For an independent household, it can be incredibly satisfying and delicious to make your own bread. But, while I love the slow rhythms of kneading, rising, shaping, rising and baking, I rarely have time for it during the week – which is when I find my family eats it in the most. So here is a quicker option, adapted for baking in the evening before or after the supper rush, ready for breakfast, lunchboxes and take-to-work meals.

And if you bake the loaf in the oven straight after making supper, you will save energy that would otherwise be required to preheat the oven for baking bread.

Wholewheat Sandwich Loaf
Adapted from Myrtle Allen’s Brown Bread recipe, in James Beard’s Beard on Bread.

Yield: 1 loaf
Time: two hours and five minutes, plus one hour to cool the loaf
Measuring by weight is much more accurate than volume, so use a scale if you have one.

Ingredients:
645g (4 ½ cups) wholewheat flour
510ml water, skin temperature (test a couple drops on your inner arm)
18g fresh yeast or 6g (1 ½ t) instant dry yeast
12g (1 ½ t) fine sea salt
33g (1 ½ T) molasses, treacle or honey
1 T butter, softened

Method:
Grease the inside of a loaf tin (1.5 litre capacity) generously with the butter.

Combine the flour, salt and instant yeast (if using) in a large bowl.

In another bowl or measuring jug, combine the water with the fresh yeast (if using), stirring with a spoon or your (clean!) fingers until it dissolves. Add the molasses, treacle or honey to the water, and stir to mix. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients, stirring until well combined.

If you are adding grains or seeds (see Add-ins below), add them now.
Transfer the dough to the greased loaf tin. To prevent the dough drying out, cover the entire tin with an upturned large tupperware or bowl with a couple centimetre’s clearance, and leave in a warm place to rise. Set a timer for forty minutes.

After setting the timer, position an oven rack in the bottom half of the oven, and place your baking stone or terracotta tile on it, if you have one. Remove all other racks. Turn on your oven to 200 degrees Celsius to preheat.

When the timer goes off, place a metal or cast iron oven-proof dish on the floor of the oven to heat up. Ten minutes later, boil one cup of water. Remove the cover from your bread. Sprinkle with untoasted seeds or oats, if desired. Gently place in the oven, on the baking stone or directly on the rack. Pour about half a cup of the boiling water into the dish on the oven floor (watch out for steam!), and quickly shut the oven door. Turn the temperature down to 180 degrees Celsius. Set your timer for ten minutes.

When the timer goes, rotate the loaf tin and quickly shut the door. Set the timer for 25 minutes.

The loaf of bread should be pulling away slightly from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven, and shut the oven door to retain heat. Gently slide a blunt-ended knife around the bread loaf to loosen it, and gently shake it out of the tin.

Using a towel or oven gloves, place the loaf directly on the rack in the oven, and bake for another twenty minutes. Carefully lift the loaf and flick a finger against its base. It should feel crisp, and make a hollow sound.
Bake for a further five minutes and check again if not.

When done, return the bread to the oven, close the door and turn the oven off. Leave for ten minutes to finish crisping, then remove and cool on a rack for an hour before eating. It slices more easily the cooler it is.

To store, wrap the loaf in a clean dish towel when completely cool, and place in a close-fitting, sealed container. It should stay fresh for 24 to 48 hours.

Otherwise freeze it, already sliced. It can go straight into the toaster frozen, for particularly delicious toast.

Add-ins

Customise your loaf with grains and seeds, by adding them directly to the dough. The more you add, the denser the finished loaf, so start off with ¼ cup of the larger grains, or 2 TBS of the seeds per loaf, and experiment from there.

Add the following directly to the dough, or lightly toast first: Poppy seed, sesame seed, wheatgerm, flaxseed, millet.

Soak the following in cold water for several hours, then drain before adding: sunflower seeds, oat flakes, quinoa.
Boil until tender, drain and cool the following before adding to the dough: kamut, oat kernels, barley, wheat kernels, bulgur.

Further reading
Bread by Jeffrey Hamelman explains the science, techniques and gives recipes for almost 100 sourdough, rye, pre-fermented, enriched and decorative breads. English Bread and Yeast Cookery and James Beard’s Beard on Bread are both classics, and make for lovely reading. Be ready to adjust Beard’s recipes though – he’s a bit generous with both the salt and sugar for modern palates!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

There’s something very accusing about a stale end of bread, sitting forlornly on your kitchen counter. Homemade and artisan breads lack the preservatives of their commercial equivalents, and are typically best eaten within twenty-four hours of baking.

Remove crusts, and process in a blender or food processor to make bread crumbs. Keep in a container in the freezer. Use in chicken stuffing or toss crumbs with olive oil and use to coat chicken or fish pieces before frying or baking, and top baked vegetable and pasta dishes.

Remove tough crusts, tear into bite-sized pieces, toss with a splash of olive oil, and place on a tray under the grill in your oven for a couple minutes. Keep a careful eye out for burning!

When the bread is brown at the tips and the centre is golden and still a little squidgy, remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little of your salad dressing and toss through your dressed salad just before serving for the best croutons ever. This is especially good with ciabatta.

If the bread is firm, slice as thinly as possible with a bread knife, and dry out on a rack in a low oven until totally crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container, and use as you would melba toast or crackers. French toast and bread pudding are even better made with old bread, especially white farm loaves. The Mediterraneans are experts at using up stale bread; look up recipes for panzanella (Tuscan bread salad), ajo blanco (chilled almond and garlic soup) and romesco (almond and tomato sauce).

