24 Comments

I can’t believe people would steal home produce from a roadside stall! That’s just so low.

Anyway I love your newsletter and look forward to the next one. My gardening has improved so much subscribing to you so thank you and season greetings to you and your family.

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Hi Rachel,

Yes, it's pretty low. I expected a small amount of theft. But not the amount that we experienced.

I'm so glad you enjoy my writing. I enjoy it even more so knowing that it is so well received.

Thanks for your support and happy gardening

Duncan

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Glad to read that you are making a much needed recovery, both physically and with your mental state.

Community connections are going to be more and more important for all of us.

Unfortunately I feel it is more difficult to build these in the city.

Best wishes for you and the family for the year ahead.

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Hi Gabriella,

Thanks for the well wishes. Yes, we found it more difficult to build community connections in suburban Melbourne than what we do here in Kyneton. It can be done, but not as easily. And yes, they are so important.

Happy gardening for the year ahead

Duncan

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I’m so sorry to hear about your illness, and especially the experience with your honesty box stall, very sad. I pay for and enjoy your newsletters, though admit that I came here to cancel due to “cost of living” pressures and feeling time poor to do as much as I’d like in the back yard. But … you have inspired me to continue my subscription and to re-jig my priorities in order to make more time for my veggies and chooks! May 2025 be kinder to you and your family than this year!

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Hi Suki,

Thank you so much for your support. I do hope the inspiration continues into the new year and that you do manage to maintain focus on the veggies and chooks.

Here's to an exciting and positive year ahead in both of our gardens. Enjoy!

Duncan

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Sorry to hear about your illness earlier this year and disappointment in human nature, Duncan.

Your posts are always interesting, relevant, educational and enjoyable to read and I appreciate all the work you put into them. Thank you!

I am happy to be a paid subscriber and I hope you are able to keep posting.

All the best for you and your family in 2025.

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Hi Mary,

Thanks for the great feedback. Don't worry, I'll keep writing. It has now become such an ingrained habit (and a positive one at that) that I couldn't help but write. I'm so grateful that there's good folks such as yourself who are so enthusiastic about reading what I have to say.

Thanks for your support. I hope that you enjoy a fantastic year ahead in the garden.

Duncan

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Love supporting you Duncan. You are generous with your help and honest with your research. wishing you and your family a very happy healthy and safe festive season. cheers Esther

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Thanks for your kind wishes Esther. I hope you have a wonderful year ahead in the garden.

Duncan

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Being a paid up subscriber is totally worth it, you are so generous with your knowledge. Thank you Duncan for your support for my productive garden, I learn so much. I hope in 2025 you find health, love, peace and deep satisfaction with all you do. Eliza B

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Hi Eliza,

I'm so glad you see value in supporting my work. It's great that you learn so much from it. I hope that you too have a wonderful year ahead in a thriving an abundant garden.

Thanks for your support and happy gardening

Duncan

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Gee, I am very sorry to hear how you were robbed from your honesty produce stand. Some people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into growing produce. I am happy to hear you have worked out a solution. Have a plentiful and productive 2025.

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Hi Dianne,

Yes, at the time it was very frustrating, but the forced move of the egg stall has had a silver lining.

Best wishes for a great 2025 and thanks for your support.

Duncan

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I love the story of Mrs Egg and how she came to your family. I am glad that you adopted her. I also love her letter to your family. May she long live with you

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Thanks, she has been the highlight of the whole experience.

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I am sorry you had to experience the people that see something …. Want it …. And think it’s their right just to take it. Kindness and Respect should be a strong basis to life and I am glad that you are finding it in your local community. I thoroughly enjoy your writing. Good luck in 2025

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Hi Edith,

Thanks for your support and kind words.

Happy gardening, I hope your 2025 is productive and enjoyable.

Duncan

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While it's no excuse, the cashless society doesn't help. Belonging to a club that has occasional sausage sizzles, we're selling a lot less now because people don't have change any more. I wonder if you should have a notice there about how they can make an online payment or subscribe to your newsletter?

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Hi Graham,

Yes, this definitely plays a role in it. I looked into how we could make cashless payments work. In the end it all become a bit too complicated. I’m happy with this new, low tech iteration servicing the locals. They know ahead of time that they’ll need cash.

Great ideas though. Thanks for your support.

Duncan

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Duncan. That’s a tough year you gave been through. You seemed fine when we saw each other mid-year. Maybe that was your “keep on going” drive combined with a facade “I’m ok”. Age and wisdom. You’re old enough now and certainly wise enough to spot the signs. Treat your health symptoms as you do with your growing grow business. After all you are the guru of measuring, recording, analysing and acting.

As for the low-life thieves. Well your action is clearly of benefit to staying well. I look forward to visiting your “outlet overseer” Mrs. Egg and purchasing some produce. Probably mid-year again.

I owe a lot to you Duncan for all the establishment work you did for us in 2019 & 2020. You inspired me to try things out, enjoy the successes, learn and move on from failures. So now in my fully retired state I’m back being a student. Of Horticulture. And the best part of being a 70 year old “urban farmer” student? School holidays. Cool.

😜

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Thanks Kerry, yes, I was bouncing back by the time you visited. Still not 100%, but soldiering on.

I'm glad some of my gardening philosophy has rubbed off on you.

Enjoy the school holidays. My young nephew recently informed me that "Cool" is no longer cool. The youth of today would possibly use the word "drippy" in place of "cool". After chatting with him at Christmas I now feel quite old.

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Thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously, your experiences do honestly. I love reading your emails and it makes me more able to share my knowledge to support those at the community garden.

I have had similar experiences to you when people at work have helped themselves to my produce ( preserves, plants). I told myself they meant to pay and forgot. But whatever it was, I choose not to judge people by the actions of a few.

Sorry to hear you have been unwell, those times when we try to do too much are certainly when we are most vulnerable to whatever is going around. Best wishes to you and your family for a better 2025.

Alison

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Hi Alison,

Such wise words, I do try hard to not judge humanity on the actions of a few. Thanks for your kind feedback. I'm glad you love the emails.

Best wishes for a fantastic year ahead in both your own garden and the community garden.

Duncan

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