It must have been about 8 months ago
when this old guy pulled up in the driveway at Kumbartcho Project Farm. He had a bit of a job getting out of the car, so I offered some help. He looked at me with disdain and finished the job without my interference.
I waited, with a smile to see what he was about. He got straight to the point. I’ve seen some of your videos about biodynamics and how you can stop insect infestations from ruining your vegetables. I’d like to see some of the stuff you make and how you do it.
Foolishly, I tried asking a few questions to find out what he was trying to achieve. His response was he wasn’t interested in that he was interested in the fertilizer and wanted to see it.
You can understand why I called him a Curmudgeon… noun a bad-tempered person, especially an old one.
Wisely I walked with him to a Biodynamic Pit
I removed the corrugated iron, moved the hessian bags and dug up some of the contents for him to touch and handle. Not a word was spoken until he asked me how much and what did he get for what he spent.
I always have yogurt containers close by, so I said that would give him a 1 litre of E9 and not to worry about paying for it. Seeing as he had worked out how to get to the farm I thought that was the least I could do.
He asked for the Kumbartcho email address and my phone number. I graciously fulfilled his request and asked for his. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll call you.
I walked him back to the car and he was quicker getting in than out. He was soon on his way, and I was left standing with a big smile on my face and wondering what was that all about.
What was that all about?
Ok, today I found out. I was checking the inbox and there was an email there I didn’t know who it was from. I was curious and it was Curmudgeon telling me that he thinks the stuff I gave him works. But he was going to do a trial and let me know how it goes.
I thought that was a well invested litre of E9, especially when I went through the email and saw some of the images he provided.
There seemed to be a hint of insect damage on the lower leaf of two plants, but he pointed that out and said it was probably in the seedlings when he purchased. He had been very carefully watching the progress and didn’t see any further insect damage.
Both the above were planted on the 1st of May
If you are wondering what the tommies and zucs are planted into, it is lawnmower clippings. Curmudgeon scrapes them away where he is going to plant and surrounds the plant with them later on.
Just in case you are wondering
Curmudgeon visited the farm again about a month ago and we had a bit of a discussion. I mentioned that I was working on a blog post and was going to talk about him and his gardening. Before he gave me the rounds of the table, I slipped in that I was going to call him Curmudgeon in the post.
I am pretty sure a Wayne Bennet smile appeared and he had no objections. What an interesting character.
Speaking of Interesting Characters
I was fortunate enough to know and respect Hugh Lovell. And that respect grew the more I was able to be with him. Hugh was The Master of Quantum Agriculture. He was also able to break down the esoteric ideas of Rudolf Steiner into layman’s terms. Hugh loved sharing his knowledge and experience, unlike Curmudgeon who keeps every thing close to the chest until he is satisfied with the output.
Hugh passed away around 5 years ago and the video below is his last one, or close to it I think. I ran across it last week and made a note to add it to this blog post. It is definitely worth the investment of your time to learn something from Hugh.
What’s Been Happening at Kumbartcho Project Farm
We have recently hosted a Steiner School of students for the last 3 weeks and there is another mob arriving from Alice Springs over the weekend. What an amazing time I am having, watching these young students morph from not wanting to be here to not wanting to go home. They get involved and their whole manner changes.
They see another side of life. From making a straw bale house, seeing how Maremma Dogs look after sheep and chooks, moving the cattle and planting trees to making art from their experiences. One of the sheep dropped a baby lamb while they were here.
Rudolf Steiner intended to create an educational environment that was spiritual, but non-denominational. Steiner believed that exposure to real-life experiences, such as cooking, cleaning, sewing and gardening, contributed to a sense of well-being and security.
The Finale
Kumbartcho Project Farm is a small voice in the quest to help foster the growth of non-chemical farming. I get such a feeling of well being when people visit and see what is happening in this little part of Australia, Kilkivan.
If you make the effort to visit Kumbartcho Farm and have a look around, there is a yoghurt container of E9 and an instruction leaflet waiting for you to use on your garden.
That’s all for now… Shane
