In March 2012, Dave Tailby arrived in Karamea at the top of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand to become the first LivinginPeace Project (LiPP) Permaculture Farm Manager.
The LivinginPeace Project incorporates the elements of Art, Travel, Permaculture and Education into a sustainable business. The projects includes a backpackers hostel, motel complex, permaculture farm, art gallery, radio station, permaculture and art courses, a transport service, the Global Gypsy Gallery: a cafe, organic food and recycled clothing shop.
Already an accomplished organic gardener, builder and alternative energy specialist after spending his life living off the land and striving for energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, Dave did a Permaculture Design Course at the Permaculture Research Institute Zaytuna Farm in Australia with Geoff Lawton in 2011 on the suggestion of his father. He returned to New Zealand full of inspiration and keen to put the theoretical principles of permaculture he’d learned in to practice.
One goal of the LiPP is to apply permaculture principles to the business to maximise energy efficiency and minimise the environmental impact of the venture. Dave’s challenge was to develop the permaculture farm to produce enough fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to turn into meals to feed customers at the accommodation facilities all year round. The motivation for this was manifold. Locally produced food is significantly more energy efficient as there are no food miles or transport costs associated in getting it from the farm to the plate.
So rather than importing all the people as tourists and travellers and then importing all the food to feed them while they are staying with us, a great efficiency gain can be made by growing the food on our farm. The food quality is also higher as is it freshly harvested and soon on the table in front of our guests.
Dinner from the farm at Rongo: A Feast of locally grown, organic, freshly harvested, organic, nutritious, delicious food…and plenty of it!
This approach is also a sound business idea as farm produce can be value added by converting it into meals and providing customers with a high quality meal at a reasonable price. This way enables the farmer to go direct to market without having wholesaler and retailer clipping the food price ticket along the supply chain. As a result, the LivinginPeace Project is able to produce top quality, locally grown meals for its customers at a price that doesn’t include the surcharges of the commercial supply chain.
For example, a farmer may be able to sell a pumpkin to a vegetable market for $3, the wholesaler then sells it to a retailer for $3.50, the retailer sells it to the restaurateur for $5 and the restaurant makes it into serves it up in to the customer for $10. The farmer provides the same pumpkin to the LiPP team, they make it into 10 bowls of pumpkin soup and serve it fresh to their customers for $5 per bowl and receive a $50 (less costs) return on the pumpkin. The proceeds of the pumpkin are used to directly pay the people producing the food and the meals. The customers are also happy as they have received a top quality, freshly harvested, nutritious, healthy, organic and delicious meal for half the price they’d pay for the same thing at a traditional restaurant.
(Actually, the same thing is not available at restaurants as the freshness is not possible due to the time it takes for the pumpkin to pass through the supply chain…at the LivinginPeace Project, we can serve soup from a pumpkin that was growing a few hours before)
In the summer of 2012, filmmakers Elise London and Louca Mee made a short film that captures well the essence of the LiPP. On the film, Dave reveals his creative garden design. It’s a giant flower, the beds are petals and they all radiate around the central disc, which he made into a peace sign, which is all very much in line with the central tenet of the LiPP. Back in 2012, the garden design was a paper concept, today it exists in reality and Dave, with the help of the LiPP crew, volunteers from all over the world, his partner Amanda and her kids Charlie and Naomi, Dave has taken a good idea and made it happen.
In addition to setting up the LiPP vegetable gardens, that will feed thousands of people over the coming years, Dave has also established hot-composting system that supplies the farm with a regular supply of nutritious living compost, a fruit forest to supply seasonal fruits all year round, a woodlot to produce firewood to heat buildings and water, designed a livestock husbandry system for the sheep flock, to built a pond for the ducks and conducted two Permaculture Design Courses to pass on his knowledge and experience to students from Canada, France, the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Germany and represented the LiPP at the Permaculture Convergence in Turangi and at the Nelson Eco-Fest in in 2012. He also conducted the first LiPP Permaculture Farm Internship in 2013. Intern Heather Andrews, a graduate from the 2013 LiPP Permaculture Design Course, had this to say about the internship.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 6 week internship at the LivingInPeace Project on all levels. Working with Dave has been one of the best work experiences I’ve had. He’s a fantastic teacher—a good communicator with heaps of knowledge and experience, a great sense of humour, a willingness to let you learn by doing, and that skill of all skills, the ability to improvise (aka Kiwi Ingenuity). He makes a workday FUN, which is as good as work gets, really!
I got to learn about sheep care, safe chainsaw practices and maintenance, preparing and planting permaculture garden beds, making fast and slow compost, planting support species and young fruit trees, gathering kelp for use in fertilization, harvesting driftwood for firewood, using chickens as orchard conditioners and fertilizers, cobbing a rocket stove using homemade cob, and more.
The cottage accommodation was absolutely lovely—quiet, surrounded by trees, comfortable and cosy. I loved harvesting vegetables and herbs from the garden to eat, and one of my favourite memories will be sharing meals with Dave and staff at Rongo’s. I am endlessly grateful to Dave, Paul, and all the staff at Rongo’s for this fantastic experience, it has been a highlight of my time in New Zealand and one I’ll treasure forever. Thank you, thank you!!!”Heather Andrews
7 July 2013
Dave’s warmth, compassion for others and great sense of humour made working on the farm a lot of fun. His passion for permaculture combined with his practical knowledge and experience and his Trojan work ethic saw the LiPP farm develop rapidly during his tenure as farm manager and we are very grateful for his dedicated effort.
Dave has left the LivinginPeace Project with a beautiful permaculture garden that will produce food for people coming to stay with us and helped to establish the project as a centre of excellence for permaculture learning and application. Dave will continue his permaculture journey from his home base in Motueka and will always be remembered as a driving force behind the permaculture facet of the LiPP. Thank you Dave from everyone you inspired, made laugh and shared your love with during your time at the LiPP…Happy Trails Old Mate!
Paul Murray is the founder of the LivinginPeace Project, which was launched in 2003 and has taken flight with the help of hundreds of creative people from all over the world.
1. The Royal baby traces by regal lineage to which Royal House?
a. House of the Rising Sun!
b. Dr. House!
c. Haunted House!
d. Bauhaus!
2. The Royal baby’s bloodlines reveal that he is is closely related to which notable member of the aristocracy?
a. King Kong!
b. Prince!
c. Duke Ellington!
d. Freddie Mercury from Queen!
3. Which gregarious pet is Auntie Camilla most likely to acquire for the Royal baby?
a. A carnivorous Hefferlump as described in “Winnie the Pookhov”!
b. A rabid anti royalist boa constrictor with an unwhetted appetite for gobbling little kiddies!
c. A large friendly timber wolf with extremely large fangs and a SuperSizeMe attitude!
d. Another pathetic mindless dribbling potential road kill corgi!
