Local food-related events
Nillumbik Health Edible Community Garden
The plants are growing thanks to various people checking them. The food is for sharing so help yourselves or share with those who don’t grow their own food. Succession planting of edible plants that like a lot of shade is encouraged! Talking of shade, here is an evening shot of the garden.
The Monty Food Swap
The November swap will be held in Were Street, next to the Were Street Food Store (weather willing) next Sunday, 3 November from 10.30 to 11.30. This spot will be used through the warmer months, returning to Monty Primary School in March or April 2014. Great news: they have been successful in winning a grant from Banyule Council to put together the information collected from veggie swappers, both at Monty and at the Sustainable Macleod swap, as part of the Garden Almanac project. The grant will go towards the printing costs of a Banyule Garden Almanac, a resource that all veggie gardeners, and aspiring veggie gardeners, to use in the future.
The Great Tomato Taste Off is not until February next year, but November is the time to plant tomatoes in Melbourne so if you’d like your favourite tomatoes in the Taste Off, start planting soon. There’ll be a few heirloom variety tomato seedlings available at the swap to pick up if you’d like to try something different.
Tomato plants
Two local growers have tomato seedlings for sale.
Stephen from Minalinka has Megatom (red, very large rounded fruit), Tigerella (red with orange stripes, medium size, very productive), Galapagos (species tomato from Galapagos. Small cherry type, low growing, drought and salt resistant.), Yellow pear (small yellow pear shaped fruit) and Pixie (medium red fruit on compact plant, no staking required). Plants are 15-20cm, $2 each, available from the carpark area of 220 Ironbark Rd Yarrambat Mel 184 J11. Phone Stephen 0433 647920.
Andre from Eltham has 240 diggers tomatoes – black russian, christmas grapes, green zebra, principle borgesee, tigerella periforma ambruzzea, $1.50 each. Phone Andre 0428 868916.
Grant success
Local Food Connect has recently received a grant from Banyule City Council which will enable us to have postcards printed to promote the food swaps. Thank you Banyule!
Banyule Edible Garden mini-tours in November
- Tour #1 East Ivanhoe Sat 2 Nov 10am – 12noon;
- Tour #2 Yallambie/Macleod Sat 9 Nov 10am – 12noon;
- Tour #3 Heidelberg Sat 9 Nov 2pm – 4pm;
- Tour #4 Eaglemont Sun 10 Nov 2pm – 4pm;
- Tour #5 Ivanhoe Sat 16 Nov 10am – 12noon;
- Tour #6 Rosanna/Watsonia Sat 16 Nov 2pm – 4pm;
- Tour #7 Montmorency Sun 17 Nov 10.30am – 12.30pm;
- Tour #8 Heidelberg Heights/ Ivanhoe Sun 24 Nov 2pm – 4pm;
- Tour #9 Heidelberg Sat 30 Nov 10am – 12noon.
Bookings are essential. Groups will be limited to ten people per tour, so don’t delay in booking your place. Cost per tour $5/$2, children free. Phone Mary on 9455 2581
Permaculture talk at Eltham Library
Gardening expert Julie French will offer tips and advice on permaculture – an ecological, sustainable approach to managing your garden. Nov 7, 7-8pm.