Grist for the Mill

I believe that the staggering rise in gluten intolerance has more to do with how we treat our bread than gluten’s biological properties. If wheat kernels are treated with respect and care during processing, they will retain their nutrients and lovely flavour.

Organic, unbleached and stone ground flours will certainly cost more than their commercial counterparts, but that’s because you’re getting more – more nutrients, more flavour, and a flour that’s the product of more time, skilled handling and conscientious agriculture.

Don’t be afraid to email or call up flour companies to ask where their wheat comes from, if it is chemically treated, and whether their farmers practice sustainable agriculture (such as crop rotation, biological or organic pesticides and fertilizers, and conservation tillage).

In the accompanying recipe, the bread derives its sweet, nutty flavour from wholewheat (also known as wholemeal) flour, so it’s worth getting the good stuff. I recommend you look for stone-ground, unbleached flour. Most commercial flours are processed with steel rollers, which create a lot of friction and heat (often more than bread experiences in an oven!) which damages the nutritional content of flour.

Commercial flours are also bleached with chemicals such as peroxide and chlorine, turning it unnaturally snowy-white, a colour we now erroneously associate with quality. Even the ‘vitamin enriched’ label some flours boast cannot replace all the minerals, vitamins and nutrients wheat contains.

Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t end there, especially for those who depend on the supermarket for their daily bread. Flour destined for industrial bakeries is made into loaves which are a far cry from the flour, yeast, salt and water recipes of the past.

Factory loaves now contain humectants so the bread holds more water (to increase weight and thus perceived value for money), and flour improvers to make the loaves artificially fluffy and soft, and circumvent the traditional practice of maturing flour before use. Then the finished loaf is treated with calcium propionate, to delay the development of mould.

So if possible, avoid the factory-made pre-sliced loaves. If you cannot make your own, patronize artisan bakers, or even stores with in-house bakeries. While the flour may still be the victim of commercialisation, bakeries are less likely to treat their loaves with chemicals. There’s one way to know: exercise your consumer rights and ask.

If we just acknowledged that bread is a perishable product which cannot naturally remain fresh and edible kept at room temperature for a week, then perhaps we could return to a way of living where bread is indeed the staff of life – life-giving, life-improving and life-sustaining.

One of the principles at the heart of organic gardening is to completely eliminate the need to use sprays and dusts, even organically acceptable ones. While this might seem foolish — or even impossible — at first, by removing the need to continually spray and dust your garden, producing your own food becomes more enjoyable, safer and will require less work. This means more time spent admiring and eating the fruits of your labour, and less time spent preparing concoctions and potions!

So where do you start on the road to organic, pest-free self-sufficiency? Surprisingly, some of the best ways to contol pests and diseases don’t at first glance appear to be controls at all. By looking at her vegetable garden as a mini ecosystem which needs to be kept in balance, and thus in which no pests or disease can get out of control, the organic gardener is able to concentrate her efforts on:

• cultural techniques which will keep her vegetable plants in the best of health
• developing rich, biologically active soil
• encouraging a diverse population of predator species to keep insect pests in check.

But the place to start, and the foundation of your future organic vegetable growing success, starts with the plants themselves.

Buying healthy plants
Starting out with the healthiest plants you can find is a good way to ensure a healthy and productive vegetable garden. Use these tips to choose the best plants you can find:

Buy from nurseries or market stalls where the plants are well cared for. Plants which are allowed to stand in the sun on a hot pavement or which have been allowed to wilt are not a good choice, even if they’re cheap.

Look at the entire selection of plants on offer. If some of the plants appear to be in poor health, it may be that the healthier looking ones have arrived more recently from the supplier and have yet to succumb to the seller’s mistreatment. They might look healthy today, but could very well be diseased tomorrow.

Carefully look at the plant’s colour. Plants which appear slightly pale might just need to be fertilized, and this is easily corrected. But plants which have distinct yellow streaks or brown spots are diseased. Do not buy them, or any other plants in the selection.

Look for roots, and look at the roots if possible. Plants which have masses of roots growing through their container’s drainage holes have been left in too small a container for too long, and this could result in severe transplant shock if much of the root mass needs to be boken off in order to remove the plant from its container before transplanting. If you are able to (and if you are buying large quantities of plants, insist that you be allowed to) gently shake a plant loose from its container so that you can exmine the roots. The roots should be plentiful, but not wrapped in a tight spiral or almost filling the container.

Cultural techiques
Water early: If you irrigate your garden with a sprinkler from overhead, it’s best to water early in the day so plants can dry off before night falls. Foliage that stays wet for long periods of time is susceptible to leaf diseases, fungi that grow on leaves, tender stems, and flower buds. This tends to be a problem when plants stay wet throughout the night: Fungi spread quickly during the cool, moist evening hours. The fungi will cause the plant to be weakened, flowers will fall off, and fruit will begin to spot and become soft

Crop rotation: Do not grow the same plant family in the same spot year after year. Repetition of the same crop gives diseases a chance to build up strength. Design your garden so that each family of vegetables — cabbage family, cucumber family, and tomato/pepper family — can be moved to another block of your garden on a three-year rotation.

Avoid monocultures: Planting a wide variety of plants in your garden is another way to foil pests and diseases by encouraging diversity. Conventional lawns are an excellent example of a monoculture. Planting a mixture of lawn grasses will help prevent diseases from sweeping through your lawn, because some grasses will be susceptible and others won’t.

