Kanjini Co-Op Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 3 - July - December 2010
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Editorial
Welcome to all the newcomers to our newsletter and many thanks
to all the truly inspired people that have continued participating in
planning, advertising and searching for a property.
 We
apologise for the lateness of this Newsletter. We have been very busy
looking at properties, having preliminary meetings with various
government departments, reviewing criteria and continuing planning. We
have also been adding new sections to the website and created an
entirely new Website for Members & Friends of Kanjini. You can read more about these exciting developments in this newsletter.
We are thrilled to have short-listed several properties and
would love to get your comments and feedback on them. See more below for
your opportunity to participate in choosing a property for realising
our Kanjini dream!
Recently several Kanjini members participated in the Australasian Permaculture Convergence
enjoying a motivating and action packed weekend shared with truly
inspiring and compassionate world visionaries. An extra-large THANK YOU
to our local Cairns Permaculture group,
which did such a fantastic job with organising the convergence and
managed to get Bill Mollison, Darryl Hannah, Costa Georgiadis and many
more famous and inspiring people to Kuranda!
It was wonderful to hear of the growing organic agricultural
revolution in different parts of our planet. Once such revolutionary is
Eugenio Gras, a Mexican Integrated Agricultural System Designer,
Developer and Educator who told how COAS has
developed a Bio-Fertiliser technology and has now educated thousands of
Latin American farmers how to be organic sustainably. Dr Eugenio Gras
is one of Latin America's foremost sustainable agriculture experts.
Currently working intensively for COAS
in the training of farmers, producers, academics and professors
throughout Latin America. Eugenio has taught and spoken worldwide on!
his innovative techniques for creating organic, natural fertiliser
from whatever is at hand on a given farm thus revolutionising their
agriculture and the health of the farmers and their families.
In Australia there are many dedicated Permaculture groups and
individuals achieving outstanding results both in rural areas and in
urban environments. See more about Permaculture at the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and read about inspiring urban permaculture activities with Permaculture Sydney North.
Hearing the stories of so many visionaries and achievers was an
affirmation in the deepest sense that Kanjini Co-Op is the way of the
future, living together sustainably...Check out the Food Forest, an award winning permaculture farm in South Australia.
"Use what talent you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." (Henry Van Dyke)
In the ever increasing world of hybridisation and companies
monopolising food seed sources it has been refreshing to discover the
advancement of the world wide Seed Savers Network
- a global movement devoted to saving seeds that are non-hybrid and
true to type. The resurgence of interest in Heirloom fruits and
vegetables as a source of guaranteed food survival is steadily
increasing. If you think that Monsanto is the Big Bad Wolf and you
really want to do something positive towards our seed options and our
food sources, then we encourage you to join the Seed Savers movement and
grow heirloom vegetables and fruit - preserving the genetic basis of
tomorrows food.
Back to our newsletter.
Since it has been so long since our last newsletter, this
edition is rather big and full of stories, reports, land-news,
happenings, questions answered and other interesting news. Just in case
you are short in time or do not want to read the whole newsletter,
please at least check out the paragraphs about the short-listed Kanjini Co-Op properties and our new website section for Members and Supporters, thanks.
Happy reading and Seasons Greetings...
Shiralee
Kanjini Co-Op secretary
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 Food security
World Food Day
was on 16 October 2010. High oil, fertiliser and food prices have
highlighted the issue of food security for many countries. In this
unstable environment the question arises, “How can we design farming
systems that are economically and ecologically sustainable?”.Kanjini
Co-Op is one of the solutions! We have been creating food gardens,
further developing the Kanjini Vision.
Food security is a huge issue in ever more countries, especially
those recently affected by natural disasters. Growing scarcities of
water, land, oil and nutrients will combine with climate change to
create a serious threat to global food security in coming decades. These
could result in major regional famines, wars and refugee crises. In our
Developed Nations, where hunger is known only to the most
disadvantaged, there is much waste and a serious lack of knowledge
concerning the origins of our food. The good news is that there is a
growing trend of greater awareness. Recently I met some inner Sydney
city residents who grow food on their small balcony, harvest rainwater,
and have a small worm farm. Everyone can make a change by simple acts
done with awareness, by producing as much food as they can, even if you
live in an apartment.
Uniting against hunger becomes real when state and civil
society organisations and the private sector work in partnership at all
levels to defeat hunger, extreme poverty and malnutrition. On this World
Food Day 2010, when there have never been so many hungry people in the
world, let us reflect on the future. With willpower, courage and
persistence – and many players working together and helping each other –
more food can be produced, more sustainably, and get into the mouths of
those who need it most.
There is a growing movement supporting Slow Food in Australia and Internationally. Ever considered how much energy is needed to fill your fruit bowl?