4. Which British band is most likely to come out of retirement to produce a dedication song for the Royal snotgobbler?
a. Run DDT!
b. Flock of Rhinoceroces!
c. Pet Shop Boyos!
d. Frankie Goes to Vladivostok!
5. A plant species will be named after the Royal baby! Can you name the potential candidate?
a. See weed!
b. Ugly Fruit!
c. Venus Fly Trap!
d. Amorphallus!
6. Which sport is the Royal baby most likely to pursue?
a. Rat rugger!
b. Peek a boob!
c. Professional darts!
d. Irish bungy!
7. Which nearly defunct toy will gain instant popularity once the announcement of the Royal birth is made public?
a. Gazoo!
b. Golliwog!
c. Noddy!
d. Toyboy!
8. Which religion is the Royal baby most likely to choose?
a. Hindi 500!
b. Bra Man!
c. Fund A Mentalist Hairy Krishna!
d. Secular Astral Eckankar!
9. Which song is the most likely to be the Royal baby’s favourite lullaby?
a. Tricycle by Queen!
b. Gang Bang Style!
c. I’m a Little Tea Pot by Nana Mouskouri!
d. Russian National Anthem as sung by the Red Army choir with accompaniment by the Saint Petersburg Academy Symphony Orchestra!
10. Which make of car is the Royal son most likely to take on dates with well endowed young ladies of questionable reputation?
a. Lada!
b. Skoda!
c. Convertible FJ Holden!
d. Shaggin Waggon!
11. Name the most likely godfather for the Royal baby!
a. Sir Alec Fergusson!
b. Sir Ericlapton Fergusson!
c. Sir Alfred E Neuman Fergusson!
d. Sir Massey Fergusson!
12. How long will it take for the poor humble peasants of Uttar Pradesh to become extremely bored from hearing about the Royal birth?
a. Never!!!!
b. New York Minute!
c. Que?
d. Dave? Dave’s not here man!
The managerial and editorial staff of The Rongolian Star make no apology whatsoever for any unintentional onimatopoeia, hyperbole, errors in syntax or lack of human compassion contained within this quiz!
WikiPedia: Bryan Lewis Saunders (born 1969, in Washington, D.C.) is a performance artist, videographer, and performance poet known for his disturbing spoken word rants, tragic art performances and Stand up tragedy.
Saunders recently loaded himself up on a range of different drugs and did a self-portrait while under the influence. The resultant artworks represent the altered perception of his self-image caused by the different drugs.
On day 173 of his epic attempt to walk the coastline of New Zealand, intrepid 19-year old traveller Brando Yelavich arrived at Rongo Backpackers & Gallery in Karamea at the top of the West Coast of the South Island.
Brando Yelavich
Yelavich began his journey at Cape Reinga at the very tip of the North Island and walked his way down the West Coast to Wellington. He then flew to Picton with Sounds Air, who offered him a free flight and began paddling around the convoluted coastline of Marlborough Sounds and D’Urville Island visiting all the coves. Eventually arriving in Nelson, he again donned his boots (provided by main sponsor Scarpa NZ) and walked up through Golden Bay to Collingwood, around Cape Farewell and down the rugged Kahurangi Coast to Karamea.
While at Rongo, Yelavich agreed to a radio interview with DJ Crap on Karamea Radio 107.5 FM to discuss his ambitious tramp, experiences along the way, his motivations and insights from the many hours of solitude he has experienced as he makes his way around New Zealand on the coast, on foot.
Education for Yelavich was difficult. He was diagnosed early in his school life with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and is dyslectic, He had difficulty following classes to the point that he gave up and became rebellious and recalcitrant.
He left school early and at a loose end after a series of unfulfilling jobs and having his application to join the N.Z. Army rejected because of his dyslexia, he found an entry-level position with an advertising company. Standing on the side of the road in a sandwich board promoting Canterbury Clothing Co to the passersby at minimum wage afforded him an opportunity for personal introspection and life contemplation. Yelavich decided to take his future by the horns.
So, armed with a crossbow, a copy of Andrew Crowe’s “Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New Zealand” and a 35kg pack loaded with the essentials of survival, Brandon bade his supportive parents and his girlfriend of three weeks, Auckland schoolgirl Ella-Rose Bilham, farewell and headed off on his quest to become the first person to successfully circumnavigate New Zealand’s rugged coastline on foot.
Along the way, he has been encouraged and assisted by benevolent folk he has met on his journey. People have offered him food, accommodation, which he gratefully accepts. He’s also been offered rides in vehicles passing by, which he graciously rejects, as he is determined to walks the entire coast without such assistance.
He has only met one person who was less than helpful. Apparently, along the West Coast of the North Island, he inadvertently wandered onto Maori tribal land and was escorted to the boundary by a gruff gentleman who definitely considered the foreshore to be sacred Maori property.
With a little financial support from his family, Yelavich is essentially living off the land and sea on his way around the coast. He forages for edible plants, seeds, ferns, fruit and nuts, catches fish and uses his crossbow to hunt and kill animals for food. He is cleaning up some vermin along the way and has eaten a lot of possum, killed a few goats, rabbits, pigs and almost had a deer, which he shot and chased until it crossed a river that he was unable to ford and he had the agonizing hunting experience of seeing an animal die slowly at his hand…and the frustration of hungrily watching his dinner being so inaccessibly close.
Some of the more exotic dinners he has sampled include a weta he found in his boot one morning, “I wouldn’t recommend weta…they definitely taste prehistoric,” he said. Apparently, he saw the weta as an opportunity for protein to fuel his travels, however, crunching it up and swallowing it proved counterproductive as he then lost the previous evenings dinner after the peculiar piquancy of the weta disagreed with his constitution.
He also created some media controversy after admitting to having killed and eaten a seagull, which he claims was one of his tastier dinners. When this was reported in the Nelson Mail, many letters to the editor were received. Yelavich was quick to point out that the bird was in fact a black-backed gull, which are not protected and can be killed and eaten, especially as a means of survival.
The Yelavich family is very supportive of Brando’s quest. Todd Yelavich, an Auckland real-estate agent, is flying to Karamea to spend a few days catching up with his son while he rests in a comfortable bed and enjoys some more traditional meals courtesy of the Last Resort. Todd Yelavich will accompany his son on the Karamea to Westport leg of the journey to glean some understanding of the rigour of his quest and spend some quality time supporting his adventurous son as he heads south along the rugged West Coast toward Fiordland.
Todd considers it a proactive and positive step in the right direction for his son and thinks opportunities will abound for Brando once he completes his adventurous journey. “I’m calling it his university,” he said in an interview with TVNZ.
