LFC News October 25 2023

Oct 252023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Claire Smith, Hayden Marks, Jennie Ramage, Jules Jay, Lee Ann Balcam and Susan Palmer.

Ann Stanley visits Rushall Community Garden

[Ann, who is both a regular contributor to this newsletter and the host of The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show, has decided that she is going to visit a number of the community gardens in North East Melbourne and write up the results for this newsletter. Would you like Ann to visit your community garden? If so, email us.]

[Ann’s first visit was to Rushall Community Garden in Fitzroy North. Read her full writeup on our website, a shortened version of which is given below.]

Rushall Community Garden is well planned. The spring crop is lush and beautiful in irregular-shaped beds with close plantings of healthy silverbeet, fennel, asparagus and every other spring thing. There is a large water-tank, a tidy composting system, thriving worm farms, and a propagation area, all separated with neat paths. There are both individual allotments and space for communal gardening projects.

Lyn, one of the gardeners, told me how it worked and this gave me a sense of how the garden is managed. Lyn put herself on the waiting list several years ago and spent the long wait volunteering in working bees and in the public areas just outside the fence until, eventually, she had the opportunity to share a plot with another member. That’s when her own food growing started. Seeing plants grow from seed into food has given her much joy ever since.

There are communal plots as well as individual ones and Lyn explains that taking from these works on an honour system, which is the case also for taking fruit from the fruit trees. “People help themselves. Any surplus is put outside the fence for passers-by from the local community to take.”

She explains that the Committee oversees the buying in of products such as mushroom compost and manure, which are then made available for use. This ensures that the garden stays organic and “there is some control over what comes in.” The worm castings are similarly distributed once they are ready for members to use.

Lyn explained that members can join smaller groups to take charge of different parts of the garden management. There is the compost group, the seed-raising group, the group that looks after the communal beds and the ‘wormies’ group, in charge of the worm farm. Members can be part of these groups whether or not they have a plot themselves.

Michelle Edwards and Kathy Chambers are the current convenors of Rushall and Michelle explained, “There’s lots of ways of being involved. We have a committee of 10-12 people and each one of the committee members with also take care of one part of management of the garden.”

While acknowledging that some compromises have had to made because the garden is in an urban environment, Michelle says, “There is so much to be joyful about. We’ve got lots of insect life, lots of bird-life. It’s a nice little pocket away from the urban world. To come up here with the open sky, without the big buildings around you, is just amazing.”

[Read the full writeup of Ann’s visit on our website.]

Melbourne Bushfood’s bush food of the month – Tasmanian pepperberry or mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata)

[The material below is a summary of material from the Melbourne Bushfood website. Melbourne Bushfood sells a wide range of bush foods (both the foods themselves and the plants) which you can buy either online or at their shop at 49 Sparks Avenue, Fairfield, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm.]

Both the leaves and the berries of the Tasmanian pepperberry have a strong peppery taste and can be used as a replacement for regular black pepper. As such, when dried they are used as a spice and pair well with curries, cheese, salad dressings and sauces, giving them a spicy flavour. The berries were also used traditionally as medicine to cure skin diseases.

The plant is dioecious (separate male and female plants) so you will need both male and female plants to obtain harvest berries.

The plant is an evergreen shrub which grows up to 3 metres tall. It has yellow/creamy white flowers that turn into red berries that then darken as they ripen. It grows best in part shade and is also suitable for growing in pots.

Melbourne Bushfood sell a variety of pepperberry products including pepperleaf spice, pepperberry spice, pepperberry syrup and pepperberry & strawberry jam.

Yes, you did know (sort of)!

Last week, Suzy Georges asked where she could buy some mesophilic starter culture and organic animal rennet. Three of you responded:

The last Fabbro newsletter

As you will know from previous newsletters, Nillumbik Council recently voted 3:2 to refuse Local Food Connect permission to submit a planning application for establishing an urban farm at 2 Bell Street, Eltham. If you want to know more about the project’s history, read the Fabbro bulletin that was distributed yesterday.

