Businesses

Hamish Dunlop visits Megalong Restaurant and Lot 101 Farm in the Megalong Valley. He talks with Chef Colin Barker and Farm Manager Mark Wells about their philosophy of sustainability, being self-sufficient and reducing the time between pasture and plate.

Hamish Dunlop visits Sonters Fern Nursery in Winmalee. David Sonter tells him how the 2013 Winmalee fire destroyed the nursery and spore bank, and of its recovery with a lot of community help.

A deep passion for turtles can take you to some interesting places – waist deep in mud one day and onto a movie set the next. Shane Davies leads Turtle Rescues NSW, saving thousands of Australian native freshwater turtles from certain death each year.

This month, father and son team Bob and Tom Colman launched Frankie & Mo’s, a new Blackheath bar and bottle shop. It showcases natural wines, beers and spirits complemented by organically-grown sharing platters, sourced where possible from local growers

Sick of the city commute, Emma Madison created Indy Mtns, a bright, airy co-working space above Springwood’s main street. Read her story here.

There is something delightful about opening up a used book. The dog-eared folds of interrupted chapters, the smudges of thumbed pages, the rushed scribbles of another reader’s thoughts... Explore Hazelbrook's RoseyRavelson bookshop here.

Lawson writer and publisher Sharon Baldwin has written a series of children’s books based on the unique subject matter of permaculture. Read her story here.

Troubled by my weekly packaging waste, I compared leftover packaging from a sample shop at the Blue Mountains Food Co-op with a similar supermarket shop. The results were enlightening.

“Wherever I go, bookstores are still the closest thing to a town square.” – Gloria Steinem. Founder of Good Earth Bookshop Mary Coin talks about the importance of community connection and the enduring power of books.

Lyttleton functions as a deft weaver, drawing in large numbers of individuals via open days, workshops, and events such as this year’s Thread Fair. It succeeds in creating something greater – the stronger mesh of community.