Tilth Alliance’s Post

This week’s #TeachingsTuesday was shared with me by Jared "Qwustenuxun" Williams from the unceded territory of Quw'utsun -- I've been connecting with Jared all week discussing the herring run starting along some of the coastal areas of Vancouver Island. The roe the herring leave behind is an important traditional food for the Coast Salish People, however the bounty has yet to arrive for community of Quw’utsun. Jared was gifted some from a friend north of Snuneymuxw, and he offered this perspective on the impact the food has on his well-being as an Indigenous person: “There is a feeling I get when I eat traditional foods, a feeling I don't get from regular food. A feeling of energy, strength, and harmony. A feeling of calmness and completeness, of a fullness that is unparalleled. My grasp of the English language fails to fully describe the feeling." He went on to share, "these eggs are gold to the people who eat traditional Salish foods...when I hold a big plate of ts'um'ush, I feel rich, so rich I give it all away, which only makes me feel richer. But then I think how little there is left, and I hear the elders say, "we were so rich." In the little coastal town where I live, eyes have been cast protectively to our shorelines. The early spring marks a time when gardeners come to collect seaweed that has washed up onto the shore, as the plant acts as a potent garden fertilizer that dramatically enriches soil quality. However, many individuals are aware that this marks a sensitive time for seaweed, as herring use the plant as an incubator for their eggs: seaweed blades are coated with thick clumps, and if time allows, will eventually hatch new herring. As such, it is important to delay the collection of seaweed to allow the incubation to conclude. Those seen collecting seaweed prematurely may experience scathing glances and sharp words from onlookers. In fact, I’ve witnessed these interactions in my own community. But it's important to remember – some individuals may be harvesting for traditional food purposes. It's important to be kind and respect their right to do so. #culturallycommitted #teachingstuesday

Love this from Justin’s. So clever. GloryBee 1 in 3 bites of food that we eat relies on pollinators. Besides buying products that are certified organic, non-gmo, and True Source, we can all practice sustainability and responsible gardening. Before you “treat” something in your yard, make sure it doesn’t harm pollinators. And plant more flowers. Or don’t mow down your weeds until after they’ve flowered. We can all do our part. https://lnkd.in/gQVrYmTm

It’s a Sustainable Saturday: Get your hands dirty in the garden today! Plant a tree, grow herbs, or start a veggie patch. Document your green thumb journey and inspire others to cultivate their own green spaces.🌱🏡👩🏽🌾 #GardenGoals #SustainableGardening

[SOPHIM’s CSR] Harvesting Honey from Our Four Beehives At SOPHIM, our CSR is as sweet as honey! We're buzzing with excitement as we support our pollinator friends one hive at a time. Over the past months, our four on-site beehives have been diligently cared for, thanks to the unmatched expertise of our local beekeeper, Johan Today, we are thrilled to announce the successful honey harvest from these hives 🍯🐝 Let’s dive into the 3 steps it takes to start harvesting honey. 🍃  𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏 : 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬   With care and respect for our pollinators, Johan guided us through the intricate process of honey extraction : first, he announced his presence to the bees with a bee smoker, to calm them. Then, he used a blower to propel the bees temporarily into the sky to clear the frames. 🌻  𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐 : 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐲  After the frames are freed from the bees, Johan brought the boxes filled with honey frames to a clean space and layed them on a specific stable receptacle. Direction : the honey house ! No insect and bees should be able to enter the receptacle. A significant part of frames filled with honey was left to the bees. 🍯 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑 : 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 A hot knife is used to cut the wax cappings off the cells of honeycomb. Johan then works his magic and extracts the honey. We’ll update you on this step in another post. The result? Pure, delicious honey straight from our own garden. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒 : 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 This Bee journey is an opportunity for all of us to discover new skills and professions, close to nature. Moreover, the decline in pollinator populations due to habitat loss and pesticide use poses a significant threat to food security. We are proud to make our small contribution by providing one bee colony a safe, local environment. Stay tuned for more updates on our Bee journey  #CSR #Pollinators #Beekeeping #SOPHIM

Harvesting honey involves careful steps to separate it from the hive. Beekeepers use a smoker to calm bees, then remove frames filled with capped honeycombs. These frames are uncapped, and centrifugal force in an extractor extracts honey without damaging the comb. The honey is then strained to remove impurities before bottling, preserving the hive's vitality. 🍯🐝 #HarvestingGoldFromHive . . . . . #beereadyharvester #bee #beekeeping #apiculture #honeybees #honey #honeyharvest #beekeeperslife #beefarming #honeyharvestingprocedure #rawhoney #trending #viralreels

🐝 The beekeeping team has been up in a National Park in North West Victoria this week. Why's that? And what's it got to do with two thirds of Australian almonds? 🤔 📷 Before all that, let's look at the photo attached... that thing that looks like a yellow saddle bag on the bee's back legs is pollen, and that pretty pink flower is on an almond tree. Anyway, in two or three weeks the $billions worth of almonds produced in North West Victoria each year begin to flower. Yep, 70% of Australian almonds are up here. 🌼 Almond pollination is complicated because the male bits of the flower from one almond tree (the pollen) need to get to the female parts of a flower on a different tree. 🐝 Honeybees are pros at transporting pollen from tree to tree so almond production is 100% dependent on bees. It's the birds and the bees (without the birds) 😉 👩🌾 The almond farmers up here need over 100,000 beehives in August to pollinate the almonds, so beekeepers come from all over VIC, SA, NSW and QLD to help out! 🐝 Our team has all of our hives in Northern VIC. This week we've been choosing the 'best of the best' hives and getting them ready to go to almonds when required. 👌 The remaining hives will head to high pollen and high nectar canola farms and forest trees where we'll give them a new queen and let them build up their strength in preparation for the Spring-Summer honey season. 💪 Photo by Luca J on Unsplash

