LFC News July 29 2015

Jul 282015
 

Helen’s guide to Spring veggie garden preparation

Helen’s article for this month is on preparing the garden in Spring ready for the Summer crops. As she says in her introduction: “With the winter solstice behind us, daylight lengthening and jonquils flowering, signs of Spring are everywhere. It is hard to summon the courage to brave the cold weather. However, if you are looking for a garden task, now is the time to plan your Spring/Summer veggie garden – all from the comfort of your favourite chair with a few gardening catalogues in hand.” She then goes on to discuss planning, keeping a steady supply, growing from seed, aspect, soil preparation and weeding. Read the full article.

nhmapNillumbik Health now has a local producer display

In the foyer of Nillumbik Health, there is now a map of where some of Nillumbik’s food producers are. Click the graphic on the right to view the higher resolution version of the map. Details of most of the providers are in our Local Food Directory, which can be accessed via a searchable/filterable list or via a categories and map interface.

The 2015/16 Banyule Grants Program is now open

$50K grant pool. Start planning your environmental project that will help create a more sustainable future for Banyule and beyond. Think energy, waste, biodiversity, water, transport, sustainable gardening, food production and environmental stewardship. Visit www.banyule.vic.gov.au/About-us/Grants-programs for access to the new Guidelines and Online Application Form. To discuss your application, please contact the Council’s Environment Officer on 9457 9828. To learn more about the grants process and the online application form, go along to the information sessions on Wednesday, 5th August 2015 at 1pm or 7pm (see the events below for details).

New events

The Salt Foundation’s community dinner

What: This is a weekly event, on every Friday evening. See the Salt Foundation’s Facebook page for details about each week’s particular meal. Dinner is usually served at 6.30pm, with coffee and nibbles starting 5.30pm or 6pm.
When: Every Friday evening, starting with coffee around 5.30pm and dinner at 6.30pm.
Where: St Pius, Heidelberg West.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: The Salt Foundation by phone (0468 317258) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Banyule 2015/16 grants information session

What: Information session for potential grant applicants. The eligibility criteria, application and assessment process will be discussed and applicants will have the opportunity to discuss grant ideas with a Council officer.
When: Wednesday, 5th August, at 1pm and again at 7pm.
Where: Banyule City Council Rosanna Service Centre.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Trybooking.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

gala grafting dayGala grafting day & winter market at Meerlieu

What: Watch skilled grafters at work. Choose from a wide variety of heritage varieties of apples, pears, plum and cherries at low cost. Enter the apple pie competition. Look round the market, including a soup kitchen, sausage sizzle, heritage chooks, eggs and face painting along with jams, jellies and handmade arts & crafts.
When: Saturday, 8th August, 10am-2.30pm.
Where: Meerlieu Hall, Meerlieu.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Kerri Easton by phone (0407 094612) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Free community meal at the Shak

What: Go and and enjoy a meal with them. Welcoming the homeless, people with dependencies, struggling families, asylum seekers, refugees, people with disabilities and anyone who just wants a good meal and a chat.
When: Saturday, 22nd August, 1-3pm.
Where: Mill Park Baptist Church.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Mill Park Baptist Church by phone (9436 8797) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Setting up and maintaining a worm farm

What: A worm farm can be one of the best ways to dispose of food scraps and at the same time produce vermi-juice (worm tea) and vermicast (worm castings) for use on the garden. Learn how to set up a worm farm and the easiest methods to manage and care for these most hard working of creatures. Discounted worm farms will be available on the day.
When: Saturday, 22nd August, 2.30-4.30pm.
Where: Edendale.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Edendale website.
Further information: Edendale website.

Grow your own summer veggies from seed

What: Starting early means that you can save lots of money growing your summer vegies from seed. This workshop focuses on which veggies are suitable to grow over summer and how to get them started from seed. There will be plenty of opportunity for some hands-on practice.
When: Thursday, 27th August, 6.30pm-8pm.
Where: Doncaster Library.
Cost: free.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Note: this is a different event than the 8th August event with a very similar name.

Well bread

What: A day of making, baking and breaking of bread with the people of diverse cultures living in the City of Whittlesea. Learn about the historical, cultural and social importance of this simple food stuff. Share your stories and sample a delicious selection of breads from around the globe. This is a free event, however bookings are preferred.
When: Saturday, 29th August, midday-5pm.
Where: Mernda Village Community Activity Centre.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Whittlesea Council by phone (9217 2174) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Upcoming events from previous LFC News

Over the next week
Over the next month

Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.

