#blueberries — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-08-31 · 07:54 UTC

40 safety breaches in SafeWork NSW blitz on Coffs Coast, Riverina farm businesses

"Labour-hire firms and agribusinesses across the Coffs Coast and Riverina have been issued with more than 40 safety notices in a SafeWork NSW blitz after allegations of slavery in the fruit-picking industry."

"The workplace safety watchdog has identified dozens of safety issues across labour-hire firms and agribusinesses operating on New South Wales fruit farms in the wake of serious modern slavery allegations in the fruit-picking industry." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-31/safework-blitz-on-modern-slavery-coffs-coast-riverina-farms/107096906
#IR #CoffsHarbour #Food #work #slavery #blueberries #MidNorthCoast

#ir #coffsharbour #food #work #slavery #blueberries

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-08-06 · 07:47 UTC

Focus on Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Valley

"NSW modern slavery report calls for urgent reform to protect migrant workers."

"A NSW parliamentary report into modern slavery has detailed "harrowing stories of mistreatment and harm..The report asked the government to investigate allegations of systemic labour exploitation in Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley."

"NSW Anti-slavery commissioner Dr James Cockayne said in a statement the report was "informed by evidence from almost 100 witnesses across NSW, including victim survivors of modern slavery, and 60 submissions"." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-06/nsw-anti-slavery-report-urgent-reform-to-protect-migrant-workers/107003130
#exploitation #PALM #MidNorthCoast #HorticulturalIndustry #blueberries #CoffsHarbour #NambuccaValley #food #harm #slavery #plantations #regulation

#exploitation #palm #midnorthcoast #horticulturalindustry #blueberries #coffsharbour

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-08-06 · 07:24 UTC

Court fines Bucca blueberry farmers $100,000 for building an illegal dam

"The unauthorised dam construction disrupted a creek and removed native vegetation on a property in Bucca, north of Coffs Harbour."

"Two farmers have been fined $100,000 for building an unapproved dam on their property at Bucca, north of Coffs Harbour.The pair has now received regulatory approval for the dam and no orders for its removal or demolition were made." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-06/bucca-blueberry-farmers-fined-for-illegal-dam/107003136
#water #extractivism #rivers #artificialisation #harm #NSW #MidNorthCoast #blueberries #HorticulturalIndustry #regulation #CoffsHarbour #Bucca #LandClearing

#water #extractivism #rivers #artificialisation #harm #nsw

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-08-03 · 23:00 UTC

Vulnerable workers bearing the cost of providing Australia with cheap food

"Across Australia's fruit and vegetable industry, Fair Work Ombudsman investigations have repeatedly uncovered widespread non-compliance...: systemic worker exploitation, forced labour, debt bondage and, in some cases, human trafficking and servitude."

"In Coffs Harbour, 61 per cent of growers and labour hire companies inspected were found to be breaching workplace laws, including underpaying workers. The figure rose to 72 per cent in the Riverina and 83 per cent in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley....Oz Group, a co-operative representing more than 140 berry growers across NSW's Mid North Coast, said in its 2020 statement it "does not accept any form of slavery-like practices within the co-operative or throughout its supply chain".However, in its 2025 statement, the co-operative said, "addressing modern slavery requires ongoing effort and collaboration" and it remained "committed to continuous improvement"." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-04/australias-hidden-modern-slave-labour-workforce-exposed/106968610
#exploitation #work #ForcedLabour #food #slavery #CoffsHarbour #HorticulturalIndustry #governance #regulation #ModernSlaveryAct #TokenisticLaw #NSW #MidNorthCoast #blueberries

#exploitation #work #forcedlabour #food #slavery #coffsharbour

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2026-06-28 · 15:42 UTC

Traditional #Wojapi Recipe – #NativeAmerican Berry Sauce Made Simple

By Corinne Griffith
June 4, 2025

"Wojapi (pronounced WO-jah-pee) is a cherished Native American berry sauce rooted in #Lakota and #Dakota traditions. Made from wild berries and gently sweetened, this rich, velvety sauce was traditionally served with fry bread but today pairs beautifully with pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, and even ice cream.Dairy & Eggs

"Whether you’re exploring Indigenous cuisine for the first time or rekindling a family favorite, this simple recipe is a perfect introduction to the beauty of ancestral cooking.

Why I Love This Recipe

"There’s a deep simplicity and warmth to Wojapi that makes it feel like a hug in sauce form. It’s naturally sweet, full of bold berry flavor, and comes together in minutes using fresh or frozen fruit. What I love most is that it’s endlessly versatile—use it as a topping, a dip, or even a glaze.

"It’s the kind of recipe you can make in one pot, with five ingredients or fewer, and still have something that feels rich with history and meaning. It has the same joyful, flexible vibe as Caramel Apple Nachos, but with deep cultural roots.

Ingredients

- 2 cups fresh or frozen berries
(traditional choices: #blueberries, #chokecherries, or #blackberries)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thicker consistency)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for brightness)

Optional Swaps & Tips

- Sweeteners: Maple syrup adds a subtle woodsy note, but honey is more traditional in some versions.
- Berries: Mix and match what you have. #Raspberries and #strawberries work too, but for authenticity, lean toward wild berries.
Cornstarch: Skip it for a thinner, more rustic sauce. Use it if you want a pudding-like consistency.
Citrus: A touch of lemon juice balances the sweetness and brings out the berry flavors."

