Kanjini Co-Op Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2 - April ~ May ~ June 2010

Editorial

Firstly thank you for your continued interest and support! We have had the pleasure of meeting and hearing from many new people interested in a sustainable future.

Kanjini Co-Op's second quarterly Newsletter comes at a time of many changes in Australia. The decisions and choices made by the government are not always as positive as we would like but as individuals and community we can make changes in our own lives, which we want to see made in the wider society and which we know will ensure a future for our beautiful planet earth for us and for many generations to come.

~ Quote of the Day~
"Outer changes always begin with an inner change of attitude" (Albert Einstein)

There has been much talk in the media recently regarding sustainability and climate change. Throughout the world there are many individuals, groups, countries and communities already endeavouring to make a difference by embarking on a more sustainable lifestyle, combining their knowledge, experiences and resources to contribute to making our planet a better place.
Kanjini Co-Op offers a sustainable future for you, your children, the generations beyond, and for our magnificent environment. Together we can commit to both personal and global transformation and turn this timely vision into a reality :-).

My mother passed away peacefully in April after a long battle with cancer due to exposure to agricultural chemicals). Despite knowing her time was short the loss is still profound. At this time of reflection we continue to examine any exposure to possible toxic environments and have a renewed determination to help the planet be a healthier place to live. Kanjini Co-Op is that place: where we create an environmentally sustainable future practicing natural farming methods as well as utilising intelligent technology and design, reuse and recycling.

My mother's and Svargo's father's passing has also made all of us more aware of our own inevitable aging. Incidentally we have recently been contacted by and have met several potential members that have expressed their desire to share their elder years amongst friends and in a community that cares for the land and its people. Finding a home for our elder years is an important aspect for us all.

In our fragmented society elders are often left lonely with little and far between contact with friends and family; just like society's children are locked into kindergartens and schools, the older generations are locked into nursing homes, so the able-bodied can work more effectively for big business. Community, basic social structures and quality of life suffer at the expense of greed.
Sharing our lives gives us all the opportunity to be part of a welcoming family and to take time away when wanted, to be cared for and treasured for the unique beings that we all are.
Elders have valuable experience to share and often are ideal guardians and teachers for the younger generations.

Kanjini Co-Op has also been approached by families who care deeply about their future. Some wish to Home School and others want to be near services such as schools, sporting, health and recreational facilities. Kanjini Co-Op is a community that promotes respect for diversity through education and is a healthy, safe place for all ages and cultures and we welcome members of all ages and invite you to join us.... Families are not just blood related...

Shared daily activities and tasks of maintenance enliven and enrich us all. Keeping ourselves and our living spaces maintained consumes much of our time, attention and energy that could otherwise be devoted to life’s “optional” activities. Imagine the days that you do not need to be cooking because its someone else's turn and you are being fed (in Kanjini Co-Op most days should be like that). Imagine the days you are singing and painting while it is others turn for gardening..... Imagine that it is not your responsibly to clean the floor or do the washing because you shelled the peas or read the kids stories....... And if it is your turn to do the cleaning or the cooking, imagine how much more fun it will be to do those chores together with other happy people....

The everyday can be shared joyously and easily with everyone at Kanjini Co-Op making valued contributions.
If you are ready to join Kanjini Co-Op, support the vision and share in the fun, please fill out your membership application.

To all new potential members,welcome. You may be aware that we have spent and enjoyed several years developing the Kanjini Co-Op Vision and writing required Co-Op documents.

It is NOW time to expand and develop the Kanjini Co-Op Vision in even more detail so we can formalise our development proposals and planning documents.
We cordially invite you to the next Hearts and Minds Meeting on 26th JUNE 2010 from 11am to 5pm at Koah, near Kuranda (please RSVP to 07-40937755 or 0417193898). Kanjini Co-ops Hearts and Minds Meetings are held every last Saturday of the month. share an afternoon of laughter and inspirations, conversation, and lively debate, Q&A's and discussions. We continue with some time for detailed planning. Please come along, (bring a friend with you) enjoy the day and become part of this process, we would love to meet you!
It is also time for us to look at properties. We have looked at several already and at our next Hearts and Minds Meeting we plan to inspect a very promising looking property with waterfalls and three houses bordering onto World Heritage.

If we like that property we will need more members and funds to buy it, so please continue to spread the Kanjini Co-Op Vision. Tell your work colleagues and cafe staff, the local traffic crossing warden, the baker and the singer-songwriter ........
On our homepage are links to our hand-out and notice board flyers, please feel free to print and hand them out or put them up on your local notice boards....thanks.
We need all the help we can get to make Kanjini Co-Op as big and as beautiful as possible :-)

Especially now when we just lost a member. Deb had to move to Melbourne to be with her children and could not see herself return to FNQ for quite a while, so she applied for her share to be bought back by Kanjini Co-Op, which has already happened. Deb was paid back all of her share capital (plus interest earned). We wish you the best of luck, Deb and know that you will join us again once you come back north. We also want to thank you for all your past support and enthusiasm.