LFC News July 22 2015

Jul 222015
 

Lara writes about J.B. Shackleton’s and their award-winning marmalade

You may remember that, in March, J.B. Shackleton’s, a local marmalade maker from Wonga Park, won two Gold medals in the 2015 World’s Original Marmalade Competition. Well, Lara McKinley has now interviewed the person who makes the marmalade, Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus, and published the interview in the Warrandyte Diary.

warrandyte diaryLara writes regularly on food-related matters for the Warrandyte Diary, with recent, previous articles including Warrandyte families take the locavore challenge and the ‘Food is Free’ initiative at The Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale Op Shop.

New Facebook group: Food Swap / Share Banyule, Nillumbik & Surrounds

Food Swap / Share Banyule, Nillumbik & Surrounds is a new Facebook group. It is a closed group so you have to join it and be approved. As the page description says: “There are a lot of people struggling to put food on the table. Do you have spare tins or packaged food, fresh fruit & veg, etc that you won’t use? Let’s help others in need. Nothing is too big or small … someone will use it.”

Edendale now has a Facebook page

Edendale Community Environment Farm Facebook page will keep you in touch with their upcoming activities and what the animals are up to.

Darebin Community Leaders in Sustainability Course

Darebin Council are now recruiting participants for the next round of the Community Leaders in Sustainability course which will begin in October 2015 and run to April 2016. If you live, work or study in Darebin, and are interested in making a positive difference to the environment and your local community, then this free course might interest you. For further background information, click here (pdf). For an application form, click here (pdf). Aapplications need to be return by email or post (Sustainable Homes and Communities Coordinator, PO Box 91, Preston, 3072) by Monday September 7, 2015.

labelsGovernment announces new labelling system for Australian food

Read about the planned, new labelling system on the ABC website. According to the article, the labels will initially be voluntary, but manufacturers will be forced to use them from next year if the states and territories agree to the proposal.

New events

Handmade pasta

What: Tutor – Maria from My Green Garden. Handmade pasta is not so difficult to make once the basic techniques are mastered, and you can introduce the wow-factor by producing pasta of different colours and shapes, using all very natural ingredients. In this workshop, you will make several types and shapes to take home and enjoy with your family and friends. Some tips on good sauces to use with the pasta will also be discussed. Bookings essential. BYO apron. Not suitable for gluten-intolerants.
When: Thursday, 13th August, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Where: Alphington Community Centre.
Cost: $25 (includes all ingredients).
Enquiries/Bookings: Becca Smith by phone (9499 7227) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Sourdough bread making

What: Tutor – Kylie Moppert from Kylie’s Slow Dough. Suitable for novices and those who want to expand their bread making repertoire. Making bread is as much about the pleasure of the experience as the delight of eating the product. Includes the theory, hands on and take home.
When: Saturday, 15th August, 10am-1pm.
Where: Living & Learning Nillumbik at Panton Hill.
Cost: $45 or $40 concession.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Beekeeping – a taster

What: Obtain answers to your questions on the practical aspects of beekeeping and discover why keeping bees is a relaxing and a rewarding hobby for all the family.
When: Sunday, 16th August, 2pm.
Where: Edendale.
Cost: $15.
Enquiries/Bookings: Edendale website.
Further information: Edendale website.

Advanced composting

What: Rachel Bishop, from Edendale, will cover different composting methods, types of bins and liquid fertilisers.
When: Tuesday, 18th August, 11.30am-12.30pm.
Where: Diamond Valley Library.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Dione Fisher by phone (9434 3809) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Thai cooking

What: Chef and owner of local Thai restaurant, Vanilla Orchid, Duncan Robertson will demonstrate some of the delicious recipes from his new cookbook, Duncan’s Thai Kitchen. Duncan will also share with you some of his travel adventures in Thailand.
When: Thursday, 27th August, 2-3pm.
Where: Warrandyte Library.
Cost: free.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Grow your own summer veggies from seed

What: Starting early means that you can save lots of money growing your summer vegies from seed. This workshop focuses on which veggies are suitable to grow over summer and how to get them started from seed. There will be plenty of opportunity for some hands-on practice.
When: Thursday, 27th August, 6.30-8pm.
Where: Doncaster Library.
Cost: free.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Upcoming events from previous LFC News

Over the next week
Over the next month

Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.