Brando also hopes his journey will inspire other young people to follow their dreams and realise the importance of believing in yourself. He has this message for the youth of New Zealand,
“In life, everyone can succeed. We’re not all good at academics though…don’t let that hold you back. Find something that you’re good at and you enjoy…all you need in life is to be happy, that’s the true secret to life…and yes, it’s as simple as being happy, just be you, just go with it…live your dreams and escape from the grasps of todays society…you’re the future, I’m the future, nothing can stop us, so what are you waiting for?”
Yelavich is also raising money for Ronald McDonald House, a charity that offers financial support to parents with sick children. So far, he has collected $5,266 and has a goal to raise $10,000 for the organisation, which he chose as a charity providing valuable service to people in need. To donate money to help Brando Yelavich toward his goal, please visit www.supportbrando.co.nz and give generously. To assist Brando with his personal expenses (and to save some seagulls and wetas) drop into your bank and deposit or online transfer some $pondoolie to Brando’s personal account:
“My name is Brandon Yelavich and I am circumnavigating New Zealand’s Beautiful coast lines (cross-country). I will be climbing, walking, running and swimming plus who knows what other crazy stuff I may come across. I am determined to live off the land, catching fish, wild birds, wild rabbits and whatever else I can get my hands on. I have a guide to all of the edible plants to also help me out along the way. I am doing this for the Ronald McDonald house Charities NZ to raise money and awareness for all the children and families who are under their care. The total distance is about 6000+ KM.”
‘I went to every town and I’m sure that I found the right girl’: How a 21-year-old thrill-seeker who became the first person to walk the circumference of New Zealand unexpectedly found love on his journey
Brando Yelavich, 21, began his treck around New Zealand when he was 19
He became the first person to walk around the country’s entire coastline
400 days into his 600 day journey he met his girlfriend Ngaio
He says he never expected to find love on his adventure
The pair have been together for over a year now and live with each other
Mr Yelavich walked the 7000km coastline with just a 50 kilo backpack
When New Zealand local Brando Yelavich set off on his wild adventure around New Zealand, he had never planned on meeting the love of his life along the way.
Mr Yelavich, 21, became the first person to walk around the entire 7,000 kilometre coastline of New Zealand, setting off solo at just 19 with a 50 kilo backpack and plans to live off the land.
However, just 400 days into his 600 day adventure, Mr Yelavich met a man called Brett Gregory while walking through Hahei, who had him over for tea and invited him to stay at his home as long as it was okay with his daughter Ngaio, 23.
Unexpected love: Brando Yelavich, 21, found love while adventuring around the New Zealand coastline
Coincidence: Mr Yelavich met Ngaio Gregory, 23, when her dog showed up at his camping ground
‘I gave him my number and left, and headed down the coast, I didn’t really think anything was going to happen,’ Mr Yelavich told Daily Mail Australia.
Later that day, a dog showed up at Mr Yelavich’s campsite which bared a striking resemblance to the dog he had seen Brett’s house.
‘An hour later Brett’s daughter, Ngaio, rung up to say I couldn’t stay because she was going to be home late and I said to her ‘I think I have your dog’,’ Mr Yelavich said.
Instant attraction: Mr Yelavich asked Ms Gregory out for pizza and wine and ‘the rest is history’ he says
New companion: Mr Yelavich met Ms Gregory 400 days into his journey, and she joined him when she could
‘She had to pick up her dog from me and she came down to the campground where I was staying and she took me up to the house and we had dinner and I ended up staying in the spare room… I actually saw a photo of her on the wall of the house [when her dad invited me down to the home] and I was pretty happy she invited me back,’ he said.
A few days later, Mr Yelavich invited Ms Gregory out for pizza and wine and says the rest is history.
‘Ngaio followed me up the coast when she could while I finished my journey, but that was only for about 10 days so it started off as quite a long distance relationship,’ Mr Yelavich said.
+8
The one: Mr Yelavich is sure he found the right girl because has been to every town in New Zealand
Making history: Mr Yelavich is the first person to walk around the entire 7000km New Zealand coastline
The adventurer never for a second thought he would find love on his journey but says he is very glad he did.
‘I went to every town in New Zealand and I’m sure that I found the right girl,’ Mr Yelavich said.
The two have now been together for over a year and live with each other at Mr Gregory’s home.
Mr Yelavich documented his journey via Facebook and his personal website, taking photos with his mobile and GoPro which showed him walking down long train tracks, in front of picturesque backdrops and under water.
Riding solo: Mr Yelavich set off on his adventure when he was just 19 with a 50kg backpack
Documented: Mr Yelavich documented his journey online and in his book, Wildboy, which is available now
Mr Yelavich, who struggled with ADHD and dyslexia, dubbed his adventure as his version of conquering the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest.
‘I had wanted to circumnavigate the New Zealand coastline for several years – inspired by the movie, Into the Wild,’ he wrote on his website.
‘Because of not achieving at school as a result of ADHD and dyslexia, and not being able to get a decent job I decided to wipe the slate clean and do something great which helps others so I decided to support the Ronald McDonald House Charity (I have always loved kids) and carry out my epic adventure to circumnavigate the New Zealand coastline – over 7000km – living off the land, the sea and the kindness of others.’
Mr Yelavich’s book Wildboy is available worldwide from his website.
Zac Stones and James Hartshorne arrived at Rongo Backpackers & Gallery (www.rongobackpackers.com) on July 17, 2013 after a four-day adventure mountain biking on the Heaphy Track with their Dads Damian and Brent.
The Father and Son Team enjoy a Heaphy Conqueror’s Feast at Rongo Backpackers & Gallery in Karamea after finishing the Heaphy MTB ride.
At nine years old, James is possibly the youngest MTB rider to have completed the Heaphy Track. “It was really cool and I’d definitely do it again,” said James. Zac also had a great time and said, “I’d recommend it to other kids, I can’t wait to do it again and come back to Rongo,” he said. Zac enjoyed best the coastal section of the track from Heaphy Hut to the Kohaihai, while James really liked the downhill section from Mackay Hut to Lewis Hut and the Saxon to Mackay section because it was all frozen and there were icicles along the sides of the track.
Damian and Brent have ridden the track many times, but this was the first time they’d done it with their boys. Zac didn’t fall off once, James had a couple of minor spills along the way, but it was Damian who had the best stack. “I was coming along behind James and watching where he was going and didn’t see the large rock in the middle of the track, which I hit and basically pedalled myself over the handlebars,” he said.
Experienced rider Brent has done the Heaphy about 25 times by himself and usually rides all the way through in one day. However, riding with the boys was a different experience as they spent four days and three nights on the track and could take it easy and enjoy the scenery and really enjoyed the quality time spent with his son. “It was more like a journey than a ride,” he said.
