The Self Sufficiency Pages

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

Growing your own food

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 for food production in backyards, acreages or hobby farms.

Some of the websites linked to below (and elsewhere on the site) might be aimed at commercial farmers, but have been included here because they contain potenially useful background information. If you're interested in commercial farming, contact your local agriculture department, as well as organic farming groups in your region if you want to go down that route. Links for some of the larger organisations provided below. Check their websites for branches.

Furthermore, 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, may depend on your region and situation. Please check with relevant authorities if in doubt.

	Image courtesy Battery Hen Adoption Project

Adoption scheme gives battery hens a new life

The Battery Hen Adoption Project buys battery hens a few days before they are due to be slaughtered and matches them with caring new owners.

Once out of the cages, they start to recover quickly. While they may be nervous at first, they soon learn to scratch, take dust baths, and explore their environment.

After adjusting to their new life, the hens can be expected to lay eggs for many more years.

Not only does this give the animals a second chance, it's a way to recycle kitchen scraps instead of them going into landfill. You'll also have manure for the garden and the wonderful companionship that chickens provide.

Furthermore, eggs produced in backyards reduces the demand for commercially produced eggs.

The Battery Hen Adoption Project is based in Brisbane, but relocation of hens to other areas can sometimes be arranged. For more information, visit the website: www.homesforhens.net

Links

Australian Organisations

Some of these may have factsheets and other information on their websites. Some groups, if you chose to join, may offer locallly relevant information via meetings, newsletters etc. If you live in Qld, see also the Events Diary because some groups may have shows, open dyas, workshops etc events listed there

Brisbane Organic Growers Inc.

Queensland Herb Society Inc.

Rare Fruit Council of Australia

Tweed Richmond Organic Producers Organisation (TROPO's)

Canberra Organic Growers Society

Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

Organic farming Assorted articles plus "Organic News" newsletter. NSW Department of Primary Industries

OFA The Organic Federation of Australia

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia

Biological Farmers of Australia Co-operative Ltd (BFA)

Henry Doubleday Research Association of Australia Inc.

Organic Herb Growers of Australia

WWOOF Australia Willing Workers On Organic Farms

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

Plants for a Future

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

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

International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

Under the Choko Tree Variety of articles about self sufficiency in the suburbs. Sydney

Cityfarmer

Urban Harvest Texas, USA

Center for Urban Agriculture University of Georgia, USA

Centre for Economic Botany, Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew, UK

American Community Gardening Association

The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems University of California, Santa Cruz

Edible Landscaping for Urban Sustainability University of Florida, USA

Microfarm Sustainable Research and Education Oregon

Vegetables

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. More about vegetables with an emphasis on tropical and subtropical climates here: Queensland Gardening Pages - Vegetables

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.

Some of the sites in the "general" category above may also discuss vegetable growing.

Fruits and Nuts

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 cool climates, there's extensive information on fruit and nuts crops online via search engines plus books and magazines. As per vegetables, be sure to check the resources listed at the top of the page as well as the websites of your own state/national department of agriculture and/or university extension service.

Herbs

Culinary herbs covered in more detail here: Queensland Gardening Pages - Herbs. Companion Planting is included on the Pests and Diseases page.

Nitrogen fixation, Green Manures, Cover Crops

Growing Legumes to Increase Soil Nitrogen A good introductory artcle

Biological Nitrogen Fixation University of Florida

Biological Nitrogen Fixation from The Overstory, an agroforestry ejournal

Inoculants for legumes Qld Dept of Primary Industries

International Legume Database & Information Service

Tropical Green Manures/Cover Crops from The Overstory, an agroforestry ejournal

Nitrogen Fixing Trees--A Brief Introduction The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Rhizobia of native Fabaceae Australian Flora Foundation

Effects of Trees on Soils The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Microbial Symbioses of Tree and Shrub Legumes FAO

Pigeonpea University of Hawaii at Manoa

See also Beans and the section on nitrogen under Plant Nutrition at the Queensland Gardening Pages

Other useful plants, Multipurpose plants

Queensland Gardening Pages - Bamboo

Neem Foundation

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

Hawaiian Ethnobotany Online Database Bishop Museum

Multipurpose Trees: Key Components in Agroforestry The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Multipurpose trees at the ECHO website

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)

Introduction to Multipurpose Palms The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Multipurpose Windbreaks The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Forage Tree Legumes in Tropical Agriculture FAO

Fodder Tree Establishment The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Atcros On Internet (Australasian Tree Crops Sourcebook)

Agroforestry Program at Cornell University USA

Cornell Agroforestry Working Group

Soils - other

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

Queensland Gardening Pages - Mulches

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.

Australian Poultry Forum

Australian Poultry

The Battery Hen Adoption Project Southeast Queensland

Microlivestock from The Overstory, an agroforestry ejournal

Animal Tractor Systems from The Overstory, an agroforestry ejournal

Australian Native Bee Research Centre

Edible Insects, "more than you ever wanted to know about eating bugs" (Not an Australian site, but food for thought!)

Agriculture, general

Arid Region Farming Primer at the ECHO website

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.

National Agricultural Library USA

agriculture.com

Agriscape including organic agriculture

Income Generation Using Alternative Crops NebFacts from University of Nebraska

More to come in future updates...