G’day Internet citizen, welcome to Compost and Concrete! This is a place for people trying to reconnect with a more natural life by growing their own food.
What’s in a name? Compost and Concrete is about growing and thriving in challenging circumstances. Concrete refers to the structures of the world. Hard, unfeeling, rigid. Compost symbolises new life, creativity and flexibility. Like the plant that breaks through the crack in the path, Compost and Concrete is about bringing softness and life back to the hard urban landscape.
Every person needs to eat, and in this modern world we’re largely reliant on industrial food production. Not that this is always a problem of course – as I said, everybody needs to eat! But industrial agriculture does present challenges for environmental sustainability, in terms of land management, food transport and chemical use.
I believe that, as individuals, we can reduce our reliance on commercial farming – even in our own small ways. I believe it’s possible for everyone to experience crisp lettuce in a salad, juicy tomatoes on a pizza, or aromatic herbs in a soup. No matter how small it may seem, we can all spread some compost on the concrete and start growing our own food.
I want to help share my experiences with rehabilitating a neglected suburban courtyard into a green oasis. It’s a work in progress, as with all great projects, but it’s come a long way and like to think I can help others avoid repeating my mistakes. There are certainly barriers to overcome – space and time are often premiums in the city lifestyle – the costs of starting a garden can often seem more than just financial.
But trust me, it’s not as hard as it seems. We don’t have to strive for complete self-reliance, just a bit of fresh parsley or mint! Follow along while I share what I know. I’m thinking podcasts might be the best way to communicate so keep an eye out for Compost and Concrete in the future, and check back on this page for blog updates. I’m on Instagram as compost.and.concrete too so drop by and say g’day and see the updates on my own garden! Happy growing!