The father-son team were met at the Kohaihai Shelter by the Karamea Connections (www.karameaconnections.co.nz) shuttle and taken to a hot shower at Rongo. After a hot shower, the boys had an origami lesson with Japanese wwoofer Kengo Shimuzu and learned how to make paper cranes, they then became radio DJs and played some records on Karamea Radio, which broadcasts from the radio station in the garage behind Rongo.
Karamea Radio 107.5 FM
The team was then treated to a famous Rongo Heaphy Conqueror’s Feast to celebrate finishing the track. On the menu was homemade focaccia bread with pumpkin soup, roast organic venison and lamb, roast potatoes, kale and carrot salad and kiwifruit sorbet for dessert…all locally grown, organically grown, freshly harvested food grown on the LivinginPeace Project (www.livinginpeace.com) Permaculture Farm, which is associated with Rongo Backpackers & Gallery.
James Hartshorne (left) and Zac Stones proudly display their Heaphy Track MTB completion certificates.
(Left to Right) Damian Stones, Brent Hartshorne, Zac Stones and James Hartshorne
After dinner, the team sat around a bonfire and listened to the DJ Crap and the Big Man Blues Show, which is world famous (in Karamea) as the longest-running radio show on Karamea Radio. The Blues Show is a Wednesday night staple in Karamea and has been broadcast every Wednesday for nine years…tune in any Wednesday night in Karamea to 107.5 FM for blues, news, witty banter and irreverent hilarity.
After a good nights sleep, the crew were up early to farewell Damian who took the Karamea Connections shuttle back to the Kohaihai and rode back to Browns Hut. Brent and the boys took an easier route home. They flew with Adventure Flights Golden Bay: http://www.adventureflightsgoldenbay.co.nz from Karamea Airport back over the Kahurangi National Park along Heaphy Track to their car at Browns Hut.
Zac’s dad Damian left Rongo early with Karamea Connections to ride back through the track
The boys leave Rongo with Brent Hartshorne to meet their flight at Karamea International Airport
Adventure Flights Golden Bay lands the boys and Brent back at Browns Hut at the Collingwood end of the Heaphy where they parked their car five days earlier. (Photo supplied by Adventure Flights Golden Bay)
The rest of their school holidays is unlikely to be as fun as their Heaphy Father and Son adventure. Well done James, Zac, Damian and Brent…thanks a lot for staying with us at Rongo and come on back again any time.
A New Zealand Government Department authorised by a covertly suspicious and deliberately rhetorical Act of Parliament to receive official complaints.
By Rongolian Star Raving Reporter Lewis Arthur Gordon Jackson
Karamea Ministry of Red Tape Offices, Market Cross: June 15th 3.35 p.m.
Chantall St. Clair Oo La La!: Bonjour monsieur, comment vas tu?
Bartimaeus Rasha: Salutations young lady!
Chantall St. Clair Oo La La!: Combien est ce que je peux vous aide ce matin?
Bartimaeus Rasha: I am desirous of making a strenuous complaint about this piece of forged art work wot I purchased this very morning at the Karamea Market Saturday morning market!
Chantall St. Clair Oo La La: Mais non monsiuer! C’est un originale Monsieur Ian Malcolm Baike!!
Chantall St. Clair Oo La La: Really?? So it is not forged??
Bartimaeus Rasha: Non! C’est plus valuable mon ami!
Bartimaeus Rasha: But I looked at the signature and …
Chantall St. Clair Oo La La: Que’est ce que c’est??
Bartimaeus Rasha: Let me put on my spectacles. Mmmm- Signed Ian Malcolm Baike aka Gunny Huck I’ll Be Nothing but a Hound Dog aka Vincent E Neumen aka Bob Rembrandt aka Wee Willie Goldie aka Andy Warthog aka Ludwigga Kombi Van Bend Over!
Murhatroyd Pumpernickel: Excuse me sir, I am Murgatroyd Pumpernickel the Senior Complaints Manager for the Karamea Ministry of Red Tape. I can be of assistance!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Thank you squire!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Mmmm! Yes that is indeed Baikes usual signature! I know it very well I have an extremely valuable collection of his 2013 Vulcanised Cheques series with the identical signature!
Bartimaeus Rasha: But look at this painting! This is actually the “The Last Pizza” by Eric Clapton, an extremely significant piece d’extroadinaire which hangs in the Rongo Art gallery!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Mmm!!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: I declare this Baike chappy to be a plagiarist and a fake!!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: I do believe in actual fact that Comrade Krapton is the plagiarist!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Really??
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: The Last Pizza” actually by Duncan Baike which you are very fortunate to be holding, was originally commissioned by Hell Pizza for the opening of their new pizzeria in the Wangapeka Valley!
Bartimaeus Rasha: But look at this pizza! It resembles Jake the Peg’s third leg on rye!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Is Hell Pizza in the Wangapeka Valley still open for business!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: No! The local God Squad torched it last week after a recent rather raucous Messy Church!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Messy Church??
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Yes indeed! The local church have a piggy party once a month to attract unrepenting sinners to church??
Bartimaeus Rasha: Is it successful??
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Definitely! Last week three smashed windows, a bicycle on the roof and some original Duncan Baike graffiti on the notice board!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: So this painting sounds extremely valuable!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Indeed! A perusal and valuation by Sothebys is essential! Do you still wish to file an official complaint??
Bartimaeus Pumpernickel: Well… yes… I paid $500 for this painting and…
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Grossly undercharged!! You are lucky not be charged with theft by cultural ignorance!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Can I make a complaint about my wife’s cooking then?
Murgatroyd Pumpernickle: Of course!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Jezebella is such a sarcastic bitch when it comes to cooking!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickle: How so?
Bartimaeus Rasha: When I was diagnosed with incontinence, she cooked Cockaleekie soup for supper!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Hah ha ha!!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Yesterday! I found out she is having an affair with the local Police Chief!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Holy Communion!!!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: I just knew their midnight criminal intelligence briefings on Flagstaff Beach were more than platonic!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Do you think they are wise enough to use a condominium??
Bartimaeus Rasha: Yes of course! Perhaps they use the Love Shack at the Karamea Farm Baches!!
Radio Karamea 107.5 FM ……“I shagged the sherriff!!!”
Bartimaeus Rasha: They are playing Jezzabella’s song!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Do you wish to make an official complaint about your wife’s appalling behaviour!
