperatures of a month ago encouraging more vigorous activity as well as cooling down the limbs.

Magpie

Bathing the Magpie

The young magpie has settled down but not without some downside. The cats are still trying to kill it meaning, only one species is allowed in the house at a time; although the 20 year old cat looked completely surprised when the magpie splashed down beside him and cuddled up. There is also the issue of what goes in must come out - in a different form! There seems to be this tube starting at the top in which we add various goodies such as moistened cat and dog food, mince, greenery and worms. These additions move down the tube by gravity and drop out in a more liquid form like little oysters with a dark centre surrounded by a white milky substance. Unless wiped up immediately, they dry into difficult to remove solids. These appear at random down the back of chairs, down open doors, down the back of your clean top and in various other inaccessible areas. Miggie, as she is called, has also discovered play. This involves everything on the kitchen benches being carried to another location. The dried chillies, garlic, notes, pencils etc relocate at random. More interesting was the water filled platter being used to rehydrate rice paper which became a bird bath after the first sheet was removed.

She is just over 4 weeks old, hopefully soon self feeding and flying skills will evolve and more time will be spent outside. Not that it isn’t cute but it is wearing after a time. We will miss her when she decides to leave us.

Bread Making

Bread and Machinery

Many people write wonderfully about the joy and relaxation that bread making brings; the kneading and tactility as the dough changes texture is inspiring. Neither of us has that thought! Bread must be made. It is better made than bought. This way the ingredients can be controlled. Usually this task is required to be performed two or more times each week.

Our approach uses a bread machine as the labour saving device to allow other tasks to be paralleled. Over time a manual setting has been developed to suite the style of bread we make. Our problem is that our flour is stone ground not long before we use it. Just enough is ground for one or two loaves and/or some fresh pasta. We have an old stone grinder driven by an electric motor that was passed on from the previous owners. It needed some refurbishment and it doesn’t grind really fine flour but it works well enough. Good quality Bio-Dynamic whole wheat grains which we buy in bulk and store in a vacuum is our preferred ingredient. Of late we have been using milk instead of water in the dough. This seems to provide a better result. In addition a little extra liquid is added to give a much sloppier dough which gives us a better rising and texture.

Today also involved cinnamon bread or simply the standard loaf with three spoons of powdered cinnamon and a third of a cup of sultanas. A nice little treat at breakfast, particularly with our homemade cultured butter.

Casual work

Some years ago we both decided that fulltime work was detracting from our desired lifestyle. With the mortgage within relatively easy reach of final payment it seemed a good time to move to casual work. It was surprising to me how easy it was to find work locally which would only occupy 2-3 days each week. The pay rates were not as high as city work, but then travel was greatly reduced as were the costs associated with it. The work environment was also more conducive and the hours more flexible.

With a last big effort we not only paid off the last of the mortgage but also put aside enough to live off for a several months should there be a downturn in demand for labour. This additional free time opened up the opportunity to do more things for ourselves and to also revisit our cost structure and prune any waste.

Waste did not involve good food or good wine. We don’t indulge in all the goodies associated with a large cash flow such as new 4WDs or large TVs in every room or any toys to be thrown away after a few uses. There is nothing we cannot afford, the issue is do we really need it to provide a brief pleasure before that pleasure dulls and we are looking for the next big thing.

Once established in our area a reputation for honesty, work ethic and loyalty resulted in more offers of work than we could accept. In a small community the recommendation of other locals is a gold pass.

Asparagus Weed

Invasive Weed Sample

It didn't take long to uncover the cause of the problem with the Mary Washingtons ie why they were late to shoot. What appeared to be an innocuous ground cover which easily pulled away turns out to be a very nasty weed. This nameless invader has an extensive matted root system  going down 200 mm below the surface smothering everything. Over a couple of days we managed to remove a substantial quantity but not without some damage to the asparagus roots. Then every day or two we go over the entire bed with a small hand fork plucking out any shoots that were missed or any green leaves that pop above the surface. The hope is that with long term diligence and preventing any remaining roots from gaining access to the sun, it will eventually fail to thrive. An additional job but better than having to start the bed again.

Bicycles

Recycled Bicycle

Our first two bikes were second hand picked up at an auction sale - $2.50 each! A couple of working spares were added from friends and relatives’ rejects. Since then, we have accumulated spare brakes, tyres, rims, tubes and accessories which have proved very handy. Every year the local council conducts a bulky goods pickup. This is an ideal time to grab a few discarded bikes, strip off any reusable components and place the remainder out for recycling.

The council very cleverly ensures the announced pickup date is a couple of weeks before the actual pickup. This ensures that people such as us can rummage through the goodies on display and select any reusable pieces before the big truck takes them away. We mustn't be the only ones with a sharp eye for reuse as over a period of days large quantities of discards disappear overnight. Wisely the council reduces its work load by about 75%.

Buying Chicken Food

Feed Bins

Buying bulk supplies of grain for the chickens provides significant cost savings. Careful storage of grain is critical as in warmer weather weevils can decimate the storage bin in a short time. Non-organic grain is usually treated to protect it against weevils but Organic and Bio-Dynamic grain requires mechanical protection.

We store our grain in 200 litre plastic drums with screw top lids. These can be cheaply purchased from food importers who repackage products such as olives and capers. They are happy to sell the empty drums for a few dollars to all comers.

Once the drum is cleaned and dried, it is filled with grain until about 250-300 mm from the top. A piece of aluminium foil is placed in the drum and a small candle sits upright on the foil. Light the candle then curl the foil over so that the flame is below the turned foil. This stops the heat from melting the plastic lid. Ensure the screw top lid has its rubber seal intact and screw the lid on tightly. The candle will eventually extinguish leaving a slight vacuum and carbon dioxide. This is an environment which is not conducive to weevils. In the warmer months we relight the candle every month or so to ensure conditions for weevils don’t improve.

Over the years we have tracked down a number of organic or Bio-Dynamic grain farmers who store their grain on farm when the market is depressed and sell when the market is more attractive. They are happy to sell any quantity for cash and the price is very competitive compared to normal retail. These buying trips involve a long day. An early start followed by a long drive to grain country, filling bags from the silo and then weighed down with a slow return trip. This is a good job done with a solid trailer.

If morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are packed, this can be a pleasant sightseeing country trip. The country hospitality is always there so don’t be surprised to be offered a cup of tea and spread of homemade goodies.