We all need to eat, however its what we eat and where it was
grown and how it was produced that contributes to carbon emissions and
thus climate change. Its about what resources are needed by the farmers
to actually grow that food and the extent of transport needed to get
that food to your plate. If you have not already done so I urge you to
check out how easy it is to cut down on your food carbon emissions. Grow
your own and buy local......waste not want not...... and feel Blessed
that we have such incredible abundance ...
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Smaller Footprint, Bigger Smile
Several Kanjini Co-Op members recently attended a public
lecture at JCU Cairns Campus, by renowned scientist and environmentalist
Dr. David Suzuki.
This talk was primarily to launch his most recent book "The
Legacy - An Elder’s vision for our Sustainable Future" but was also a
distillation of the wisdom and experience of David Suzuki's long and
passionate love affair with Planet Earth. During this lecture, David
Suzuki reflected on the massive changes in the world within his living
memory – from explosive population growth, to massive technological
developments, to the establishment of a global economy. Ultimately, he
expressed his faith in human beings' capacity for innovation and he
urged us all to imagine a better world and to make it happen. For
further information about the latest book and to learn more about his
work please visit the David Suzuki Foundation. You can also read and hear an interview with David and Greg Bourne, CEO WWF-Australia.
David Suzuki Key Notes: Most importantly remember what
is truly important: family, friends and our beautiful planet. These are
the most important issues for a simpler happier life. ENJOY!
Transport: Be an eco-driver by driving the most fuel
efficient vehicle for your needs OR better still try cycling, walking,
use public transport, car sharing, telecommuting and video conferencing.
Home: Live in a modest home, use less and enjoy more! Get
a home energy audit and follow the recommendations OR better still buy
Solar Panels or Green Electricity.
Food: Choose locally produced food and preferably
organic! Grow what ever food you can at home or in a community garden.
If there are no community gardens near you, then start one!
Stuff: Shop less and if you do buy, look at the true cost
to planet earth of manufacturing everything we acquire. Repair more and
re-use and recycle!
Citizenship: Be a global citizen! Speak out about environmental issues and vote for pro-environmental candidates.
On a local note: Just when Reuse /Recycle seemed a
reality, a local Compost revolution has been hampered by bureaucrats! A
truly innovative group, Trust Nature FNQ
have succeeded in reaching agreement with the Tableland Regional
Council to run a composting trial at the regional refuse landfill site.
Unfortunately the Department of Environment and Resource Management now
requests a very expensive odour assessment. Understandable if the trial
would proceed in a residential area, but at a landfill site which stinks
worse than any compost could ever do?!?
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Annual General Meeting
The Kanjini Co-Op AGM was held on 13th November 2010.
We congratulate and welcome the incoming office holders and
would like to thank all who have so eagerly participated in the
meetings, planning, viewing properties and helping with everything from
advertising to printing T Shirts and creating new web pages. A HUGE
THANKYOU.
Office Holders: We welcome as Chairperson - Bob Goodsell, Treasurer - Svargo Freitag, and Secretary - Shiralee Betuel
All reports and financial statements are available to all members
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 Kanjini Co-Op Land
We have been very busy this whole year inspecting lots of potential properties on the Atherton tablelands!
For those of you who do not know this area yet, you can now find out more about the FNQ Region on our website.
There is an abundance of properties on the market ranging from
the ridiculously over prized to the barren, which means it should be a
good time for us to buy.
If there is enough interest to check out a particular property then we will make arrangements to inspect that property.
A BIG THANK YOU to Julie for her photography. Thanks also to all
those who joyously contributed their time and energy, conversations,
car sharing, insights and inspirations.
While looking at lots of properties we realised that water has
become of primary importance, not just volume but also quality. For
issues of privacy and possible spray-drift, we also all tend to favour
"end-of-road" properties rather than one surrounded by other farms. One
other issue we have extensively discussed is whether to buy land already
certified as organic or to acquire land that fits all other criteria
and we do the conversion ourselves. Although the former may show a good
profit and is easier to start with, certified organic farms seem to be
over priced (so we are told by the real estate agents). And converting a
conventional farm to organic will allow us to teach others later, which
is more in line with being a model. But we have not made any decision
on this issue.
Of the many properties inspected, on the top of our list are
three 'smaller' properties of between 100 to 175 acres, a medium sized
790 acre property and a very beautiful and large 7500 acre property.
The big one is everyone's dream property, but we will need more
members and funds to buy it, so If you are ready to join Kanjini Co-Op
and contribute financially to support the vision and share in the fun,
this is a good time to please fill out your membership application.
We have listed these properties and most others we inspected in
our Members & Friends of Kanjini Website, where you can tell us
which ones you like. See WEBSITE NEWS (next paragraph) for more info on
how to access this new section and contribute with your comments and
evaluations.
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.