Companion planting is another way to use diversity – and avoid monocultures – to foil pests. Mixing marigolds and herbs in and between your vegetable plants, as opposed to planting solid blocks or rows of a single vegetable crop, is very effective, because many pests locate crops by smell and these strong-smelling plants can “hide” a crop by masking the odour which attracts insects.

Developing rich soil
Soil that is fertile, well-drained and teeming with communities of a diverse range of micro-organisms will greatly increase your vegetable garden’s health and productivity, since many pests and diseases spend part or all of their lives below-ground. Having a diversity of microbes in the soil will help keep them in check.

Healthy soil is an intricate mix of tiny rock particles, organic matter, water, air, fungi, micro-organisms and other animals. The more organic matter you add to your soil, the more biologically active your soil will become, and the more active it is, the greater the competition between benign micro-organisms and those intent on doing harm to your plants. Over time, adding organic material improves the soil’s structure, which in turn improves its ability to absorb and release water, thereby maintaining ideal moisture levels.

Although rich, well-fed soil is all most vegetable plants need to keep them growing vigorously and producing well, fertilizing them at the correct time is also beneficial, and will help boost their natural resistance to pests and disease. As a general rule, annual vegetables should be well-fed when they are young, and then given “booster” feeding when they start producing. Perrenial vegetables should be fertilised during the first third of their active growth in spring.

You can also fertilise them in summer, but not in autumn, as late fertilisation can stress them by encouraging tender new growth which may be winter-killed. When you apply fertiliser, always keep in mind that more is never better. Over-fertilisation leads to rank, spindly growth which always worsens problems with aphids and some other pests.

Encouraging predators
Encouraging a diverse community of insect predators is one of the best ways to manage pests. Beneficials, the term used for insect predators and parasites, play a vital role in the complex community which naturally exists in your garden by eating or parasitizing harmful pests.

The first and most important rule for the gardener who wants to encourage beneficial insects is to immediately stop using toxic sprays and dusts. Even organic pesticides kill indiscriminately, so use them only when absolutely necessary and then only on the plants being attacked. To attract beneficial insects into your garden, provide them with an attractive food supply. Since the adults of many beneficial insects only feed on pollen and nectar, the best way to attract them is to plant small-flowered plants such as dill, fennel, parlsey and mint.

You can also allow a few of your vegetables, especially members of the mustard family such as radishes, and broccoli to go to flower. There are also many ornamental annuals which can be used: simply use them as colourful borders or edging plants around your vegetable beds. Once the adults of beneficial species have arrived in your garden and had a good meal, the females will search for good places to lay eggs which will hatch into predatory larvae. Beneficial ground-dwelling insects such as beetles find refuge in the soil, under stones and in thick mulches.

It is important to minimise dust and to provide a source of water in hot, dry areas to protect beneficial insects, which are easily killed by dehydration. An old birdbath filled with water and rocks (to provide safe landing places and prevent drownings) will be used by many beneficial insects.

Birds are amongst the most efficient predators of harmful insects, so planting shrubs and trees, and supplying them with a source of water to attract them to your garden – and encourage them to stay and eat their fill! -  is a worthwhile investment.

And for consuming slugs, cutworms and many other ground-dwelling pests, nothing beats frogs and toads. Be sure to provide shelter and water for them, too.

Non-toxic control of insects
There are many different non-toxic control methods we can use against insects in the garden. Some are commercial sprays and powders, others can be made at home from household ingredients.

Use non-toxic insecticides only when absolutely necessary The following list of non-toxic insecticides should only be used whco absolutely necessary. It’s important to allow the garden to develop it’s own micro-divcrsily and ccology.

Bacillus thuringiensis Of the micro-organisms that make insects ill, Bacillus thuringiensis is by far the best known. Though safe to humans, it has a devastating effect on many pests. BT, as it is often called, appears on the market in the form of a soluble powder. The powder is suspended in water and sprayed on plant surfaces, where it is ingested by the pest. The BT spores then germinate into plants that occupy more and more of the victim’s body. A toxic crystal is also produced and is thought to be partially responsible for the insecticidal effect. BT is useful on both vegetable and fruit crops, aiding in the control of caterpillars, earworms, peach tree borer, cabbage moth, cabbage looper, and gypsy moth caterpillar.

Pyrethrum A is a botanical insecticide derived from the flowers of a species of chrysanthemum. The material causes rapid paralysis of most insects, but the insects usually recover unless the pyrethrum is combined with a synergist or other poison. There are several pyrethrmun products available that are certified organic. Use against aphids, thrips, caterpillars, ants, flies, earwigs, cabbage moth. As pyrethrum also affects beneficial insects it should only be used as a last resort.

Wettable sulphur is an effective fungicide and miticide. The sulphur interferes with important processes in fungal spores and is noted for its ability to suppress mite populations.

Other non-toxic pesticides
Gardeners have been using soap to control insects since the early 1800s. During the first half of thc 19th century, whale oil soap and, more commonly, fish oil soaps were an important part of insect control. Recent tests indicate that a good quality environmentally friendly dishwashing detergent, diluted with water to a 1 to 2% solution, provides the most consistent control and is easy to mix. There are also soaps available that are specifically formulated to control insects on plants. Thorough coverage of the plant and repeated applications may be necessary to bring insect populations under control and may damage some plants.

Barrier bands are wrapped around the trunks of fruit-bearing trees to prevent crawling insects and larvae from reaching the fruit and foliage. The insects will hibernate in the bands, which should be removed and burned. (Do not bury or compost). Tie corrugated paper, cotton, or sacking around the trunk. This is very useful against many damaging moth species.

