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The Self Sufficiency Pages

Home food production, renewable energy, alternative technologies, sustainable agriculture
with emphasis on Brisbane and Queensland

Edible Gardening and Farming

There is an enormous amount of information on this subject already online, so for now this page will mostly help people in Queensland or other tropical/subtropical climates get started with some selected links that they might find useful.

Emphasis here is on websites/organisations offering practical "how to" type information (versus political and social discussion). Nevertheless, be aware that regulations concerning what species, varieties or breeds can be grown/kept, what materials can be used and how, land management practices etc, will depend on your region and particular situation. Please check with relevant authorities if in doubt.

Australian Clubs and Associations

Some of these may have information on their websites. others, if you chose to join, may offer locallly relevant information via meetings, workshops, newsletters etc. If you live in Qld, see also the Events Diary because some groups may have events listed there
Northey Street City Farm Windsor, Brisbane
Beelarong Community Farm Morningside, Brisbane
Toowoomba Organic Gardens a project of Darling Downs Natural Growers Group (DDNGG)
Veggie Village Community Garden, Peregian Beach
Henry Doubleday Research Association of Australia Inc.
WWOOF Australia Willing Workers On Organic Farms
OFA The Organic Federation of Australia

Edible Plants and Gardening (various)

Many of these site have extensive archives of information, so take the time to explore. As with any website, try the search facility (if one is provided) to look for a specific topic.
NewCROP tm Online Resource by Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University USA
ECHO An organisation helping people in developing countries overcome hunger. Lots of information on crops and techniques for difficult conditions at their website
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa offers Farmers Bookshelf and other publications on a range of topics
Texas A&M University Exension Horticulture extensive information available here
Arid Lands Newsletter Office of Arid Land Studies, University of Arizona, USA. Explore the archives for articles on farming and gardening in arid lands around the world.
Urban Harvest Texas, USA
The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA. Check the section on Economic Botany
Plantfacts Factsheet Database at The Ohio State University Dept of Horticulture and Crop Science
Center for Urban Agriculture University of Georgia, USA
Pollination Home Page pollination information
The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems University of California, Santa Cruz
Fast Food (Part 1) The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal
Fast Food (Part 2 of 2) The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal


Vegetables

You may find some information about vegetables in the sites listed above. There's also extensive material about the most commercially important vegetable crops online (use your favourite search engine) as well as in books and magazines.

The websites of your own state/national department of agriculture and/or university extension service may have information of particular relevance to your region.

If you live in a hot climate, appropriate information about vegetable growing can be hard to find, especially if you have to live with watering restrictions as well. I'm collecting links etc about tropical vegetables, strategies for growing traditional western vegetables in the tropics and subtropics, and/or drought conditions here: Queensland Gardening Pages - Vegetables


Fruits and Nuts

As per vegetables, be sure to check the Plants and Gardening resources at the top of the page as well as the websites of your own state/national department of agriculture and/or university extension service.

More links about fruit and nuts of particular relevance to residents of hot climates here: Queensland Gardening Pages - Fruit and Nuts

If you live in temperate to climates, there's extensive information on fruit and nuts crops online via search engines plus books and magazines.


Other Plants

Tropical Palms Non-wood forest products 10, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Discusses uses of various palm products around the world

Soils (fertility, moisture, conservation)

Better Soils Agricultural Bureau of South Australia
Plantstress addressing plant stress and sustainable agriculture
SERG Soil Ecology and Restoration Group, San Diego State University, USA
Queensland Gardening Pages - Soils More links about soils
Queensland Gardening Pages - Plant nutrition Info about soil fertility and nutrient deficiencies
Queensland Gardening Pages - Waste management contains links about home composting
Queensland Gardening Pages - Worms, Worm Farms contains links about vermiculture
Nitrogen Fixing Trees--A Brief Introduction The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal
Effects of Trees on Soils The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal


Small "livestock"

The emphaisis here will be unusual or hard-to-find information because you're sure to find masses of information about chickens and other poultry via your favourite search engine. Also check the websites of your own state/national department of agriculture and/or university extension service for information relevant to your area.
Edible Insects, "more than you ever wanted to know about eating bugs" (Not an Australian site, but food for thought!)
Animal Tractor Systems The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal


Alternative Agriculture

Be sure to also check the websites of your own state/national department of agriculture and/or university extension service for relevant information
Organic farming Assorted articles plus "Organic News" newsletter. NSW Department of Primary Industries
Atcros On Internet (Australasian Tree Crops Sourcebook)
Agroforestry Net A lot of information for Pacific Islands
Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands: Systems for Sustainability United Nations University Press. (Appendix includes notes on many useful tropical species)
Multipurpose Trees: Key Components in Agroforestry The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal
Introduction to Multipurpose Palms The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal
Multipurpose Windbreaks The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal
Multipurpose trees at the ECHO website
Fodder Tree Establishment The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal
Agriscape including organic agriculture
Income Generation Using Alternative Crops NebFacts from University of Nebraska
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Wild Food Plants of Australia
by Tim Low
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Ecohydrology - Vegetation Function, Water and Resource Management
by Derek Eamus, Tom Hatton, Peter Cook, Christine Colvin
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The Organic Garden
by Jeffrey Hodges
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The End of Food
by Paul Roberts
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The Ethics of What We Eat
by Peter Singer and Jim Mason
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Organic Growing with Worms
by David Murphy
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Compost
by Clare Foster
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Good Gardens with Less Water
by Kevin Handreck
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Herbs: their cultivation and usage
by John and Rosemary Hemphill
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Organic Gardening in Australia
editor-in-chief Pauline Pears
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The Little Book of Compost
by Allan Shepherd
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The Organic Garden
by Allan Shepherd
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Sustainability and Change in Rural Australia
by Chris Cocklin and Jacqui Didben
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Growing Crops with Reclaimed Wastewater
edited by Daryl Stevens
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Farming with Nature
by Sara Scherr
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