We know that there are plenty of people out there who would love to join Kanjini Co-Op and contribute their energy, enthusiasm, expertise and money to make our common vision come true. We do appreciate your efforts and input getting the word out there to those people :-) If you know of any groups you feel may be interested in Kanjini Co-Op or any publications or locations that would be suitable for advertising and or posters, please do let us know.

And, if you have not done so already, please tell us a bit more about yourself by filling in this short questionnaire. The information you provide helps us in the planning process and gives us a better idea of the talents of our supporters. Thank you.

We have recently formulated our privacy policy and are working on a confidentiality agreement for all visitors to deal with the issue of our privacy on Kanjini Co-Op land.

"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days.
An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day." (Dalai Lama)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) !

We are often asked questions and we are happy to share them here in the Newsletters. These questions and more, with our answers are also on-line.

When does Kanjini Co-Op expect to acquire land?
The egg and chicken story - which one comes first continues...
It has become apparent that many of the potential members are waiting for Kanjini to acquire land before deciding whether they will join. Understandably people want to see it first, feel it, resonate with it, dream and visualise themselves living there. Everyone is searching with their own criteria for their own place on our wonderful planet. So if they like the land they will join.
However Kanjini Co-Op will need more paid up members before we can buy a nice big block of land. And if we have more money in the kitty, we can look at bigger and nicer blocks of land. We are looking at potential properties and realise that most suitable properties are in the one to two million dollar range. We now intend to inform our potential members of any property we are interested in and if enough people like it and join, we can then buy that particular land. This is why we try to inspect properties as part of our Hearts and Minds Meetings.

Can I have friends or family members visit?
Can my girlfriend stay with me on Kanjini Co-Op land?
Kanjini Co-Op welcomes short term visitors (as long as we have available space and facilities), however food and rent will be charged. Members can have family members or very good friends stay in their own space occasionally and for short terms at nominal rent (eg $5.- per night or $15/week). If personal visitors require separate accommodation, they will be charged like a residential share holder, subject to availability.
However extended periods of stay need to be pre-approved by the Co-Op. While all visitors will be charged for rent and food, friends or family staying for longer periods of time could be charged at a lesser rate than other visitors.
For more information, please feel free to check out the Kanjini Co-Op rent schedule and the Kanjini Co-Op labour and food schedule.
All visitors on Kanjini Co-Op land are asked to contribute some labour and are required to live in accordance with our Values and by following our simple guidelines for Human Interaction.

Can I be a member of Kanjini Co-Op living on Kanjini land with my partner who is not a member?
Yes you can. Kanjini Co-Op has a tiered rental structure for non-members and visitors. As you can see there, long-stay visitors may be given a discount on normal visitor rates. However, we do encourage all those wishing to reside on Kanjini Co-Op land for extended periods of time to become full members. Accordingly rental rates have been set so it is actually cheaper to become a member than to continue paying visitor rates for several years. As members they will also have a right to vote and minimal rent. To make it easy for people to become members we have special Introductory Shares.

Heart and Minds Meetings

These are our informal gathering held on the last Saturday of each month. The Hearts and Minds Meetings are designed to get to know each other better, introduce new interested people and advance the vision. These meetings are now usually held at Koah and include Meet and greet / introductions/ Q & A's, discussions, planning and often a property viewing, all amidst lots of laughter and whatever else we decide to do together. There is always a component of the day where we all venture outside and play in the gardens.

Last month we set up a micro sprinkler system in the veggie garden. Everyone chose a task appropriate to their skills and physicality. Within a short time the job was easily completed with many contented on lookers as the first water burst forth. That garden bed is now planted with a variety of winter vegetables, which will help to feed us at future meetings. A HUGE THANK YOU to all those who lovingly gave their time and energy, conversations, sharing, insights and inspirations.

The next Hearts & Minds Meetings will be:
from 11am to 5pm on 31ST JULY 2010 at 303 Koah Road, Koah, near Kuranda (please RSVP to 07-40937755 or 0417193898). Please come along and become part of this process.

In our quest for a home for Kanjini Co-Op, at our Hearts and Minds meetings, we continue to view potential properties in the area that have satisfied most of our criteria.
These excursions are most enjoyable, as we car-pool amid lively discussions on the pros and cons of each property.
On the 31st July we also plan to inspect a 150 acre property with three houses, magnificent views, waterfalls and large cleared areas, all next to World Heritage (see picture on right). Sounds very promising and might be just the one we have been waiting for :-)

Hearts & Minds Meetings ~ please mark these dates in your Diary:
31ST JULY 2010
28th AUGUST 2010
25th SEPTEMBER 2010

Our Hearts and Minds Meetings are valuable experiences for cooperative living and much fun is had by all.