So 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.
It takes a lot of hands to realise our big vision :-)
"Our duty as people is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in creation." (Pierre Chardin)
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 Website News
New Logo:
We now have our new logo in our website banner as well as on our handouts and flyers
(please print and distribute or hang up). At one of our Hearts and
Minds meetings we took the image used in the new logo. Everyone of the
eleven people at that meeting joined their hands to form the mandala. It
felt like a powerful moment and it was a nice synchronicity that we had
eleven people at that meeting, and Kanjini Co-Op has eleven foundation shares.
For us the logo symbolises the strength and beauty created by the harmonious cooperation of many people.
We hope you like it.
Links Page: We have been creating a Links Page
on our website where soon you will be able to easily access websites of
some fantastic organisations, communities, local events and Kanjini
Co-Op supporters. If you have a business or personal website and would
like to exchange weblinks, please contact us.
FNQ Region: This new section of the website has a wealth of information about the FNQ Region in Queensland.
You can check out the weather, schools, local events, markets and much more!
NEW Members & Friends of Kanjini Website: We are
very excited about this whole new section of our website. Thanks to all
the co-creators and contributors and a HUGE THANKYOU to Kevin, our
Members Section Creator and Moderator.
This section is not publicly accessible and is designed to
conduct a lot of our internal interactions online. We will have
different levels of access, so our directors and members can view and
comment on relevant documents and meeting minutes. However many parts of
this new section will be accessible to non-member supporters and we
encourage you to use this opportunity to become a more active supporter
of Kanjini Co-Op.
In this Members & Friends of Kanjini Website we have listed
most of the properties which we have inspected, so you can do a virtual
inspection of them as well.
We have also created a short-list of the most interesting
properties and that is where we can really do with some help from you.
After registering for access (see below), please check out the Short
Listed properties and then please answer each of the five surveys for
each of those properties.
Even if you do not have the money to contribute or can't come
and help with the work right now, please let us know what you think!
SO if you would like to be one of the first people to get
access to this Members & Friends of Kanjini Website Section, please CONTACT US with all of the following information:
your full name
your phone number
your country, city and post code
Once we receive all of that information, we can email you the URL and your username and password.
Once you log in and browse the properties, please do answer the
survey and please do make comments at the bottom of the different
properties, it will really help us make up our mind to know what you and
everyone else thinks. Please do not be shy to be the first to make a
comment, someone has to start and those coming to meetings have already
shared their opinions with us.
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Spreading the Kanjini Vision
We have been experimenting with our new Logo and
enthusiastically printed some trial T Shirt Transfers. Several members
proudly wore their Kanjini Co-Op T-Shirts to recent events, which proved
to be fabulous conversation starters and networking tools. We have now
found a couple of local Screen printers and the plan is to have T-Shirts
available on-line to purchase. We will have a small range of colours
and prints so we hope you will find one to suit you and help to spread
the Kanjini Co-Op Vision! We also intend to have Car Stickers available
next year! We will email you with details when production is finalised.
In the meantime please continue to spread the Kanjini Co-Op
Vision. Please tell the taxi driver, the barber and the busker, tell all
your friends and acquaintances........
On our homepage are links to the hand-outs and notice board flyers with our new logo, 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 :-)
We do appreciate your efforts and help in 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) !
In the image on the right is a baby Praying Mantis - the size of a Mosquito! |
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.
Can I have use of Co-op land for personal income generation?
By approval of the Cooperative. You will need to initially
discuss the proposal with the members and present a business plan.
However we encourage communal business.
What is the decision making process to gain Co-op approval?
Consensus and if not, 75% majority at co-op meetings, with each
active member having one vote. We embrace transparency, honesty and
cooperation.
What would be the arrangement for people wanting to build their
own houses, eg if there is no ownership, who pays for the buildings?
All land and dwellings and infrastructure will be owned by the
cooperative,which means YOU as a member. However we envisage investment
shares for situations where members want facilities over and above the
norm.
Is the investment commitment of $100,000 to purchase the land only, or to cover infrastructure development as well ?
The $100,000 full share covers land purchase, communal
infrastructure, basic accommodation and it gives you voting rights - the
level of accommodation will be determined subject to the amount of
members, initial cost of land, total cooperative funds etc.
What if I do not have $100,000?
You can pay a $20,000 deposit and then pay off the rest or work
it off by Cooperative agreement. Kanjini Co-Op has a tiered Share Structure So you can JOIN NOW with a deposit of $2000...
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 Heart and Minds Meetings
These are our informal gatherings now held on the last Sunday
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 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 Heart component with valuable
sharing of feelings and if possible we all venture outside and in the
gardens.
Last month we inspected several more properties and have been fine tuning our criteria. For more info read Kanjini Co-Op Land...