Compost tea
Manure and compost tea is effective on many pests because of the micro-organisms that exist in it naturally.
How to make compost tea: use any container, but a plastic bucket is easiest. Fill half full of well-made compost and fill with water. Leave for 10 to 14 days, then dilute the tea concentrate to approximately 1 part tea to 10 parts water, straining out the solids with old pantyhose or cheese cloth. Spray on the foliage of any and all plants including fruit trees, perennials. annuals, vegetables, roses and other plants, especially those that are regularly attacked by insects or fungal pests. Compost tea is a very effective control for early blight on tomatoes.

Garlic/pepper tea
To make garlic/pepper tea, liquify 2 bulbs of garlic and 2 hot chillies in a blender with a cup of water. Strain the solids and add enough water to make 4 litres of concentrate. Use 1/4 cup of concentrate per 4 litres of water. To make garlic tea, simply omit the pepper and add another bulb of garlic. Add two tablespoons of molasses for more control.

Garrett Juice
(Ready to spray) One cup compost tea, one large tablespoon molasses, same of natural apple cider vinegar, same of liquid seaweed.

Khula Dhamma Community

Location?
What made you choose the location?

Eastern Cape, between East London and the Kei river, 8km inland. When the land chose us we didn’t fully appreciate how ideal the climate is for growing a wide variety of food all year-round. We can also harvest an abundance of sun & wind energy. We are close enough to the sea for frequent beach trips, but far enough not to be too threatened by rising sea-levels (but who really knows what will happen!) When was the community formed? 2003 with three adults.

How many members?
Do you have any particular beliefs in common?

We are now five adult members and three little ones (and one on the way). We also have four adults and two children who are long-term visitors (with possible interest to join). Our community was founded with strong roots in Vipassana meditation.

While many of us have since come to embrace other teachings and personal explorations, we adhere that the practice of mindfulness or “presence” is core to our ongoing harmony. Living in community is in and of itself a powerful spiritual practice if it is approached as such. Open and ongoing talking circles are an essential tool to stay connected and attuned.

What were the “founding principles”, the purpose in forming the community? The founding principles were to live in a place that is far from pollution and the frenetic city-life. To create a place where we could live peacefully and grow spiritually through meditation and communal living. Understanding that our food quality has become severely compromised and adulterated for the sake of quantity, we realised that true health can only come from growing our own food.

Last, and most importantly, we wanted to create a natural, magical, supportive and stimulating environment for children to grow up in. We feel that what has been socially accepted as the “normal” way of raising and educating children lies at the heart of humanity’s troubles.

Is your community self-sufficient?
Do any members work in “normal” jobs outside the community to support it?

Financially our community is not self-sufficient. All members are either working in nearby villages or living off savings. Our project of building an Ecovillage Training Centre (Home Of Providence & Ecoliving- HOPE) will, among many other things, create a variety of livelihood opportunities for resident members. Other livelihoods that are currently developing are: honey and propolis production, a tree nursery and heirloom vegetable seed production.

In which ways is your community self-sufficient?
In which ways is it not?

There is still much room for growth around self-sufficiency. Our aim is to become completely self-sufficient apart from, perhaps, producing all our own clothing. We are already self-sufficient in terms of our water and energy requirements.

We currently grow 90% of the vegetables and about 10% of the fruits we eat. This spring we will be planting many fruit trees. One Elder couple will be establishing a “mini-farm” which will contribute enormously to our food supply, especially in terms of the community’s grain and pulse requirements.

What were the greatest challenges in forming/creating your community?

It was quite a challenge to be so few members for so long. But life here has always been full of learning and fulfillment.

What are the greatest ongoing challenges to keeping your community going?

Our current challenge is to manage our rapid growth. Where personal dynamics seem to be the biggest challenge for most communities we feel fortunate that our spiritual practice and commitment to honest communication have really helped us to remain free from any conflict worth mentioning.

Are there any things you would have done differently, looking back?

The garden. It teaches us so much. It was interesting that after about three years of living here we came across a very informative book (Creating A Life Together, by Diana Leafe Christian) on starting a community or an ecovillage. It was nice to read that so much of what was mentioned and advised affirmed what we were already intuitively practicing.

Could you share any information about what your community hopes to achieve?

Buckminster Fuller said “You never change anything by fighting the existing. To change something, build a new model and make the existing obsolete.” We are becoming a living solution to the severely imbalanced and disconnected way of life that has grown out of the “developing” world. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the global political-social-economic structure is verging on collapse. To not take radical measures to prepare for this is to deny it.

Ultimately, though, we feel that while it’s important and fun to explore practical solutions towards living in harmony with Nature, this cosmic crescendo that is upon us is all about launching humanity into a radical transformation of consciousness.

The type of ecovillage or eco-community we are creating is a space that explores and facilitates all aspects of that shift.

Are you accepting new members?
Requirements for eligibility?

To insure mutual compatibility we choose to go with a 6-12 month “integration period” for us to get to know each other. Entering into community is essentially akin to entering into marriage. The people joining will help raise our children and shape our common dream.

We hope to attract people of all races and ages who are skilled, hard-working, enthusiastic, committed and always open to growing, learning, sharing and evolving. Like I mentioned before, managing our growth is currently our biggest challenge. For now, we seem to be managing fine, however, I think we’re now at a point where we need to settle and give time and energy to getting to know the people who have taken the brave leap to join us.

Do you welcome/allow interested visitors?
Do you offer any courses?