Besides these Hearts and Minds meetings we also hold our monthly formal Kanjini Co-Op directors meetings. Interested persons are invited to attend our monthly directors meetings (however only directors may vote). You are most welcome to join the process, ideas and your input is always welcome.
Directors meetings are held every 2nd Wednesday of the month. 6pm for 6.30 dinner, meeting starts at 7pm (next Directors Meeting will be held at Unit 8 16-18 Springfield Crescent, Manoora, Cairns on 14th July 2010, 6pm). Please bring a plate to share for dinner. Please RSVP to 07-40937755 or 07-40320795 or 0417193898 or by replying to this email.

NOTE: If you wish to receive email notices of all Director Meetings, please reply to this email with "Directors Meetings" in the Subject line, thank you.

Planning and Nursery

We will continue the planning process at our next Hearts and Minds Meeting on Saturday 31ST JULY 2010 11am-5pm at 303 Koah Road , Koah.
If you are unable to physically attend the meetings but would like to contribute please call Shiralee on 07-40320795 , 07-40937755 or 041719389 so we can arrange for you to participate via SKYPE or phone.

We have been recently blessed with a very positive reaction by some planners at the Local Regional Shire with regards to Kanjini Co-Ops proposal for a Model of Sustainability and we have been invited to enter discussions with the various governing bodies. This invitation has expressed and affirmed that Kanjini will be recognised in the community as a Model of Sustainability.

We now have been asked to write an initial proposal to council and we need to start work on the various studies and reports which will be required as part of our final development proposal.
If you have skills, experience and/or technical drawing skills to help with those documents or in any of the below areas or if you just have a good idea then please do contact us. All suggestions and input are warmly welcomed.

Planning Portfolios:
The aim of these is to break down the planning job into areas and outline for each portfolio what we want to do and provide a rough costing.

• Svargo ~ Sewage, Electricity, small tractor with bucket and PTO for slasher, plough, ripper, pipe laying etc
• Rafeek ~Cool-room for kitchen & produce, individual refrigerated spaces, large chest freezer, drinking water storage and aqua centre/swimming /hydrotherapy pool
• Bob ~Camping area, Buildings-10 dormitory beds, 4 individual rooms, 3 double rooms, 10 individual huts, office,10 space car park, emergency vehicle access/walk/bike-ways & bike parking
• Emily ~ Irrigation water facilities for 30-40 acres orchards and vegetable & herb gardens, Tree buffer area to hide unsightly equipment/vehicle cover
• Kevin ~ 200m2 workshop shed, undercover carport
• Shiralee ~ Commercial-grade kitchen to serve + 50, dining rooms and communal space for +50 people
• Portfolio Vacancy: ~ Amenities for +50 people (incl for disabilities), clothes drying room. Please let us know if you are interested to take on this portfolio or help with any of the others, thank you

The Kanjini Co-Op's food and timber plant nursery has shifted to Koah and is expanding with several timber tree seedlings being donated recently.
Black bean (Castanospermum australe) and Silky-oak (Grevillea robusta) are treasured native timber trees that will grace Kanjini Co-Op's homes for many generations! They are also beautiful flowering trees attracting many birds. These trees once covered the length of the Tablelands before being extensively felled for flooring, internal carpentry and furniture. At Kanjini Co-Op we intend to grow our own timber as well as many other useful plants, all in order to minimise our dependence and maximise our sustainability.

AUSTRALIAN SILKY OAK Grevillea Robusta is used as an inlay material on acoustic guitars, and as Stomp Box tonewood. Silky Oak is native to the coastal rainforest and river edges, from northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland, Australia. Grown as a street tree in coastal and some inland areas. Also grown in South African plantations.

Black Bean Flowers	Black Bean Furniture
Silky Oak Flowers	Silky Oak Stomp Box

Kanjini Co-Op Plant Nursery, ready for our own gardens and orchards, continues to grow........ Together we shall easily create abundant food and timber forests!
Please consider to join us now and lets manifest the Kanjini Co-Op Vision!

News & Quote of the Day

NEWS OF THE DAY:
In a recent science study, organic potato plants grew 35% larger and had 18% less pest infestations than non-organic potatoes. The organic plots were found to have a diverse range of pest-killing species, while some pest species were found to prosper in pesticide treated plots. (Nature - 10.1038/nature09183)

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea." (Buddha)

This is it from us until the next newsletter .....

We wish that our dream of enough people pooling their resources to purchase a stunning piece of land will soon become a reality and we wish you Love and Light and Many Blessing of continued Prosperity and Excellent Health.....from The Kanjini Co-Op team