🐝🌼 Buzzing with excitement to discuss the fascinating world of beekeeping today! 🌼🐝 Did you know? Every third bite of food we eat, 🍏🥕🍫directly or indirectly depends on bees. These buzzing Blasio’s of nature are the unsung heroes of our garden, and it's about time we give them the standing ovation they deserve. • Pollination powerhouses 💪: With every flower visited, bees help in pollinating, which is essential for plants to produce food. Without bees, food like fruits, nuts, and vegetables could disappear from our diet! 🥦🍉🥜 • Sweet contribution 🍯: Honey, a super-food packed with health benefits, is a result of their tireless efforts. Hoooorrray to Bees! 🐝🎉 Engaging with beekeeping is not just about honey production though. It's about understanding our ecosystem and helping it thrive. It's about: - Creating a habitat 🏠: Establishing a bee-friendly environment promotes biodiversity. - Buzzing knowledge 💡: Understanding the challenges bees face allows us to help preserve their species. - Sweeter surroundings 🌼: More bees mean more flowers, which means a more beautiful world. Of course, beekeeping is not a walk in the park. 🚶♂️🌳It involves dedication, commitment, and a keen eye for detail. And here, at The Lost Garden, 🌱 we are all about embracing it with open arms and a broad smile. 😊 Indeed, we are on an endless journey; 🍃 To learn all there is about nature's finest workers, 🐝🍃 🍯 To reap the sweet rewards of their unmatched toil, and 🍯🍃 💕 Above all, to express our gratitude and love for these tiny creatures, whose sounds and sights are intrinsic to the heartbeat of our garden. 💕🍃 Hints of honey, the rustle of wings, the scent of flowers, we cherish it all. The Lost Garden would not have been what it is without our buzzing buddies. So, let's put on our bee-suits, grab our smoke-cans, and dive into the fascinating world of beekeeping - a journey of love, labor, and endless learning. After all, if we take care of the bees, they'll take care of us. 🐝🌎💕 #Beekeeping #BeeLovers #TheLostGarden #Nature'sHeroes #LongLiveTheBees

Food waste in Australia is a huge issue – one that has significant environmental and economic impacts. Working collectively to combat food waste is critical. A great place to start is the 2024 National Food Waste Summit, which takes place in Melbourne from 24 to 25 July. The Summit will present the latest insights, strategies, progress and solutions from government and industry experts, innovative businesses and pioneering researchers. Marsden Jacob is working alongside governments and environmental protection agencies to help reduce food waste for a more sustainable future. Recent projects range from financial analysis for businesses reducing food waste, to evaluating risks and barriers associated with turning food waste into animal feed and helping governments optimise organics recycling.    Want to learn more about working with us to address the food waste issue? Contact Rod Carr, Director Marsden Jacob, MAICD, Stuart Maclachlan or Peter Kinrade.     #ShapeTheFutureWisely  #Economists  #FoodWaste  #NationalFoodWasteSummit   #EndFoodWasteAustralia 

🍇 In Australia, Vineyard Pests Can Be Downright Adorable—or Deadly Australia is renowned for its unique fauna, ranging from adorable to deadly. These creatures are a common sight across the country, including in vineyards. While Australian wine growers face familiar pests like deer, foxes, and rabbits, it's the native wildlife that presents unique challenges and fascinating solutions. 🦘 Kangaroos and wallabies, Australia's iconic marsupials, often damage vineyards by destroying sprinklers, fences, and tender vine shoots. Viticulturist Liz Riley from Hunter Valley uses old netting to block these animals. Some growers resort to culling, though others prefer non-lethal methods like wildlife corridors and alternative feeding areas. 🐾 Wombats, native to southern and eastern Australia, create significant problems with their burrowing. Viticulturist Dan Sergeant from Victoria's Yarra Valley and Kate Nickels from Fogarty Wine Group recount how wombat tunnels can damage equipment. Despite these issues, many growers, like Jenny Kelly of Kellybrook Winery, go to great lengths to protect and treat these animals. 🦜 Parrots, with over 50 species in Australia, pose a major challenge as they eat grapes and shoots. Wine growers like Kyatt Dixon from South Australia's Mount Gambier region and Colleen Miller from Mérite Wines employ various deterrents like gas guns and scarecrows. In Hunter Valley, Liz Riley uses clay sprays to delay netting. Timing of native marri tree flowering in Margaret River also affects bird activity in vineyards. 🦔 Other creatures like echidnas and snakes also inhabit vineyards. Echidnas, while mostly harmless and beneficial, can be problematic when they burrow near irrigation systems. Snakes, such as tiger and red-bellied black snakes, pose a danger to vineyard workers. However, encounters are rare and snakes generally avoid human contact. #AustralianWildlife #Viticulture #WineIndustry #SustainableFarming #WildlifeManagement

Fruit Tree Care Beyond popular belief, growing and maintaining fruit trees isn't a difficult task. Putting it in the right spot, right conditions (soil, water, sun) and making sure it gets pollinated and keeping an eye on branching patterns with fertilizing yearly are the keys to success! #fruittrees #growfoodathome #growyourownfood #growfruittrees #urbanorchard #redbirdgardeninganddesign #rightplantrightplaceeverytime #andnowyouknow #orchard #homeorchard