We still allow people who are genuinely interested in joining or forming their own community to come for a short visit (3-7 days) so we can meet and they can get a feel for the place and people. Those interested in visiting can browse our website for more information or send us a letter. Currently we are not yet offering any courses, but this will change as we start building our Learning Centre.

What are the best ways to contact you?

The best way to contact is via email: info@khuladhamma.org or write to Khula Dhamma Community, PO Box 1 Haga Haga 5272

Is there anything you would like to share with our readers?
Any tips for creating an intentional community?

Firstly, I would like to say that the answers I have provided are my own. While they attempt to reflect the common ideas of the community, there may be different views held by some individuals. In terms of advice on forming/founding an intentional community I would recommend to start off with a small core group of friends who know each other well and share a common dream. Then spend ample time developing your vision and methodology together. Have lots of talking circles. If you keep working on your communication and on your individual spiritual growth then the most important work of forming a community will be well underway.

Other than that, you can contact and visit existing communities and read everything you can find about starting an intentional community.

With nothing but a very dilapidated old structure, no electricity or municipal services, this promised to be the perfect canvas to create an off-the-grid eco-house and live a more sustainable life…
Choosing between such a dream and the prospect of raising 2 small children in Jo’burg, was really very easy, so we sold our house and started packing.

We managed to rent a small, solar-powered, old farmhouse down the road, which meant that we had to bid a sad farewell to many of life’s “necessities”: toaster, heater, hairdryer, iron, microwave, dstv. Being dependent on rainwater tanks also meant that the dishwasher and washing machine had to stay behind. By learning and exploring a new way of life, we’ve learnt that there is immense expansion in contraction and that we don’t need nearly as much as we think we do.

Country living has been quite an adjustment and we got so much more than what we bargained for! John Seymour’s Ultimate Guide to Self-Sufficiency (which has been adopted as our new bible) did not prepare us for the baboons, for example. Getting to know them has been truly insightful. They have ripped the roof of our tool shed and destroyed our wheatgrass crop twice, which has led us to investigate all sort of options of protecting our vegetable garden. We’re currently planning to build a geodesic growing dome (and we’ll probably have to erect an electric fence as well).

The floods came and changed our septic tank into a septic terror…even our house guests had to get involved in the digging! I have made close contact with dry and composting toilets and an area of interest has opened up where I previously didn’t give the flushing the toilet much thought.

We intend using a biogas digester in our new home which will take care of the “waste” as well as providing us with gas for cooking and refrigeration (the downside being that the methane gas produced apparently smells like a fart!). A matter which warrants further exploration…

We’ve almost run out of water and been without electricity a few times (but not nearly as much as we would have been if we stayed in Sandton!). The awareness of conserving water has probably been our biggest eye-opener. Water truly is the source of life and something that should be regarded with reverence and gratitude. We all dance around in delight when it rains and my ancestral Voortrekker blood gets re-awakened in the form of baking pancakes for the family as soon as the rain meter exceeds 20 mm. Having such a close connection between rain and bathwater; sunlight and using the power drill, has definitely increased our awareness of the interconnectedness of all things.

Rubbish management has also taken on higher importance. We have bins for horses, compost, worms, recycling, re-using and removal. The science of worms has truly taken my fancy and we currently have 2 wormeries under experimentation. I have even managed to convince my father to keep worms!

It has taken me about six months to recover from what some call “urban shock syndrome”. The silence out here in the country is overwhelming – you can hear yourself think! There is no electricity or traffic to cause a constant hum and no media polluting our minds by trying to tell us what to think/be/buy.Without the distractions of city life one’s inner landscape takes on a life all of its own.

Living this close to nature has brought a profound sense of peace, joy and freedom (and feeling completely insignificant – which keeps us in our place!) We begin construction on our little “eco”-house soon and so the blessed journey continues…

There are many vegetables that can be grown successfully in containers. With some thought given to choosing various types of plants available, such as dwarf plants or bush plants, all vegetables can be happily grown and harvested in containers.

Vegetables that take up a little space, such as carrots, radishes and lettuce for example, as well as plants that bear fruit over an extended time, such as tomatoes and peppers can be very successfully grown, and indeed, are perfect for container vegetable gardening.

What you can grow in a container is limited only by the space that you have available and the size of your flowerpots. You could grow a summer salad in one pot – just plant a tomato, a cucumber, some parsley or chives in a large pot together. These plants all have the same water and sunlight requirements and grow very well together.

Vegetable plant varieties
Seed companies realize that homeowners have less and less space to devote to vegetable gardens. Every year they come out with new vegetable plant varieties suitable for growing in small spaces and vegetable container gardens. Be on the lookout for key words like: bush, compact and dwarf species.

But almost all vegetables that are grown in a back yard vegetable garden can be grown in a container garden with as much success. Vegetables that vine, like runner beans and cucumber will, of course, need more space, but can be grown quite well in containers.

Containers and pots
Selecting containers: Containers for your plants can be almost anything: flowers pots, pails, buckets, wire baskets, wooden boxes, window planters, strawberry pots, washtubs, large food cans, plastic bags, drums, half barrels… almost anything you can think of. So long as there is enough space for root growth you cannot go wrong with the containers you choose.

An added advantage to selecting smaller to more medium sized containers is that they are movable, allowing you to access the best positions needed for your vegetables.

Drainage: Having said all that, it is vitally important that whatever container you choose has proper drainage. Drainage holes are needed at the base of every container to drain off any excess water. The best place for drainage holes is on the sides of the container, about a centimetre from the bottom. Adding a layer of coarse gravel or small pebbles at the bottom of the container will improve your drainage as well.