Bartimaeus rasha: Yes!!!!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Let me look in the Karamea Ministry of Red tape Official Complaints Manual..Mmm Here we go:
“Official Complaint 234/23 – Right Plonker who has to wear a nappy so he doesn’t fertilise his socks and who thankfully can’t read the fine print on this complaint form, wishes to make an official complaint about the local gendarme putting an enormously large smile on his wife’s visage because he can’t and in addition whinge about her excellent cooking especially her Pyrannean Pate de Fois Gras!!”
Bartimaeus Rasha: You have experienced Jezzabella’s despicable cooking??
Murgatroyd Pumpernickle: Of course I am the other party to a rather naughty little menage a trois!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Outrageous!!! My wife, the police mon and Murgatroyd Pumpernickel!!!
Mariam Fares: Cup of tea??
Bartimaeus Rasha: Can I have some raspberyy fizzy?
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Wow! Mariam! I love your low cut mini skirt!!!
Mariam Fares: Thank you kind sir! Would you like a cuppa!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: No, but I would like to tell you out my interpretation of The Big Bang Theory!
Mariam Fares: Oooooooh!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: (whisper ..psst!) (Its all bang and no theory!)
Mariam Fares: I’m free for lunch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: So Murgatroyd my good man, what outrageous acts do you deviant miscreants indulge in at this menage a trois?
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: We play nude scrabble!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Nude scrabble!! Bitch!!! I’m dylsexic no wonder I am never invited!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: The fee for your complaint is $56,765 plus $1000 Imperial War Tax!!
Bartimaeus Rasha: Daylight robbery!
Kaboom!!
Red Scarlett: Great Shot Chantelle!! In one ear and out the other and … my God and…knocked over that pedestrian across Waverley Street!!
Mariam Fares: Quick go and check her handbag before rigamortis sets in!!
Murgatroyd Pumpernickel: Puff puff puff!!! You only winged her!! But look what I found in her shopping basket, Whittakers Peppermint Chocolate Extra Cacao!!
We watched “Chasing Madoff” on TMN last week. While Bernie Madoff is a well documented disgusting person, it is even more disgusting that, when he brought Madoff to their attention, an honorable and courageous man like Harry Markopolos met resistance from the SEC, the nominal protector of financial markets in the United States.
It started in 1999. When asked to design an options portfolio to compete with Madoff, Markopolos decided, after less than 5 minutes, that the Madoff fund had to be a fraud.
The options market is extremely volatile. There is no real-world situation that can give an options fund the regular returns Bernie Madoff was showing. “Such a distribution simply doesn’t exist in finance.”
Being thorough it took Harry another 4 hours to prove it to his own satisfaction. You might wonder why the fraud lasted until late 2008.
Between 1999 and 2007 Harry delivered increasingly well supported…
There is an obscure adage in New Zealand “First socks and then shoes.” It refers to the correct order of things and the need to follow that process to achieve the desired result.
When my family and I recently visited “JiJi no Ie” a country inn in Isumi in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, the adage came to mind. The inn is a stunning replica cominka house that has been converted into an up-market accommodation facility that specialises in providing guests with high quality, locally grown, organic meals in an aesthetically pleasing tranquil atmosphere.
The Isumi region in Chiba Prefecture is about 1 1/2 hours from Tokyo by train, it is famous for its fertile soil and organic farming. Many of Tokyo’s top restaurants source their produce from Isumi farms. The region is a window on old-style Japanese rural living and is dotted with traditional cominka farmsteads, terraced rice paddies, sculptured gardens and plenty of greenery, bird and animal life. It is very pleasant to stroll around the Isumi region enjoying the sights and sounds of nature and experience a somewhat bygone era of Japanese aesthetic and architectural sensibility.
Cominka Farmhouse in Isumi shi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
JiJi no Ie literally means “Grandfather’s House” and is the brainchild of famed macrobiotic cooking specialist and author Deco Nakajima and her fine art photographer and journalist husband Everett Kennedy Brown.
Deco Nakajima and Everett Kennedy Brown
My wife Sanae read a book by Deco san and was sufficiently inspired by her life philosophy and skill in the kitchen to want to visit on our trip to Japan.
On arrival, however, we wondered if we were in the right place as the entrance to the inn was overgrown, there were several construction projects on the go and the decrepit boardwalk leading into the entrance of the inn was rotting and broken…the wow factor we had envisaged from a ¥15,000+ per night spend was somewhat lacking.
However, after we were greeted by JiJi no Ie Manager Miho Okada and shown through the building and to our room, our spirits lifted as the interior of the building is very much what we had expected and more. The property is still being developed and they decided to open for business, perhaps to generate income to finance the remaining works projects.
My wife Sanae and I were offered a choice of room and chose a private corner room on the ground floor as our daughter Diva is quite adventurous and has a fondness of stairs and waking at dawn, so the room we chose was away from other guests so as not to disturb them at 4:00 a.m. when Diva’s (and, by association, our) day begins. But, as it turned out, we were the only guests; we had the inn to ourselves for two luxurious days of fine food, relaxation, peace and quiet and great family time.
The JiJi no Ie staff had prepared the bathhouse for us prior to dinner and we enjoyed a good soak in the large wooden bathtub before our evening meal. A path from our room through a beautiful Japanese garden leads to the bathhouse building, which houses a large ofuro-style bath and several showers. The bath looks out onto the garden and provides for a very relaxing bathing experience.
Okada san was an excellent host and with support from her capable assistant Maki Imazek, we were made to feel very much at home during our stay. Both ladies were incredibly gracious, they were knowledgeable about the local region and offered advice on excursions and activities we may enjoy during our stay and they also prepared the fantastic breakfasts and dinners we had come to enjoy.
Okada san…our gracious host
Miho Okada prepares a sumptuous breakfast in the JiJi no Ie Kitchen
The food was simply superb, beautifully presented, creatively assembled, locally grown, organic, nutritious, macrobiotic and totally delicious. Each bite had the body singing hosanna to the highest as the food contained everything the body required and nothing it didn’t. Taste was not compromised in the delivery of healthy, nutritious food, the flavours were exquisite.
The meals were filling and the quantity sufficient to satisfy a large Western appetite. The aromas emitted from the kitchen, which is adjacent to the dining room prepared our palates for the spectacular array of flavours presented with each meal. Fermented foods are a feature of the macrobiotic diet and each meal had a significant component of such foods: ume boshi (fermented plums), tofu no shio kogi (fermented tofu) and tonu (soy-yoghurt).
Everett Brown, who is clearly a fine wine aficionado with a realistic grasp on economy, compiled the beverage list. The Austrian and Italian wines on offer were unfamiliar to me, but were excellent and reasonably priced. The selection included Japanese sake and we sampled wine called “AFs” made by the local Kidoizumi Sake Brewery. It had the characteristic colour and flavours of a fine white wine and was as the Japanese say “nomi yasui”…easy to drink.
