LFC News October 19 2022

Oct 222022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Celesta van der Paal, Kelly Donati, Michaela Brown, Pam Jenkins, Patsy Hemsworth and Paul Hemsworth.

An urban food strategy for Banyule

Banyule Council, in partnership with Sustain, have just started a project to develop their first urban food strategy, with the objective of making sure that Banyule’s food systems are healthy, sustainable, equitable, inclusive and accessible.

There will be a variety of ways that individuals in Banyule can get involved in the process. These include: completing a survey; chatting with Council staff at Eltham Farmers’ Market on Sunday, 6th November, 9-11am; and chatting with Council staff at the Eco Festival, Petrie Park, Mountain View Road, Montmorency on Sunday, 6th November, midday-2pm.

A low cost soil conditioner (by Celesta van der Paal)

I [Celesta] have been cultivating a garden on hard packed sticky yellow clay for the past 20 years and I have removed a lot of rock and stones from my yard in that time. As readers of this newsletter with similar soil will know, we have to provide a lot of soil conditioners to cultivate exotic plants and fruit and vegetables in our gardens. Hence the popularity of raised garden boxes. I have kept my beds in contact with the clay soil, but my vegetable garden is on a slope retained by timber sleepers, so I do add soil and conditioners, but it has been hard work.

Over the last two years I’ve been using bulk amounts of coconut coir to incorporate into the existing soil and to top dress when planting seeds and seedlings. Coconut coir holds moisture which helps to protect and promote seed germination and provides a loose aerated moist base for young seedling roots. Last autumn, I planted parsnip and beetroot seeds directly into a layer of coir with successful germination rates. I then top dressed progressively with great results (see left hand photo). Coconut coir is used in hydroponics in the same way as clay beads as it allows for the ionic exchange of nutrients to plant roots. It is therefore good to incorporate the coir into existing soil to promote nutrient uptake.

  

I buy coconut coir in large bags from the Yarra Farm Fresh fruit and vegetable store in Coldstream for $6 per bag (see right hand photo). One bag goes a long way so I find this product to be very economical. Coconut coir performs a similar function to peat moss but at a fraction of the dollar cost and cost to the environment.

In summary, using coconut coir has given me great results in the garden and made my job a lot easier and therefore more enjoyable.

Some Queensland fruit fly prevention strategies (by Pam Jenkins)

[Pam has written an article for our website. What follows is a shortened version.]

I [Pam] have had Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) in my garden for the past 3 years. The first year was the worst and I have been working on minimising the damage ever since. Building on what I have learnt, the following is what I have done so far and plan to do this fruit season.

To make it easier to cover and spray my fruit trees, over winter I reduced the height of all of them and thinned some of the branches from the espaliers.

The male QFF start flying at 20degC and will be congregating in warm green leafy areas, especially in warm microclimate areas in the garden. Look for them at about eye level on the north east side of your green bushy trees early in the morning before they warm up. They can start mating at 20degC so it is definitely time to act if you want to continue to have some fruit to harvest.

I have hung male attracting pheromone traps at the edges of my garden to monitor any activity and set out some homemade protein/sugar traps close to, and in, host trees to attract young male and females that are emerging from their pupae as the weather warms. The immature male and female flies need protein and sugar to be able to mate and produce eggs.

The lemon and mandarin trees that are fruiting at the moment have been sprayed with ‘Surround’ – calcinated kaolin clay – which will serve to keep the gall wasp under control, help reduce evaporation from the wind and repel QFF as they really don’t like white. Caution! Don’t spray if your trees are in flower as it will impact the bees.

I have placed a white net over my mandarin tree and tied it firmly around the trunk. Fruit flies are low fliers and nets need to be secured either by weighting them to the ground or tying them firmly around the trunk or branch that you want to protect.

Placing nets and bags over fruit not long after it sets has been the most effective means of preventing damage to my fruit.

In November, I will spray the apple and pear trees with kaolin and cover the whole orchard area with white bird netting. Although the QFF can climb through the holes of the nets, I hope that they won’t be attracted to the area because there is so much white there. Last year I worried about pollination as my bees won’t go through the net but it appears that I have plenty of other pollinators and everything under the nets produced a normal amount of fruit.

As the fruit season progresses, I will be keeping any ground cover under the fruit trees low so that I can see and pick up any fruit that falls. The smell of rotting fruit will attract QFF, not to lay eggs in but as a source of protein and sugar for them to feed on. Any windfalls or unhealthy fruit picked from the trees can be frozen for a few days or thoroughly boiled. After this, I either bury them or compost them in a container so that the flies can’t smell or access them.

Read Pam’s full article.

Yes, you did know

Last week, Jo Lech asked what steel raised garden beds would people recommend. Michaela Brown’s reply: “Birdies garden beds – hands down.”

An ‘official’ obituary of Dan Palmer

Adam Grubb has written a personal history of Dan Palmer. Adam and Dan were co-founders of Very Edible Gardens.

Kill the weeds?

Patsy and Paul Hemsworth suggest that you read this article about using plant-based foam to kill weeds.

Eat the weeds?

Here is an ABC video by newsletter reader Anna Matilda on some edible weeds that you can forage for.

Chickweed pesto

Courtesy of Very Edible Gardens, who suggest that you can replace basil with chickweed in any pesto recipe.

3 cups chickweed (Stellaria media) leaves
2 tablespoons sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca)
4 garlic cloves
1 cup macadamia nuts
½ cup olive oil
the juice and zest of ½ lemon
a splash of apple cider vinegar
a sprinkle of chilli (fresh, dried or sauce)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
a generous pinch of salt

Throw it all in a food processor and blend until it’s the consistency that you like.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the multiple choice quiz where you have to select which of the plants is native.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

If you’re not supposed to eat at night … why is there a light bulb in the fridge?