Color: The color of your container is also important, bearing in mind that a dark container will absorb more heat, which could damage the roots of your plant, than a light colored container. If the container you choose is dark, paint it a lighter color.

Size matters: As mentioned before, the size of your container is important. For larger plants a large container is necessary. For example, if you are growing a tomato or eggplant, using a 20 litre container is the best. However, you could use a 10 litre container, but you will have to be more vigilant and certainly give your plants considerably more attention than you would otherwise.

Soils to use
Synthetic mixes or ’synthetic soils’ are almost always recommended for growing vegetables in containers. These synthetic mixes already have most of the components needed to give a good start to your growing vegetables. Having a ’soil’ that is sterile and pH balanced, allows both moisture and air to circulate to the root system, that has the necessary nutrients, allows good drainage and is lightweight is the best way to get a good start for your vegetable garden.

These mixes may be composed of sawdust, wood chips, vermiculite, perlite, fern peat or almost any other type of organically acceptable media. Regardless of what the mixture is of your synthetic soil, it must be free from disease and weed seeds.

Garden centres have a variety of mixes available or you could mix up some of your own. Refer to the Organic Potting Soil for your Flowerpot Farm section at the end of this article for more information about this.

Fertilizing your vegetables
Fertilizing your vegetable garden can start with the potting soil you use. Mixing one part compost to two parts planting mix will improve the fertility of your plants. Also, using a slow release complete organic fertilizer at planting will provide your plants with food for the growing season.

Once your vegetables are growing, the easiest way to fertilize your plants is to prepare a nutrient solution and pour it over the soil. There are many good organic fertilizer mixes available to make nutrient solutions. If you are growing from seed, then you would only use a nutrient solution in your water once the plants have grown at least a couple of leaves.

Your plants should be watered with a nutrient solution at least once a day, although this may vary from crop to crop. Slow growth periods require less watering, while plants that have a lot of foliage growth might require move watering.

It is very important that you leach all unused fertilizer out of the pot, or rinse the pot, once a week. You do this by watering with plain water until its running out the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. This gets rid of any build up of harmful materials in the soil.

Watering your vegetables
Proper watering is essential for a successful container garden. Generally a watering once a day is adequate, although this varies from crop to crop, and in the very warm climates you might even have to water twice a day. Avoid wetting the foliage of the plants as this could encourage plant disease. You should use enough water to keep the soil moist between watering times.

The only time you would over saturate the soil is when you do your weekly rinsing. Remember that each watering should be done with a nutrient solution except for the weekly leaching when you would use just plain water. This is also when drainage becomes very important. If there is insufficient drainage, then the roots will become waterlogged and your plants will suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.

Sunlight requirements
Nearly all vegetable plants will grow better in full sunlight than in shade. However, leafy crops such as lettuce, cabbage, spinach and parsley can tolerate more shade than root crops, such as radishes, beets, turnips and onions. These root vegetables can in turn tolerate more shade than vegetables that bear fruit such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants.

A good guide to use then, would be if you pick a vegetable it must have more sunlight than a vegetable you would dig up, which in turn must have more sunlight than ‘green’ or ‘leafy’ vegetables. Move your containers around to get the best advantage of the sunlight needs for your vegetables.

Seeding and Transplanting
It is a personal choice as to whether you want to grow your vegetables from a seed or if you want to buy a seedling plant from a nursery. Either method has its advantages and disadvantages.

If you are a person that likes to wait and watch things grow, then planting seeds is ideal for you. You can germinate your seeds in almost any smallish container, a baking or plastic tray, a small flower pot; even a cardboard milk container can be used to germinate your seeds.

A wonderful idea is to make a newspaper container (refer to the Shared Know-How section on page 6), to germinate your seeds, this way you won’t have to disturb the young root system when you transplant your seedling to its container.

You could also buy peat pots, which are especially for starting seedlings, and are also planted with the seedling when you transplant your seedling. Geminating your seeds is very easy.

Fill your container with your potting mix; cover your seeds to a depth of between about a half to one centimetre and keep the soil moist. Alternatively, you could buy your seedlings from the nursery and then transplant them into your prepared container. Do make sure that you don’t over handle the young root system and remember to give a good first watering with a nutrient solution.

Diseases and insects
Vegetables grown in containers are as vulnerable to all the diseases and insects that a ground grown vegetable garden is. Plants must be regularly checked for any insect infestations or any plant diseases. If you do get an infestation it is a good idea to use an organic pesticide as soon as you notice any signs of infestation. Remove any leaves or stems that show signs of disease before the disease spreads, and treat your plant to a suitable treatment. There is a wide variety of organic plant treatments and pesticides available at any garden centre.

Harvesting the fruits of your labour
For the greatest amount of enjoyment from flowerpot farming, harvest your vegetables at their peak of maturity when a vegetable’s full flavour has developed. The sense of satisfaction and achievement you feel, will make your excellent produce taste even more delicious.

When last did you taste a real, sun-ripened heirloom tomato, straight off the vine? Once you’ve tried it, you’ll know that there’s no going back: commercially produced varieties, wrenched too early from the plant and artificially ripened in warehouses, are destined to become mouthfuls of watery nothingness that just don’t cut the proverbial mustard.

If you bought your tomatoes at a farmers market, it’s likely you even got to meet the person who grew them, nurturing them lovingly all the way from tiny dry seeds to juicy red fruit. Compare that to trawling through artificially lit supermarket aisles, laden with pale over-packaged vegetables irradiated to prolong their shelf life and you’ll soon see why trotting off to market is so much more fun (and better for you).