LFC News July 15 2015

Jul 152015
 

Where do you get your manure?

Thanks to Richard Rowe, the local resources page on our website now has a section on where to get (horse) manure and (straw) mulch. Please email us with any additions, in this or any other category.

North East Melbourne fruiting schedule

At Robin Gale-Baker’s request, our website now has a schedule of when a wide variety of fruit trees, berries and vines might be ready to harvest. Please email us with any suggested changes.

Food is free @ the Diamond Valley Library

Marlies Tammes has posted a ‘food is free at Diamond Valley library’ picture and, thus far, it has received 600 likes (and 125 shares)! Click here to view the post and picture. Thanks to Dione Fisher for going to the effort to become my Facebook friend so that she could alert me to the post.

As a little experiment, I did a bucket of ‘food is free’ lemons at the last Eltham Farmers’ Market – all gone within the first hour.

Whilst on the subject of popular Facebook posts, a recent post by Sustainable Gardening Australia on a healthy meal vending machine at Westfield Doncaster reached 52,000 people! Has anyone tried the food?

Most popular newsletter links

I thought you might be interested in which links have been clicked most often since I took over editing this newsletter in February:

New events

Macleod Organic Community Garden working bee

What: To remove the old fence.
When: Saturday, 18th July, 1-4pm.
Where: Macleod College, Somers Avenue.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Grow your own – summer veggies from seed

What: Workshop leader: Maria Ciavarella. Address released at time of booking. Start your summer veggie garden from seeds. This workshop shows you different seed sowing techniques to save money in the garden, grow heirloom veggie varieties and then save the seed for future seasons. Hands-on in this workshop means that you take home many punnets of seeds ready to be grown for your garden.
When: Saturday, 8th August, 2-4pm.
Where: My Green Garden, Donvale.
Cost: $35 (concessions available).
Enquiries/Bookings: Trybooking website.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Upcoming events from previous LFC News

Over the next week
Over the next month

Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.

LFC News July 8 2015

Jul 082015
 

Ceres is selling one of its poly tunnels

Ceres has a 9m by 4.5m polytunnel that is in need of a new home. They are asking only $200 but there is a catch: it needs to be disassembled and taken away before the 15th July. This includes taking away the timber and mesh propagation benches. You are welcome to go and inspect. If interested, contact Eve or Olivia by phone (0409 584784) or email.

New events

Pale ale mania

palealemaniaWhat: The annual home brewing competition of the Worthogs. The Worthogs are a small club based in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, mostly between South Morang and Whittlesea. Entry forms are available from The Worthog’s website. Each entry must be submitted in a bottle with a minimum capacity of 500ml (no stubbies). Prizes awarded for Best Novice, Best in Show and 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the following categories: Australian pale ale; English pale ale; American pale ale; and IPA (English or American.
When: Sunday, 2nd August, from 9.30am.
Where: The Windy Mile, Diamond Creek.
Cost: $5 per entry.
Enquiries/Bookings: Worthogs website. Glenn or Rod by phone (9438 6132 or 0409 862528).
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Whilst on the subject of beer, there is a new pub in Eltham: Prosciutto Bros. Craft Bar sells 15 craft beers, including local brewery The 3 Ravens Brewing Company. They are open every evening plus during the day on Saturday and Sunday.

Living soils and the new NPK (nutrients, physical structure, key biology)

What: Did you know that 2015 is International Year of Soils? Soil is often an overlooked partner in sustainability but it is critical in producing healthy food, fibre, fuel and medicine. Soil supports our planet’s biodiversity and plays an important role in the carbon cycle, climate change and climate adaptation. Speakers: Gerhard Grasser and Matthew Daniel. Organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia.
When: Saturday, 15th August, 1-4pm.
Where: Horticultural Centre, Forest Hill.
Cost: $40.
Enquiries/Bookings: WeTeachMe website.
Further information: WeTeachMe website.

Upcoming events from previous LFC News

Over the next week
Over the next month

Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.

LFC News July 1 2015

Jul 012015
 

Just a reminder that plastic-free July starts today!