Our Hearts and Minds Meetings are valuable experiences for cooperative living and much fun is had by all.
If you are unable to physically attend a meeting but would like to
contribute we can arrange for you to participate via SKYPE or by speaker
phone. If you would like to use SKYPE or phone to attend, please let us know. We will need your SKYPE Name so we can have a trial connection prior to the meetings, thank you.
Besides these Hearts and Minds meetings we also hold our
monthly formal Kanjini Co-Op Members meetings. Interested persons are
invited to attend our monthly members meetings (however only members may
vote). You are most welcome to join the process, ideas and your input
is always welcome.
Directors meetings are now held every 2nd Friday of the month. 6pm for 6.30 dinner, meeting starts at 7pm Please Contact Us for venue directions.
Please note that newcomers are encouraged to first come to a
Hearts and Minds meeting. Those are less formal and allow more time for
questions and get-to know each other.
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.
Everyone on our email list will get informed of each Hearts and Minds Meeting.
NOTE: We will not hold a Hearts and Minds meeting in December, so our next one will be on 30th January 2011
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Planning and Nursery
Planning: We have had communication and meetings with
State Planners, Local Council and the Department of Environment and
Resource Management relating to our planned development. We have been
advised that the forming of a special 'rural precinct plan' might be the
best avenue for the realisation of our vision. Queensland is governed
by State Authorities in accordance with the Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2009–2031 State Planning Regulatory Provisions
The response we received from those government departments has been positive and encouraging.
BREAKING NEWS "Green door swings open
to invite more sustainability into Queensland" says Minister for
Infrastructure and Planning on Friday, October 15, 2010. It is
encouraging to now hear that Queensland welcomes new initiatives in
sustainability. The Green Door Advisory Committee has met for the first
time to give streamlined development approvals to environmentally
friendly projects that employ pioneering technologies, design
techniques, recycled materials and renewable energies.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." (Albert Einstein)
Nursery: The Kanjini Co-Op's food and timber plant
nursery has settled in well at Koah and is thriving. Black bean
(Castanospermum australe) and Silky-oak (Grevillea robusta) are now
reaching for the sky. As the climate changes our weather patterns in FNQ
also are changing. Our normally dry season has been rainy this year and
our winter months were far from cool. Due the unknowns of the weather
we are experimenting with a large variety of food plants, including a
variety of Mediterranean species , such as grape, figs and olives which
have all fruited in the area. We also have Brazilian Cherry (Eugenia
uniflora, also called Surinam Cherry, which is very High in Vitamin C
and several potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory anti-cancer
compounds have been isolated from the fruit. Jaboticaba (Myrciaria
cauliflora is ideal for eating fresh, making jams, tarts, wines, and
liqueurs) - and it grows well in this area, the Bolton Road property has
a huge old Jaboticab!
a tree!
We have realised that to be sustainable we must grow a wide
variety of foods. The Tablelands are blessed with the possibility to
grow not only sub tropical foods but also Mediterranean food plants. In
the winter months we can grow many temperate fruit and vegetables, such
as potatoes and broccoli, strawberries and a wide variety of peas and
beans. All year we are able to enjoy many Asian vegetables, herbs and
spices.
Together we shall easily create abundant food and timber forests! Please consider to join us now so we can reach critical mass and manifest the Kanjini Co-Op Vision!
Isabella Grape |
Fig |
Jaboticaba |
Pomegranate |
Olives |
Brazilian Cherry |
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News & Quote of the Day
Wasting food is a problem…
There's something very sad about the fact that Australians throw out 3
million tonnes of food every year - especially when hundreds of millions
of people around the world go to bed hungry or are starving for the
most basic of foods. Wasting food is also a waste of money, and it
really damages the environment.
"These days there seems to be a real disconnect between the food
we buy and the impact that it has on the environment when we throw it
away. When you throw out food, you're also throwing out all of the
resources, fuel and energy that were used to get that food to your
plate," says Kylie Kwong, a prominent Australian television chef, author, television presenter and restaurateur
New Green Search Engine: Just thought I'd share
something awesome with you! There is a new Internet search engine that
saves 0.1 m² of rainforest with each search you do. The search results
there are as good as they are on Google or Yahoo, and it is free too.
The address of the "green search engine" is: www.Forestle.org
So far Forestle already has saved 7,994,910.1 m² of rainforest!
Check it out and forward this link to your friends! It’s never been so
easy to be green.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can
do." (Helen Keller)
This is it from us until the next newsletter .....
We wish that you seriously consider joining us, so that our
combined vision of enough people pooling their resources to purchase a
stunning piece of land will soon become a reality.................
We wish you Love and Light and Many Blessing of continued Prosperity and Excellent Health
and a HAPPY NEW YEAR
.....from The Kanjini Co-Op team
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