Over dinner, Okada san told us that Brown has an interesting connection with Japan to do with the camera. A distant ancestor Eliphalet Brown was apparently the official photographer on Commodore Matthew Perry’s “Black Ship” that was sent by the U.S. Navy to re-establish trade with Japan after the country was closed to U.S. commerce for over 200 years. Today, Brown continues the family tradition for photography and Japan and has developed quite a reputation for his Japan-focused images.
After dinner we retired to our tatami matted room to recline on the futons, which had been magically laid out while we were at dinner, to relax, digest the sumptuous repast and drift off to sleep to the rhythmic croaking chorus of the myriad green tree frogs and other amphibians in the rice paddies around the inn. Being awake at first light thanks to the enthusiastic quest for knowledge, experience and activity exhibited by our lovely daughter, enabled us to appreciate the mournful crow of a distant rooster and the avian symphony that greets every new day at JiJi no Ie.
Breakfast was again taken at the dining room and featured a sumptuous array of finely prepared and presented delicacies from the adjacent kitchen.
Breakfast time at JiJi no Ie
A feature of the communal eating area is a large rocket stove that has been constructed from white ferro-concrete to absorb the warmth from the stove and fashioned into a bench that in winter must make for a cosy seat. Rocket stoves are highly efficient and maximise the warmth produced from the wood fuel burned. Efficiency and environmental awareness is a feature of the venture and Deco san is an advocate of such sensibilities.
Communal dining area
Rocket stove
A consummate chef and author of numerous cookbooks, Deco san hosts cooking classes at JiJi no Ie and shares her knowledge, experience and recipes with aspiring foodies.
It is pleasing to see such modern design ideas tastefully incorporated into old building style in an aesthetically pleasing way that improves the quality of life for people in an interesting and energy-efficient fashion.
Traditional tatami rooms at JiJi no Ie
A short stroll down the road is Rice Terrace Café, which is also owned and operated by Deco and Everett. The café is operated by a few staff and several Wwoofers (volunteers) who come from around the world to experience life in Japan and to learn about macrobiotic cooking, organic food production and farming techniques and sustainable living from Deco san.
The groovy café is situated on the Brown’s Field, a farm where much of the food it serves is grown. The café offers a range of wholesome meal sets in a peaceful rural setting, which made for a pleasant lunch. The fertile Isumi region is known for organic food production and many of the Michelin rated restaurants in Tokyo source their food from farms in the region, so the quality of the food served at Rice Terrace Café is top notch and Deco’s skill in the kitchen and her extensive recipes ensures that the taste and variety of meals on offer is also superb.
Lunch at Rice Terrace Cafe in Brown’s Field
While the project still has a few rough edges, there is a diamond waiting to emerge. Okada san assured me that they have contracted a professional landscape gardener to give the entrance to the property the requisite WOW factor it deserves and complete a few other design features that seem a bit half done…like the garden path to the bathhouse that begins beautifully, but finishes in a pile of rubble, which is presumably there to complete the job.
First impressions aside and after having experienced a thoroughly enjoyable two-day stay at JiJi no Ie, I now consider that the socks and shoes are on, but the laces are still untied. The venture is a work in progress and all signs are that the project is coming together nicely. My family and I can highly recommend JiJi no Ie, it’s great now and will soon be even better.
After two days at JiJi no Ie, we felt like family…the whole crew came out to send us off!
If you’re in Japan and you’re interested in permaculture, you need to meet Phil Cashman and see what he’s doing at Permaculture Awa Farm and Dojo in Wada on the Chiba Prefecture coast.
Bilingual Cashman studied permaculture in 2007 with the godfather of permaculture Bill Mollison and his protégé Geoff Lawton at Melbourne University in Australia. Since then, he has been on a mission to develop his knowledge of natural farming techniques and associated skills and has become a consummate permaculture practitioner.
Phil & Bill: Phil Cashman (left) and Bill Mollison in 2007
Cashman has worked on numerous permaculture projects around Japan, including helping people in tsunami stricken Fukushima to rebuild their lives and return to food production. He has also developed his home permaculture farm in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture as an exhibition farm to show the possibilities of permaculture and in the process feed himself and his family with top quality, locally grown organic fruit and vegetables.
He studied the art of Japanese natural beekeeping with aparian grandmaster Asakazu Tominaga in Nagano Prefecture and has become a specialist in natural beekeeping and natural honey production. Cashman offers workshops in beekeeping as well as other aspects of permaculture at the Permaculture Dojo in Wada, which is about 2 hours from Tokyo by train.
Wada is a popular summer holiday destination for Tokyoites and is famous for its surf beaches, hot spring onsens, fine isakaya restaurants, fresh farm produce and seafood and beautiful coastal scenery.
At Permaculture Awa Farm and Dojo, Cashman and his permaculture team offer a range of courses from introductory workshops for beginners, practical classes and exhibitions for kids, more advanced specialist courses for people with permaculture experience, through to a complete two-week Permaculture Design Course, which is the foundation of all permaculture studies worldwide.
Permaculture Awa is on a one-acre developing permaculture farm that provides live-in opportunities for students to gain invaluable hands-on experience and put permaculture theory into practice to gain the practical knowledge necessary to apply the skills to their own projects. Participants in workshops at the farm over several days can stay at the Permaculture Dojo for the duration of the course and enjoy food from the farm.
Raised-Bed Vegetable Garden at Permaculture Awa Farm
The farm has a small orchard, a large vegetable garden, composting area, worm farm, composting toilet, cob oven, yurt, rocket stove and an interesting hugelkultur project that incorporates a playground for children, including a long wooden slide made by natural playground specialist Yoshihiro Benjamin Iida.
Permaculture Design for Permaculture Awa Farm…A blueprint for the future.
Compost Toilet
Rocket Stove
Hugelkultur Platform
Cob Oven
Yurt
Permaculture Dojo
Wooden Slide built by natural playground construction specialist Yoshihiro Ida.
The Dojo building was originally built as a yoga studio and is a large wooden structure that can comfortably sleep 20 people. The courses on offer include accommodation and in the evenings, Cashman and the crew often fire up the cob oven to bake bread for the morning and make delicious wood-fired pizzas for dinner. Eating pizza, drinking beer and sitting around in the pleasant comfort of the Permaculture Dojo and chatting with interesting people from all around the world is surely one of the best ways to finish a productive day learning about permaculture, natural farming and other aspects of living well.
Wwoofer Yoshiko prepares a pizza to go into the the cob oven
Yoshihiro Ida puts his pizza-making skills to the test
Mmmmm….”Not Bad,” said Phil.