Happily, fresh food markets are rapidly becoming the norm rather than the exception, with new ones springing up all over the country to fill the growing demand for fresh, honest food sold in a natural people-friendly environment.

Not only is it more fun, buying your produce regularly from markets also has a wide range of benefits for all concerned. Supporting local organic farmers and producers boosts the local economy, giving them the means to continue farming and producing goods in a sustainable manner.

Moreover, since market produce generally comes from nearby farms or businesses, rather than being trucked around the country, it has a lower carbon footprint, which of course is far better for the planet. Plus, unlike multi-layered cellophane-swathed supermarket food, the produce you’re buying doesn’t generally need much packaging, if any, so you’re already helping reduce the amount of waste being sent to our overburdened landfills.

Add to that the fact that aside from fresh produce most markets also offer a healthy outdoor environment, where kids and adults alike can run wild, grocery shopping becomes fun instead of a drag. So, next time the weekend comes around and food supplies are getting low, grab your basket and head for your nearest market for a fun day out and the best healthiest freshest food you can find.

Neighbour Goods Market [Cape Town]

This trendy gourmet market is only two years old, but has already expanded to several times its original size to accommodate the enormous demand. Especially popular with well-to-do town folk, attracted by fine foods and a see-and-be-seen atmosphere, the market takes place every Saturday morning in the sky-lit Old Biscuit Mill complex in Woodstock Industria.

The market is run along ethical and eco-friendly lines, connecting local farmers and artisans with an eager crowd of patrons, hungry for excellent, sustainable produce and goods and a festive day out.

What you’ll find there: The market is all about good, sustainable, eco-friendly produce – and lots of it! Beautifully laid out stalls display everything from an impressive range of fresh organic vegetables and other farmers’ produce to organic seedlings, sustainably caught seafood, exotic mushrooms of all shapes and sizes, hand-made crunchy-crusted artisan breads, a mind-boggling array of decadent gourmet delights as well as a kaleidoscopic range of dazzling fresh-cut flowers.

As the morning progresses, grab a seat at one of the sociable long-tables, or pull up a straw bale (tastefully enclosed in plastic covers, lest there be hayfever and straggly hay bits messing up one’s outfit) and enjoy the live music in the square.

And, if the market gets too crowded for you, as is bound to happen, you can wander around the rest of the Biscuit Mill Complex, exploring the eclectic range of shops and art galleries, the newly added Designgoods Market and perhaps even dropping a coin or two down the old-fashioned wishing well you’ll find there (all proceeds go to charity).

You’ll want to try: James Mitchell’s ‘gone-fishing cider’, Origin’s incomparable exceptionally caffeinated flat whites (like cappuccino, but oh so much better), Chrisna’s delectable olives, Trevor Daly’s crunchy mouth-watering artisan bread.

Possible downsides: Finding (legal) parking at this market is, to put it mildly, a bit of a challenge. So, make sure you go early, and snap up the available spots before everyone else gets there. And in high season the market can get very crowded, with little room to sample at your leisure – another reason to get there early.

Where: Old Biscuit Mill, Albert Road, Salt River, Cape Town.

When: Saturdays from 9am to 2pm (more often during the festive season – visit www.neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za for those details).

Contact: info@whatiftheworld.co.za

Parking: Very limited – whatever you can find along Albert Road and down side streets. Some parking available at the College of Cape Town (opposite the market), which is on Kent Road, off Salt River Road, but it fills up fast and you have to pay (R10).

Timour Hall Community Organic & Biodynamic Market [Cape Town]

A simple, honest organic farmers market held every Saturday, rain or shine, at the Christian Community Centre on Timour Hall Road in Plumstead.

What you’ll find there: No frills, just plenty of the freshest, most reasonably priced organic fruit and vegetables in town, and a modest selection of organic eggs and dairy products (most of which is also biodynamic, a step up from organic).

Heavily laden trestle tables creak under the weight of produce brought in from farms just outside Cape Town. Great towering mounds of glowing orange carrots and pungent leeks positively bristle with good health, and you’ll be able to find plenty of fresh pesticide-free lettuces of various shapes, sorts and sizes.

Once you’ve loaded up and paid for your goodies at one of the volunteer-manned weighing stations, relax in the tearoom with a cup of organic coffee and a dash of biodynamic milk.

You’ll want to try: The free-range organic eggs from Camphill Farm. They’re half the price of store-bought organic eggs, and taste far better. If you’re lucky, there may even be a few ducks’ eggs on offer, though they’re not always available.

Possible downsides: This market sells out very fast, so if you don’t get there right at the start, there really won’t be anything left except the scrappy leftovers. Also, it’s a market that’s focused on produce, so although you can certainly sit and have a cup of coffee, there isn’t much else in the way of entertainment (if that’s what you’re looking for).

Where: Christian Community Centre, Timour Hall Road, Plumstead. Cape Town.

When: Saturdays, rain or shine, from 10am to about noon (or until sold out). Go earlier if you can – the official opening time doesn’t mean that earlybirds don’t get in before that and scoop up all the best stuff!

Contact: Roger 082 569-9894

Parking: Plenty, either in the centre’s parking lot, or on Timour Hall Road.

Bryanston Organic Market

The Bryanston Organic Market is South Africa’s first, and therefore longest-running, organic market. What started out as an informal organic produce car boot sale outside the Michael Mount Waldorf School has, over the past thirty years, morphed into the large and very popular outdoor market it is today.