Source:
https://chefmaniac.com/traditional-wojapi-recipe-native-american-berry-sauce-made-simple/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildBerries #IndigenousFoods #NativeAmericanFoods #BerrySauce

#wojapi #nativeamerican #lakota #dakota #blueberries #chokecherries

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-03-27 · 22:16 UTC

The NSW blueberry industry

"Almost 80 per cent of Australia's blueberries are grown on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, where the industry has grown rapidly.The NSW Environment Protection Authority polices the rules and since 2020 its inspections in berry-growing areas around Coffs Harbour and Nambucca have increased by 180 per cent, finding "occasional transgressions"."

"A recent meeting of the Nambucca Environment Network at Macksville, locals raised concerns about the berry industry's use of chemicals, water, protective plastic tunnels and bird netting. The... laws haven't kept pace with the industry." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-28/blueberry-boom-regulation-nsw-mid-north-coast/106490330

Let's cover the Mid North Coast of NSW in plastic..>>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115991755455133375
#BerryIndustry #blueberries #pollution #NSW #MidNorthCoast #water #spraydrift #plastic #HorticultureIndustry #DA #FoodSafety #food #pesticides #dimethoate #harm #negativeexternalities

#berryindustry #blueberries #pollution #nsw #midnorthcoast #water

All for Gardening @[email protected] · 2026-02-04 · 22:02 UTC

MASTER GARDENERS: The power of blueberries for Washington and you https://www.allforgardening.com/1592147/master-gardeners-the-power-of-blueberries-for-washington-and-you/ #Blueberries #Burien #BurienNews #Commentary #DesMoinesWa #garden #gardening #MasterGardeners #opinion #plants

#blueberries #burien #buriennews #commentary #desmoineswa #garden

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-01-31 · 21:08 UTC

Let's cover the Mid North Coast of NSW in plastic..

Image:
"Surrounding the town of El Ejido, Almeria Province, southern Spain is a sea of greenhouses, stretching for tens of kilometers. Millions of tons of vegetables are exported to other European countries and other parts of the world. The image covers an area of 19 x 30.5 km, was acquired July 20, 2008, and is located at 36.75 degrees north latitude, 2.75 degrees west longitude."
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/almeria-spain/

NSW - Traumatic landscapes of plastic, pollution and exploitation
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115991606657243814
#NSW #industrialisation #SeaOfPlastic #plastic #MidNorthCoast #blueberries #agribusiness #plantations #externalities #EcologicalViolence

#nsw #industrialisation #seaofplastic #midnorthcoast #blueberries #agribusiness

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2026-01-31 · 20:30 UTC

Traumatic landscapes of plastic, pollution and exploitation

The coastline of Spain is known as the ‘Sea of Plastic’ ("Mar de Plástico”) It is the world’s largest plastic greenhouse complex with 350 square km of fruit and vegetables grown by immigrant labour for the horticultural industry. >>
https://www.behance.net/gallery/22272681/Mar-del-Plastico#

Could we do the same thing to the coast of NSW?
NSW Greens to move bill to let councils better regulate berry industry as it continues rapid expansion

“People move into these beautiful valleys for the lifestyle and the environment but then wake up one day and within months they are looking at an industrial-scale blueberry farm."

"Faehrmann’s bill will call for mandated buffers between intensive horticulture farms and homes and waterways, as well as strict controls on spraying, runoff and irrigation and greater monitoring of produce for pesticides."

"Blueberry farming is rapidly expanding beyond Coffs Harbour, where it began several decades ago, into the Nambucca Valley and the Kempsey area to the south, and west toward Grafton and Bellingen."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/31/australia-berry-industry-bill-nsw-greens
#rivers #water #extractivism #pesticides #MidNorthCoast #ChinasOrchard #horticulturalIndustry #regulation #runoff #pollution #plastic #PALM #blueberries #SeaOfPlastics #TraumaticLandscapes #NSWCoast #NSW #CoffsHarbour #Nambucca #Kempsey #Grafton #Bellingen #residents #habitability #NSWLogging

#pesticides #midnorthcoast #nambucca #kempsey #coffsharbour #nswcoast

BellingenNSW @[email protected] · 2025-10-08 · 20:50 UTC

Pesticide spray drift from intensive horticulture on the the mid-north coast NSW -
Discontent in the region.

Home owners, dairy and beef producers among those concerned about how pesticide use affects their land as well as water quality on the mid-north coast

“Between 2001 and 2016 blueberry farming expanded 400% – mainly around the Coffs Harbour region.”

“This monitoring showed the continued detection of pesticides in most waterways sampled, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring in the region.”

“Monitoring in the Nambucca valley by the EPA has detected three different pesticides in low levels in three creeks, suggesting water quality in the area is not being impacted by excessive amounts of pesticides.”
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/09/blueberry-farms-nsw-north-coast-rapid-expansion-development-pesticides
#Pesticides #food #beef #diary #prawns #blueberries #plantations #monoculture #rivers #water #export #runoff #pollution #neonicotinoids #imidacloprid #dimethoate #SprayDrift #CoffsHarbour #Macksville #Nambucca #Woolgoolga #conflict #violence #EPA #regulation #horticulture #industry #tourism #PeoplesHomes #TankWater #governance #MidNorthCoast #NSW #biodiversity #wildlife #extractivism