Vibrant discourse proceeded well into the night…
Cashman takes a long view on life and considers permaculture a positive way to secure a high quality of life for himself, his family and generations to come. “I want my kids’ grandchildren to be healthy and happy,” he said and is working toward that end by establishing Permaclture Awa Farm. The farm will provide for a self-sufficient lifestyle for his family and the people working with him. His ongoing quest for knowledge and skills in sustainable living and his willingness to share his experience with others is what makes Permaculture Awa so special.
A passionate teacher with a high level of competence in all aspects of permaculture make Cashman an inspiring and and motivating influence in all who meet him. “I want to make Permaculture Awa the best permaculture exhibition farm in the world so that people can come and see the possibilities, learn as much as they can and then go and spread the word through their own projects,” he said.
Phil Cashman uses natural materials for construction projects on Permaculture Awa Farm
Yoshihiro Iida (left) and Phil Cashman construct a bamboo trellis for climbing beans in the gardens at Permculture Awa Farm
Be prepared to laugh while you work with Phil Cashman…He FUNNY!
So if you want to learn anything about permaculture, if you are an experience practitioner wanting to further refine your knowledge, or if you are just beginning on you permaculture quest, if you speak Japanese or English, get in touch with Phil Cashman as he will light up your mind with his passion for permaculture and lift your spirits with positive future possibilities for a high quality of life for you and your family.
For More Information about Permaculture Awa and Upcoming Workshops Visit the Web site and Join the FaceBook Page: Permaculture Awa:
Permaculture Awa is small link in a global network of people designing practical solutions for the better health of people and the environment. We practice and teach Permaculture Design so our communities can get empowered to be the change they want to see. Lets work together and create a healthier, more peaceful and resilient future for our descendants.パーマカルチャー安房は「我々と我々の子孫のためにもっと平和で健康な環境を育てていきたいと考え行動する家族や友だちのコミュニティーを築きたい」との思いでフィル・キャッシュマンが設立しました。２００７年にパーマカルチャーの父ビル・モリソンからパーマカルチャーデザインを学び、それ以降は日本でパーマカルチャーの研究と実践一筋でやってきました。グローバルな環境問題に対して、ポジティブな変化と具体的なソルーションを着々と実行するグラスルーツムーブメント。この人類の目覚めに全力で貢献する事を試みています。喜びいっぱい精一杯、大勢の世界中の仲間たちとアースケアー、ピープルケアーとフェアーシェアーを実践していきましょう。
“The Untold History of the United States,” a collaboration between filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick, yields a masterful account of U.S. political history and presents a perspective rarely seen in corporate media.
The book and associated TV documentary series follows the tenures of U.S. presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Barack Obama and gives a critical account of their efficacy, decision making, policies, diplomacy and courage during their time in the world’s top job.
No punches are pulled in the proffering of presidential report cards, and few presidents receive pass marks on the assessment of Stone and Kuznick.
The xenophobia and paranoia of the United States and that manifestation of those traits through presidential decisions, which are inordinately swayed by the immense influence of military advisors, rapacious corporate leaders and right-wing nut-jobs on political policy, is well presented in the book. The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing in this regard, but the decision-making process of U.S. leaders beggars belief with its blatant disregard for human rights, compassion and in many cases, legal grounding.
Stone and Kuznick detail U.S. corporate sponsorship of both sides of both world wars and how the nation profited from the misery of others. Much copy is also given to the manipulation of the governments of other countries by U.S. intelligence agencies to overthrow democratically elected leaders and replace them with puppets in line with U.S. corporate and economic interests.
Also evident is the total unsuitability of many U.S. presidents to hold the office, Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush are revealed to have been highly unqualified for the office of U.S. president…Ronald Wilson Reagan, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and Richard Milhous Nixon were also questionably qualified for the position. However, the book outlines well that the president is merely one of many shaping U.S. policy and that the figurehead leader is subjected to the machinations of myriad advisors and consultants many of whom have ulterior motives in swaying presidential directives.
It is also well covered in the book that there have been many inspired leaders who could have shaped a more compassionate and admirable United States and positioned the powerful nation into the world with the respect rather than the fear of other nations and their people. Henry Wallace was such a leader, but his policies were considered too dove-like by the hawks, and he was effectively railroaded out of office before he could implement any policies that may limit U.S. global hegemony. An advocate of social equity and a staunch anti-imperialist, Wallace was a very popular vice-president to Franklin D. Roosevelt during WWII and may have become President had the Republican guard not determined his “utopian” ideology was unsuitable to further their political ends. Harry Truman was given the vice-presidential nomination despite only a 2% support base. Wallace polled 65%.
Roosevelt went on to win a second term and died in office a short time later, which made Truman president, Wallace missed out by a mere 82 days. Truman went on to do such things as drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and effectively start the Cold War with Russia, decisions which perhaps would have been avoided should Wallace have assumed the presidency.
The Vietnam War years are given much coverage in the book, perhaps because Oliver Stone saw active service there. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon all held office during the debacle of the Vietnam War. The sheer obstinacy of U.S. foreign policy is revealed in that way the conflict was handled. Numerous opportunities to withdraw were ignored on the grounds that bringing the troops home would be seen as a sign of weakness and that the United States must win at any cost to ensure the world knows who is boss and to rid the world of Communism. The destruction of three countries; Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos ensued, the expenditure of billions of dollars and the loss of over 5 million lives could have been avoided if the United States swallowed its pride and accepted political philosophies other than their own.
The Cold War and the proliferation of nuclear arms are detailed well in the book. The insanity of having weapons stockpiled that could destroy the entire world 50 times over and lead to the annihilation of every living breathing thing of Earth…and the numerous times such a dystopian possibility came close to becoming a reality is chillingly revealed. Military lobbyists, right-wing hawks and industrialists again shaped U.S. policy and manipulated presidential decisions in their favour…which leads us to the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney years, which put other presidential failures in the shade in terms of legal breaches, military spending, corporate pandering, personal avarice and blatant incompetence.
Finally, President Barack Obama, who has had real opportunities to right many of the wrongs of the Bush/Cheney administration and beyond. He was seen as a great hope by the people of the United States and the world to bring about a new era of U.S. leadership and take the nation forward positively and proactively but has thus far failed on all counts. His capitulation to Wall Street over the finance industry engineered banking crisis, his failure to close Guantanamo Bay prison facility as promised (yielding again to military counsel), his increased covert surveillance of U.S citizens private information and the use of drones to eliminate perceived enemies and lots of innocent civilians in the process. He has not lived up to the promise he showed, and his actions have even served to exacerbate the perceived terrorist threat to the United States.
The pursuit of whistle-blowers like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, U.S. Marine Bradley Manning and now Edward Snowden again presents Obama with an opportunity to re-engineer U.S. policy toward greater transparency and to live up to the land of the brave home of the free dictum that has long been a satirical platitude in the United States.