Part of the market was destroyed in May this year, but has since been rebuilt and was relaunched last month, featuring a new “kid’s quarter” where the little folk can keep themselves occupied for hours on end, listening to stories or engaging in a variety of craft-making activities.

What you’ll find there: A mouth-watering selection of organically certified fresh produce, free range chickens, organic eggs, home made soups and pates, freshly harvested herbs, vegetables and flowers, pestos, sauces and more. Those with a carnivorous streak will find plenty to sink their canines into, too, with a supply of everything from fish to fowl, including hard-to-find wild boar and veld-fed venison.

Health fiends will go wild for the olive oils, naturally dried fruits, fresh nuts, organic grains and cereals, goats milk products and unadulterated non-irradiated pure honeys. And then there are all the naturally fermented, wood-fire baked breads and a hunger-quenching array of cakes, pastries, pies and tarts on offer.

Plus, if food’s not all you’re after, you can browse the craft stalls for quality hand-made goods, eye-catching photography and ethically-produced clothing, before settling down for a relaxing cup of herbal tea or, conversely, a much-needed jolt of freshly made Ethiopian coffee. One thing’s for certain: you’re not likely to be going home empty-handed!

You’ll want to try: The Mustard Seed’s eye-catching jars of olive and feta drenched in olive oil, as well as their addictive olive pate. Wyckedd chocolate sauces available in an irresistible choice of flavours (including Van Der Hum, yum!) on anything from ice-cream to delicate meringues.

For the dietarily challenged (wheat-free, diabetic, lactose intolerant), there are specialty breads by The Loaf, sugar-free biscotti at The Little Food Shop and plenty of goats cheese products at Hermann Hofreiter’s stall.

Possible downsides: If what you’re looking for is fresh produce to take home, you’ll need to get there early – definitely before the lunch time rush – as these are the first things to go and you might be disappointed. Although with so many other foodstuffs to try out, it’s likely you won’t feel too hard-done by.

Where: Culross Road (off Main Road), Bryanston, Gauteng.

When: Thursdays and Saturdays 9am to 3pm. Also look out for the seasonal Moonlight Markets during November (18 & 25) and Christmas Night Markets in December (2, 9, 16 & 23). The Moonlight and Christmas Markets take place on Tuesday evenings from 5pm to 9pm.

Contact: www.bryanstonorganicmarket.co.za (011) 706 3671

Parking: Parking available next to the market. Generally not a problem, but at peak times like at lunch-time, it can get a bit busy.

Gardening

Heirloom Vegetables
Most of us remember what real veggies tasted like. But you don’t get them anymore… do you? Enter the heirloom vegetable.

Cooking Compost
The easiest way to think about composting is to pretend you’re cooking a meal for your garden.

Food

Preserving Summer’s Goodness
If you want to become more self-sufficient in your kitchen, it makes sense to extend this self-reliance beyond the kitchen door and into the garden.

In Search of Good Food
Pia Taylor explores farmers’ and organic markets across South Africa in search of the freshest, yummiest food and produce.

Parenting

Frugal Parenting
Having kids doesn’t have to cost the earth!

Money

Does Your Money Walk Your Talk?
There is another part of our lives which our activism does not penetrate, and that is what we do with our money.

Self-Sufficiency

South Africa’s Green Hotspots
Sam Adams explores the growth of the green movement in different parts of South Africa.

From Suburbia to Self-Sufficiency
Follow Tanya Factor and her family’s discoveries as they embark on an off-the-grid existence.

The Freeman’s Sustainable Journey
Sean Freeman and his family have embarked on the journey towards being completely self-sufficient.

Keeping Bee-zy
The Conterio family discover the joy of bee-keeping in the Kouga.

Urban Homesteading in Cape Town
Wendy Young decided a year ago to embrace self-sufficiency now, instead of waiting another day, week or year.

Sustainable Homes

Building with Adobe
Malcolm Worby explores the advantages of building with adobe, a natural building material made from clay and sand.

Water

Rain Gardens & Living Roofs
We need to find a new way of working with water – a way that is about discovering how water might behave naturally in our surroundings, and working as hard as possible to allow and enable it to do so.

Food

Home-baked Bread
Easy to make homemade bread offers a superior option to buying pre-sliced, chemically treated supermarket loaves.

Drying Foods at Home
Since antiquity, drying foods during times of plenty was a lifesaving hedge again times of famine. Today, it’s an easy way to preserve garden goodness.

In Search of Good Food
Pia Taylor explores farmers’ and organic markets around South Africa in search of the freshest, yummiest food and produce.

Grow Your Own

Flowerpot Farming
You don’t need acres of land to enjoy your very own homegrown, fresh garden produce.

Natural Pest and Disease Control in your Vegetable Garden
Controlling pests organically means much more than simply changing the types of sprays and dusts you use.

Energy

Getting Started: Renewable Energy
Are you thinking about having a renewable energy system installed at your home or business?

Home Wind Turbines
Wind turbines can provide electricity on remote, off-grid sites, or right in town. If you invest in good equipment, a home wind turbine can make good sense.

Build your own Sunstove
Use the sun to cook by following the instructions in this easy DIY project .

Opinion

Eating Well
Some people may find it difficult to take seriously the idea that it matters morally how we eat.

Self-Sufficiency

Start your own Eco-Community
We asked two flourishing South African eco-communities to answer some questions and share their advice.

From Suburbia to Self-Sufficiency
Follow Tanya Factor and her family’s discoveries as they embark on an off-the-grid existence.