Think your community garden should win an award?

Community Gardens Australia have introduced some community garden awards. The community garden categories are: community champion, bush tucker garden, sustainability champion, biodiversity champion and permaculture champion. The individual categories are community gardener of the year and young community gardener of the year. The closing date for nominations is 31st October. Read more and potentially nominate.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On this upcoming Sunday’s episode, Ann Stanley will chat with David Holmgren, co-originator of permaculture, about the recently premiered film, Reading Landscape. Reading Landscape is a collaboration between David, the late Dan Palmer, and filmmaker Dave Meagher. In the film, David ‘reads’ the landscape in his bioregion around Hepburn in Central Victoria. In so doing, he shows us how to connect with the places that are local to us, using our five senses, restoring us to a more natural relationship with the land that feeds us in so many ways.

Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Audio recordings of previous episodes are available on their website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Leila Alexandra’s upcoming open garden days (on Sundays, 12th and 26th November, both 10-11.30am..

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

Two visual jokes this week, both submitted by Susan Palmer.

    

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Hurstbridge Hub community garage sale; Saturday, 11th November, 10am-2pm; free; Hurstbridge.

There will (hopefully) be lots of sellers in the one place, with live music and a sausage sizzle. If you would like sell some of your own stuff, book your stallholder place at a cost of $10.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Pasta love with Jaclyn Crupi and Pieross; Wednesday, 1st November, 6.30-8pm; $75; Eltham.

Author Jaclyn Crupi and Chef Pieross show how to make, eat and celebrate pasta like an Italian nonna at a celebratory dinner. The evening will include a pasta making demonstration, a copy of the book Pasta love and dinner comprising pasta featured in the book, a glass of wine and dessert. Organised by Eltham Bookshop.

Local producers night (gin); Friday, 10th November, 7-9pm; $90 ($45 per hour); Eltham.

Hillmartin, Imbue, Kinglake and Naught distilleries are joining forces for an evening to offer a selection of 8 cocktails, 2 crafted by each distillery. The ticket includes two dishes and the opportunity to savour three cocktails of your preference.

Tequila masterclass; Friday, 10th November, 7-10pm; $54 ($18 per hour); Croydon.

John Raphael will take your through six tequillas with three matching cocktails. There will also be a drink on arrival.

Farm Raiser tour, working bee and lunch; Sunday, 19th November, 10am-3pm; free; Bellfield.

The session will start with a tour of the farm. There will then be a working bee, with a break for lunch. The working bee will include planting, weeding, fencing and worm farming and there will be a variety of tasks for a variety of different abilities. They will provide the lunch but feel free to take something to share. Organised by Farm Raiser.

In October
In November
In December
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Gingerbread house for adults; Friday, 8th December, 6-9pm; $69 ($23 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will show you how to bake, then build the house then ice and decorate the house with lollies. You will take home the finished product. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Festive preserves; Saturday, 9th December, 10am-1pm; $81 ($27 per hour); Forest Hill.

You will be making two preserves, namely mango peach preserve and tomato and fresh herb preserve. Take your own recycled jars.

Christmas cookie creations; Saturday, 9th December, 10am-2pm; free; Kilsyth.

Bake and decorate a batch of festive cookies for Christmas. Take an apron and reusable container to take your goodies home. Organised by Japara Living & Learning Centre.

Feta masterclass; Sunday, 10th December, 10am-3pm; $240 ($48 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to make feta. You will take home what you make. Presenter: Kristen Allan.

Gingerbread house for children; Saturday, 16th December, 10-11.30am; $53 ($35 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will show you how build the house with gingerbread panels that she has baked, then ice and decorate the house with lollies. You will take home the finished product. All children will need to be accompanied by an adult. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

In October
In November
In December
Regular classes

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