The Untold History of the United States should be at the very least compulsory reading for any aspiring U.S. president in the hope that they will know that their office is under public scrutiny and acceptance of political lies and obfuscation is no longer acceptable to a increasingly aware, thinking and unified populace…as evidenced by the recent “Occupy” movement.
Stone and Kuznick dedicate the book to their children in the hope that a better world results from its publication…this is perhaps a lofty and overly optimistic expectation, but they have put the U.S. government on notice, and it’s about time!
The Rongolian Star 
A Tribute to Dave Tailby: LivinginPeace Project Permaculturalist
Off the Top of My Head
By Paul MurrayIn March 2012, Dave Tailby arrived in Karamea at the top of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand to become the first LivinginPeace Project (LiPP) Permaculture Farm Manager.
The LivinginPeace Project incorporates the elements of Art, Travel, Permaculture and Education into a sustainable business. The projects includes a backpackers hostel, motel complex, permaculture farm, art gallery, radio station, permaculture and art courses, a transport service, the Global Gypsy Gallery: a cafe, organic food and recycled clothing shop.Already an accomplished organic gardener, builder and alternative energy specialist after spending his life living off the land and striving for energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, Dave did a Permaculture Design Course at the Permaculture Research Institute Zaytuna Farm in Australia with Geoff Lawton in 2011 on the suggestion of his father. He returned to New Zealand full of inspiration and keen to put the theoretical principles of permaculture he’d learned in to practice.
One goal of the LiPP is to apply permaculture principles to the business to maximise energy efficiency and minimise the environmental impact of the venture. Dave’s challenge was to develop the permaculture farm to produce enough fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to turn into meals to feed customers at the accommodation facilities all year round. The motivation for this was manifold. Locally produced food is significantly more energy efficient as there are no food miles or transport costs associated in getting it from the farm to the plate.
So rather than importing all the people as tourists and travellers and then importing all the food to feed them while they are staying with us, a great efficiency gain can be made by growing the food on our farm. The food quality is also higher as is it freshly harvested and soon on the table in front of our guests.
Dinner from the farm at Rongo: A Feast of locally grown, organic, freshly harvested, organic, nutritious, delicious food…and plenty of it!
This approach is also a sound business idea as farm produce can be value added by converting it into meals and providing customers with a high quality meal at a reasonable price. This way enables the farmer to go direct to market without having wholesaler and retailer clipping the food price ticket along the supply chain. As a result, the LivinginPeace Project is able to produce top quality, locally grown meals for its customers at a price that doesn’t include the surcharges of the commercial supply chain.
For example, a farmer may be able to sell a pumpkin to a vegetable market for $3, the wholesaler then sells it to a retailer for $3.50, the retailer sells it to the restaurateur for $5 and the restaurant makes it into serves it up in to the customer for $10. The farmer provides the same pumpkin to the LiPP team, they make it into 10 bowls of pumpkin soup and serve it fresh to their customers for $5 per bowl and receive a $50 (less costs) return on the pumpkin. The proceeds of the pumpkin are used to directly pay the people producing the food and the meals. The customers are also happy as they have received a top quality, freshly harvested, nutritious, healthy, organic and delicious meal for half the price they’d pay for the same thing at a traditional restaurant.
(Actually, the same thing is not available at restaurants as the freshness is not possible due to the time it takes for the pumpkin to pass through the supply chain…at the LivinginPeace Project, we can serve soup from a pumpkin that was growing a few hours before)
In the summer of 2012, filmmakers Elise London and Louca Mee made a short film that captures well the essence of the LiPP. On the film, Dave reveals his creative garden design. It’s a giant flower, the beds are petals and they all radiate around the central disc, which he made into a peace sign, which is all very much in line with the central tenet of the LiPP. Back in 2012, the garden design was a paper concept, today it exists in reality and Dave, with the help of the LiPP crew, volunteers from all over the world, his partner Amanda and her kids Charlie and Naomi, Dave has taken a good idea and made it happen.
The LivinginPeace Project by Louca Mee and Elise London of PassitonFilms.com
LivinginPeace Project Farm 2010
LivinginPeace Project Farm 2013
In addition to setting up the LiPP vegetable gardens, that will feed thousands of people over the coming years, Dave has also established hot-composting system that supplies the farm with a regular supply of nutritious living compost, a fruit forest to supply seasonal fruits all year round, a woodlot to produce firewood to heat buildings and water, designed a livestock husbandry system for the sheep flock, to built a pond for the ducks and conducted two Permaculture Design Courses to pass on his knowledge and experience to students from Canada, France, the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Germany and represented the LiPP at the Permaculture Convergence in Turangi and at the Nelson Eco-Fest in in 2012. He also conducted the first LiPP Permaculture Farm Internship in 2013. Intern Heather Andrews, a graduate from the 2013 LiPP Permaculture Design Course, had this to say about the internship.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 6 week internship at the LivingInPeace Project on all levels. Working with Dave has been one of the best work experiences I’ve had. He’s a fantastic teacher—a good communicator with heaps of knowledge and experience, a great sense of humour, a willingness to let you learn by doing, and that skill of all skills, the ability to improvise (aka Kiwi Ingenuity). He makes a workday FUN, which is as good as work gets, really! I got to learn about sheep care, safe chainsaw practices and maintenance, preparing and planting permaculture garden beds, making fast and slow compost, planting support species and young fruit trees, gathering kelp for use in fertilization, harvesting driftwood for firewood, using chickens as orchard conditioners and fertilizers, cobbing a rocket stove using homemade cob, and more. The cottage accommodation was absolutely lovely—quiet, surrounded by trees, comfortable and cosy. I loved harvesting vegetables and herbs from the garden to eat, and one of my favourite memories will be sharing meals with Dave and staff at Rongo’s. I am endlessly grateful to Dave, Paul, and all the staff at Rongo’s for this fantastic experience, it has been a highlight of my time in New Zealand and one I’ll treasure forever. Thank you, thank you!!!”7 July 2013
Dave’s warmth, compassion for others and great sense of humour made working on the farm a lot of fun. His passion for permaculture combined with his practical knowledge and experience and his Trojan work ethic saw the LiPP farm develop rapidly during his tenure as farm manager and we are very grateful for his dedicated effort.
Dave has left the LivinginPeace Project with a beautiful permaculture garden that will produce food for people coming to stay with us and helped to establish the project as a centre of excellence for permaculture learning and application. Dave will continue his permaculture journey from his home base in Motueka and will always be remembered as a driving force behind the permaculture facet of the LiPP. Thank you Dave from everyone you inspired, made laugh and shared your love with during your time at the LiPP…Happy Trails Old Mate!
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