Local food-related events
Local edible garden tours November 8 & 9
What a weekend this will be for those of you who love to look at others’ gardens and share gardening ideas. Both LFC and Transition Banyule are running tours, LFC only on Saturday and TB on both days. The details of each can be found here. Booking is essential for all tours and only 10 bookings will be taken for each tour.
Urban agriculture
Nick Rose from Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance and Food Alliance (Victoria) was one of our special guests at our Local Food Q & A held last Wednesday evening at The Common in Eltham. Around 50 people were able to hear about Nick’s Churchill Scholarship funded tour of Argentina, Detroit and Toronto and what urban agriculture projects are occurring there. Because it was a Fair Food Week celebration, Nick also talked about “fairness” – fair prices for farmers, for land, for workers, for animals and the community in general, and for fair regulations so that farmers aren’t competing with cheap imports.
Our other two special guests, Vicki Ward, Labor candidate and Liezl Shnookal, Greens candidate, each indicated support for local food. In brief, if elected Vicki will urge more agriculture and horticulture training at a local level and believes it is very important to know the source of one’s food. Liezl indicated that the Greens understand climate change and the effect on food growing and would legislate against cruel animal practices, make it clear what “free range” means and restrict junk food advertising.
Food Swaps
Food swaps are a fun way for home gardeners to get together, talk about their passion for growing some of the family’s food and share any excess produce that they have. There are one or more on each weekend at various venues as shown in the LFC calendar. Please support the efforts of the organisers, grow a little more to share and take part in this community sharing event.
Bee swarms
It is the time of the year hen bees are more likely to swarm. Contact your local beekeeper at www.BeeRescue.com.au and he will recycle your swarm into a productive hive. Also will rescue hives from houses, avoiding pest control measures.
Food waste avoidance workshop
A Banyule Council grant supported workshop at Murundaka CoHousing, Bamfield Road, Heidelberg Heights. Thursday December 4, 2014, 6pm-8:30pm. This is a free workshop for residents of Banyule and Darebin presented by Emma Dean. Bookings are essential here.
2014 Darebin Backyard Harvest Festival
Presented by Darebin City Council in partnership with Darebin Ethnic Communities, the Backyard Harvest Festival runs from 9 – 23 November in a celebration of home food-growing traditions from around the world. This is your chance to tour over 16 impressive home gardens around Darebin and participate in 7 great workshops, covering everything from chicken keeping, fruit tree selection and care, composting to aquaponics.
Darebin’s Backyard Harvest Festival is FREE for Darebin residents and only $10 per event for Non-Darebin residents. Registrations are essential as numbers are limited so book early. There is a 4 event limit per person. Home garden locations are provided at the time of booking. For more information and to register on-line visit www.darebin.vic.gov.au/backyardharvest.
Other food activities/information
Country of origin labelling
Australian vegetable growers support the Victorian Farmers’ Federation calling for authorities to tighten the law against incorrect labelling. Read more.