How to make LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria) culture
How to make Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) culture
Does rainfall during olive flowering affect pollination and fruit set?
So it started raining on the same day that the olives started flowering - nearly 10 days ago. Was wondering whether this would have any impact on pollination of the flowers and subsequent fruit set…….
First olive grove in the world to be certified “Regenerative”
WORLD’S FIRST OLIVE PRODUCER CERTIFIED REGENERATIVE BY A GREENER WORLD
—Manna Hill Estate is also the first farm in Australia certified by A Greener World for regenerative stewardship—
Two tablespoons of EVOO daily can lower blood pressure
Daily use of at least two tablespoons of EVOO can lower blood pressure. That’s the finding by the University of California Davis Centre
The importance of grazing management
With half the habitable land on earth taken up with agriculture and 80% of that used for grazing, grazing management matters!
Agroforestry benefits
Adding trees to the landscape increases complexity, biodiversity and ecosystem function
Another gold medal - and best EVOO in Victoria!
Really stoked about this award - not only a gold medal but Champion Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Victoria.
7 reasons to grow your own fruit and vegetables
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is fun, gets you out in the fresh air and sunshine, provides opportunity for exercise and saves you money, while providing intrinsic enjoyment, wonder and joy.
And you thought Roundup (Glyphosate) was safe?
It has been known for some time that the herbicide Glyphosate kills plants via a particular pathway. The most recent research provides compelling evidence that Glyphosate (often marketed as ‘Roundup’) also affects more than 50% of the organisms in the human gut via the same pathway, thus having significant implications for human health
Sautéing vegetables in EVOO enhances health benefits…..
The Mediterranean diet which uses extra virgin olive oil for cooking has been known for a long time to have considerable health benefits. The reason why cooking with extra virgin olive oil has so many health benefits is due to the enhancing effect of the extra virgin olive oil.
Doughnut economics
Humans have exceeded the environmental capability of Earth in 4 key areas. Industrial agriculture is directly implicated in all of these, whereas if we adopt regenerative agriculture principles we can turn this around
AIOA 2023 Gold medal !
Manna Hill Estate recently awarded an Australian International Olive Awards gold medal for their cold pressed extra virgin organic olive oil
Chemicals in skin care products
Skin care products, including moisturizers, which are applied directly to the skin often have a large number harmful chemicals present. By switching to certified organic products you can avoid these harmful chemicals
And the world gets warmer….
Farmers are at the forefront of global warming - we can see the shifts in the seasons with plants flowering earlier, more erratic rainfall events and the ‘1 in 100’ year events that happen with increasing frequency (sometimes multiple times a year). It is clear that the earth is warming and that humans are the cause of it - the key question is whether we collectively have the will and determination to actually do something about it.
Biochar
We recently made some biochar from some of the thinnings from our Agroforestry blocks. Biochar is a fantastic material – it sweetens acid soils, increases the water holding capacity of the soil, improves microbial activity and helps soil to share nutrients with plants. And it does all of this for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. It is very easy to make and once inoculated with a compost tea is ready to use – gardens, horticulture, pastures or anywhere really where you want to improve your soil.
Lavosh (Lavash) recipe
Lavosh (or Lavash) is a crispbread that is really easy to make and has minimal ingredients. A very healthy alternative to many of the products available in the supermarket
Soul Food
Most of the things that are killing us these days — whether it's heart disease, diabetes, obesity, many, many cancers — are directly attributed to the way we're eating. But how do we know what to eat? Seems like an absurdly simple question – but clearly the way we’re eating today isn’t working for us. I would like to introduce you to an approach that is truly nourishing and good for the soul! It is SOUL Food where SOUL stands for:- Seasonal, Organic, Unprocessed, Local.
Benefits of Olive Oil Soap
For centuries, olive oil has been used in skin preparations and soaps. Manna Hill Estate continues this long tradition by producing small batches of hand made olive oil (castile) soap.
Olive oil soap, moisturizers and nourishes your skin, penetrating deeply for maximum moisturization without clogging pores. Derived from nature, olive oil is pure and unadulterated.
Regenerative agriculture
We often get asked why our focus is on regenerative rather than sustainable agriculture.