Helen’s guide to growing rhubarb – rhubarb is back in fashion!

rhubarbHelen’s article this month is on growing rhubarb. As she says in her introduction: “I often hear stories about a rhubarb plant still vigorously producing, even if planted many years ago. Often the ‘crowns’ are taken to a new home when a house is sold, or handed down through family generations. Rhubarb is becoming popular to grow again – so how is it done?” She then goes on to discuss crowns or seeds, soil & watering, position, harvesting, going to seed and green rhubarb. So, for example, did you know that green rhubarb tastes as sweet as red rhubarb and is often more productive? Read the full article.

Helen’s previous article was on growing garlic. She is the owner of The Mushroom Shed and you can buy her products (mushrooms, mushroom kits and seedlings) from several local markets and outlets, including Eltham Farmers’ Market.

If you want to know what else you can be planting now, have a look at our local planting schedule.

The long term costs of organic compared to intensive farming

Sean Walsh has sent in an article which uses life cycle analysis on organically farmed tomatoes and pears, and intensively farmed wheat, apples and lettuce to show the overall impact of agricultural methods. Click here to read the full article or click here to read a one page introduction.

Another volunteering opportunity

Of all the activities that LFC is involved in, food swaps are close to the core of what we are about. And the people who go to them enjoy them. But they can only take place if there are people willing to organise them. Eltham Food Swap is currently looking for people to help. The swap takes place from 10-11am on the 4th Sunday of each month. You could help a couple of times a year or every month. The role involves greeting people, helping record & ID produce and generally chit chatting. If interested, please email Fay Loveland.

New events

Save our citrus from gall wasps

What: Melbourne’s lemon trees are under attack from the native citrus gall wasp. This is reducing productivity and is slowly killing our beautiful trees. Come along to a free educational talk and learn how to prevent the spread of citrus gall wasp in our suburbs. The presentation will cover correct pruning and other control techniques as well as appropriate disposal methods.
When and where:
Livingstone Community Centre, Ivanhoe, Thursday 16 July, 7-8pm.
Reservoir Neighbourhood House, Reservoir, Saturday 18 July, 11am-midday.
SPAN Community House, Thornbury, Wednesday 22 July, 7-8pm.
Reservoir Neighbourhood House, Reservoir, Thursday 23 July, 7-8pm.
Livingstone Community Centre, Ivanhoe, Saturday 25 July, 11am-midday.
Alphington Community Centre, Alphington, Wednesday 29 July, 7-8pm.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Kaye by email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry or their flyer.

Cheesemaking

What: Experienced local home-cheesemaker from The Hibi Farm, Angelica Cameron, will share the secrets of her simple farmhouse feta. Come along and participate (hands-on) in the cheesemaking process from start to finish, and take home your own block of feta to ripen or eat fresh as it is. This workshop is ideal for beginners wishing to learn how to make cheese in their own kitchen, using basic equipment and easily accessible ingredients. Please arrive 15 minutes earlier to register and settle in, so they can start on time.
When: Saturday, 18th July, 2-5pm.
Where: Olympic Adult Education, Heidelberg West.
Cost: $15 or $10 concession.
Enquiries/Bookings: OAE by phone (9450 2665) or Suzanne Crellin by email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

How to grow and cook Winter Asian vegetables

What: Learn from permaculturalist Seila Hierk and Mikoto Araki how to grow and cook winter Asian vegetables. These include Chinese broccoli, bok choy, pak choy, wongbok, Tokyo bekana, shallots or spring onions, tumeric, mizuna, tatsoi, daikon and mustard greens. They can be planted now and are short term vegetables that can be harvested in 2 to 3 months. Learn authentic Japanese cooking using these Asian greens. Handouts, seedlings available and food sample.
When: Sunday, 19th July, 2-5pm.
Where: Olympic Adult Education, Heidelberg West.
Cost: $15 or $10 concession.
Enquiries/Bookings: OAE by phone (9450 2665) or Suzanne Crellin by email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

A winter garden

What: Horticulturalist Sandi Pullman returns to answer your big gardening questions. What vegetables can I grow in winter? What colourful plants should I put in the garden for winter? Should I be planning for my spring garden? Bring along all your green thumb questions.
When: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-8.15pm.
Where: Ivanhoe Library.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Upcoming events from previous LFC News

Over the next week
  • Backyard chooks for beginners: Friday, 3rd July, 10am-midday.
  • Seed saving: Wednesday, 8th July, 10am-midday.
Over the next month

Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.