Jerry Coleby-Williams

Biodispersal: Another word for the dictionary

A student at Dekin Uni is writing about GM foods. She wanted my opinion, so here is my reply – it was published eight years ago in response to an opinion piece written by Jennifer Marohasy (a member of the Institute of Public Affairs, a pro-industry lobby group) in the Courier Mail…

In Production Today – August

My ‘spring’ seed saving season has started early, I saved some Stinking Roger seed today.

Memories of Alpine Flowers

This Will’s cigarette card collection is a hundred years old. I photographed it this morning, in between radio interviews…

Oh, What a Beauty! Ten Years of Diversity in Food Production at Bellis

A whimsical look at some of the produce I’ve grown at Bellis, my sustainable home in Brisbane.

Brisbane Skips Winter, 2013 Becomes Hottest Year Ever (Until 2015, The Latest Hottest Year Ever Beaten by 2016, which was beaten by 2017!)

This year my garden had an extended autumn and now, judging by the flowers outside, it’s spring. Did Brisbane skip winter?

In Production Today – July

I only got 41.3kg of winged yam this year. What went wrong?

Paronella Park: Queensland’s Juicy Jungle Garden

Paronella Park, near Innisfail, is the legacy created by Jose Paronella, a prodigiously productive person. Born in Catalonia, Spain, and trained as a pastry chef, Jose emigrated to Australia in 1913. He started as a sugarcane-cutter, then worked at improving sugarcane farms before investing his savings and energy into creating Parronella.

In Production Today – June 2013

Winter has started fitfully, just like the previous two. Mild, drizzly, calm and cloudy conditions have encouraged moulds, but delayed sowing peas. Spells of cold, dry, windy conditions have spurred leaf drop on summer crops, like winged yam.

Nicotine And Old Roses

Food security alert: Neonicotinoid pesticides, like Confidor, are creating a dangerous world where caterpillars are becoming poison bird bait, where bees and migratory birds ‘forget’ how to navigate and bees and other pollinators are becoming suicide junkies.

Growing Australian Plants In London

When the Guardian published a few shots of Australian plants that can be grown in Britain, I had a flashback to my Australian-effect front garden in London.

Want Safer Streets, More Bees and Good Food? Grow Tamarind Trees, not African Tulip Trees

I’ve just made Dulce de Tamarindo from tamarind pods, a mouthwatering Mexican sweet that’s guaranteed to stimulate your tastebuds. What could link safer streets, more bees and good food? Here’s a blog on sustainable urban forest management. Let’s start with an end product before making the case to ‘grow me instead’. There is a greater demand…

Food With A Future

Whatever they said to you at school, farming is the oldest profession.