Read more jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Getting the most out of your vegetable garden; Thursday, 27th October, 11am-midday; free; Bulleen.

Steve, from The Edible Fence and Garden will talk about how to use companion planting to maximise crops while discouraging pests naturally.

Cheese and wine tasting evening with Gaëtan from Long Paddock Cheese; Friday, 4th November, 5-8pm; $59 ($20 per hour); Fitzroy.

Gaëtan, from Long Paddock Cheese, in Castlemaine will run you through how each cheese is made and why it has been paired with each wine. The chesses to be discussed include Silver Wattle, Driftwood, Banksia, Ironbark and Bluestone.

Spring Garden Festival; Saturday, 5th November, 11am-4pm; free; Coburg.

The festival will include: Spring planting; an Indigenous plant workshop; a food swap; a zero waste cooking workshop; a composting workshop; a seed library launch; live music; art activities; community group stalls; free seedlings; food; and coffee. This event is a collaboration between Grow Eat Together and Reynard Street Neighbourhood House.

An introduction to bee friendly urban beekeeping; Saturday, 5th November, 2-4pm; $20 ($10 per hour); Abbotsford.

Nic Dowse, founder of the Honey Fingers Collective, will discuss the basics of beekeeping, the essential tools and equipment needed, bee seasons and where best to place your beehive in an urban context. The presentation will include a hive inspection.

Heal with food – diabetes; Saturday, 12th November, 11am-1pm; free; Eltham.

Hollie Waters will discuss how, with the right foods, we can prevent, manage or reverse diabetes. This is one of a series of monthly talks by health professionals about using food as medicine. Organised by Green Karma.

Beeswax wraps; Saturday, 19th November, 3.30-5.30pm; $75 ($38 per hour); Panton Hill.

Jenna, from Peninsula Bees and Botanicals, will show you how to create your own beeswax wraps. You will make and take home a selection of small and medium sized wraps. Organised by Panton Hill Neighbourhood House.

Food tour at Alphington Community Food Hub; Sunday, 27th November, at 10-11am and again at midday-1pm; $20 ($20 per hour); Alphington.

Meet some of the local community of organisations working to strengthen urban agriculture and the local food system. Held during the Alphington Farmers Market, you will get a behind-the-scenes guided tour.

Beginning beekeeping course; Saturday, 3rd December, 9.30am-4pm; $260 ($40 per hour); Edendale.

What you will learn: getting started with backyard beekeeping; how to maintain a healthy hive, the wonders of swarms and how to keep them in check; and the wonders of pure raw honey and an understanding of honey extraction. Weather permitting, they will open a hive and have a hands-on demonstration working with hives. Take a packed lunch. Presenter: Benedict Hughes.

In-depth mushroom cultivation workshop; Saturday, 3rd December, 10am-4pm; $165 ($28 per hour); Alphington.

You will learn the growing methods for oyster mushrooms, including inoculation, sterilisation and be introduced to basic mycology. You will undertake practical sessions and learn how to start master cultures. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 5-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Organised by The Mushroomery.

Urban foraging; Saturday, 3rd December, 1.30-4pm; $85 ($34 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will help you find and identify a range of edible fruits, greens and flowers found in ‘wild’ urban spaces across Victoria. You will learn about the basic principles and protocols of foraging, and then move on to plant specifics. You will observe and interact with many types of fruit trees, edible green weeds and useful flowers. You will examine examples of trees bearing late summer fruit, and also be shown the physical features you can use to correctly identify useful trees even when they’re not fruiting. You will discuss the types of locations where you can hunt for wild edibles in the future, and finally how to safely prepare and enjoy eating many of the foods we find. Overall, there will be around 1-2km of walking over grassy terrain involved.

Basic inoculation workshop; Sunday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $87 ($44 per hour); Alphington.

You will get a hands-on go at inoculating your own mushrooms. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 2-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Organised by The Mushroomery.

In October
In November
In December
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Christmas gifts from your kitchen; Friday, 11th November, 7-9pm; $70 ($35 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Make and take home a jar of dukka, lemon butter and one of marinated cheese. Tutor: Jennifer. For an extra $10, bring up to 2 children with you. Organised by Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Sourdough bread making; Saturday, 12th November, 10am-12.30pm; $64 ($26 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Learn all the steps to make your own sourdough at home with this simple recipe. You will take home a sourdough starter and some home dough to bake. Take a 2 litre container with a lid and an apron. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Sourdough bread making; Saturday, 19th November, 9am-midday; $74 ($25 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn how to make sourdough bread. You will take home both a crusty loaf and your own sourdough starter. Tutor Jenna Farrington-Sear, who can also give you ongoing support and advice if you need it. Organised by Panton Hill Neighbourhood House.

Kombucha and kefir; Saturday, 19th November, 1-3pm; $55 ($28 per hour); Panton Hill.

Jenna, from Peninsula Bees and Botanicals, will show you how to make your own kombucha and kefir. Organised by Panton Hill Neighbourhood House.

Authentic Mexican; Saturday, 3rd December, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: Mexican cuisine; improve your culinary skills; and work with seasonal ingredients. Presenter: Matt Baker from Whe-Eat. Menu: blackened chicken thighs with quinoa; Mexican corn on the cob; Mexican white bait fritters tortillas with salsa crude; cactus and tomatillos salsa; crispy pulled pork carnitas; and dark chocolate mole.

In October
In November
In December
Regular classes

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