Sep 272013
 

Local food-related events

Eltham Farmers’ Market

At Tuesday’s Council meeting, Local Food Connect’s application for a ‘licence’ from Council to use the council-owned land in Commercial Place for a Farmers’ Market was considered (once we have agreement from a landlord we can then apply for a planning permit). We had submitted a lot of material to support our application, including numerous letters of support from local organisations. The Council Officers recommended that our licence application be approved. However, rather than consider our application directly, certain councillors chose to propose an alternative motion. The meaning of this alternative motion is not obvious but its net effect is to defer a decision on our licence application.

In the meantime, another site on private land has been offered to us. That site is the car park above the Eltham Mall. The prospect of working with a supportive landlord is very attractive.

Nillumbik Health

The planter box is now full of herbs and veggies thanks to a merry band of willing workers last Sunday. Let’s hope that the plants grow well in their shady position and are able to be shared by members of the community. If you are passing 917 Main Road Eltham any time, can you please check on the plants, see if they need water, nourishment or replacement, etc? There is a watering system attached. Please help yourself to the produce once the plants are grown.

Coffee grounds

Last week I mentioned that someone from Watsonia was looking to share grounds from a cafe. This week, there is a group in Diamond Creek looking for 1 or 2 people to share picking up of coffee grounds from a couple of cafes, especially on a Tuesday or Friday afternoon. If interested, please contact Jenny, phone 94381909. Not only does it save food waste from going to landfill, but it increases greatly the worm population in your compost.

How many lettuces to plant?

According to Clive Blazey in The Australian vegetable garden; what’s new is old, 33 oakleaf lettuces should see you through Summer and Autumn! In fact, a plot 4.2m by 10 m should feed a family of three for 12 months. Some other quantities suggested are 6 Tigerella tomato bushes, 2 Armenian cucumber plants, 6 heirloom capsicums, 100 western red carrots and 33 golden bantam sweet corn. See page 19 of the book for a full list.

Asparagus growers

Some beautiful asparagus spears are growing in the garden at the moment, however with the ever changeable weather, you need to check daily, if not at least every two days, in case they grow too tall!

asparagus

Other food activities/information

Festival of Ideas, Oct 1-6, Melbourne University

Sessions on Thursday October 3 are about Food and Nutrition and include: Developing a Love of Seasonal Fresh Food From Childhood with Stephanie Alexander and others; Eating Ourselves To Death; Feeding 10 Billion People and Sustaining The Planet; Imagine 2033, and How We Achieved A Healthy and Sustainable Post-Carbon World. Many sessions are free.

VicHealth’s Seed Challenge

The two winners of VicHealth’s Seed Challenge will each receive $100,000 to roll out their initiatives over the next 12 months, which will connect community members, farmers and fresh food distributors in an approach never tried in Victoria before. They are:

3000acres – by Planisphere

This initiative will use an online platform to connect people with unused urban, suburban and rural spaces for food gardens – providing access to land for people who can’t or don’t own it. The vision of 3000acres is that every resident in Melbourne will have access to the environmental and health benefits of growing spaces within easy walking distance of home and work. By 2050, neighbours working together will create hundreds of community gardens, mini-parks, urban farms and green markets.

Open Food Network – by the Open Food Web Foundation (includes Eaterprises)

This initiative aims to grow a network of local food markets online, reducing barriers to trade for local producers and consumers. Online marketplaces for local and regional food will make it easier for farmers, consumers and independent food enterprises to connect, trade and manage their business. Ultimately the community will have easier access to affordable local food.  The idea is to put control over food back into the hands of farmers, the community and local enterprises.

Congratulations to the winners!

Sep 202013
 

Local food-related events

Nillumbik Health’s community planter box

Recently a dear friend said to me, of the planned Nillumbik Health street planter box; “what if someone tips something on the plants?”. I think Mike Eggert gives an appropriate response in Urban foraging; uncovering the secret fruits of the city ! Come down to 917 Main Road on Sunday morning, from 10am and listen to people’s views on community gardening and share in the working bee to create the fresh food garden. If you cannot make it on Sunday, please visit the garden at any time, pick a bit, plant a spare veggie seedling or water the garden!

Tomato plants

Don’t forget that local grower Stephen Onians is selling tomato plants from this Saturday at his property in Yarrambat. Details were in last week’s LFC News.

Excess lemons

If you have any lemons to spare please contact Giuliana, parent at Briar Hill Primary school. They will be making lemonade for the school fair in October.

Apples

Students in the Stephanie Alexander kitchen garden program at Montmorency Primary School this week enjoyed apples from Apted’s Orchard, Cottlesbridge. What a great low mileage connection!

Coffee grounds

Are you concerned about coffee grounds going to landfill? Why not approach your local cafe and arrange to collect the grounds on a regular basis. Members of Thrive in Diamond Creek are collecting from a couple of cafes. Margot is looking for others to share in collecting grounds from Cruze Lounge, 78 Nepean St Watsonia. If interested, reply to this email and I shall pass it on.

Eltham Farmers’ Market

We are very excited that LFC is very close to launching a Farmers’ Market in Eltham. We have submitted an application to Nillumbik Council seeking to run a twice monthly farmers’ market in Eltham’s Commercial Place. The application goes to council next Tuesday 24th September.

Farmers’ markets have grown rapidly in popularity over recent years as people become more conscious of the importance of choosing healthy local food options and of supporting the farmers that grow their food. We see supporting our local producers as an important part of our mission and an Eltham Farmers’ market will be a great plus for local growers.

After considering many options with council officers, the LFC application seeks to run the market in Commercial Place on two Sundays a month. LFC spokesman Guy Palmer said “This is probably the best site we could have, as it is in the middle of the Eltham town centre making it very accessible for shoppers. It also maximises the benefit to local traders by generating increased clientele on what is normally a quiet day.” We have been overwhelmed by community support for the project. Those offering support include: local MP Steve Herbert; The Eltham Chamber of Commerce; The Nillumbik Tourism Association; The Friends of Nillumbik and local growers such as Lesley Apted & Son who grow apples and pears in Strathewan. Traders adjacent to the market can also see the benefit to their businesses and are keen to see the market commence.

LFC will ensure that produce is as local as possible and encourage Nillumbik growers in particular. As part of our plan, LFC intends to include other community activities that promote interest and appreciation of the importance of local food such as food swaps for home growers.Following a positive council decision on Tuesday, a planning application will be required and the market start date is likely to be in early 2014.

Please contact your local Nillumbik councillor(s) to tell them why it is important they support this project.

Food cooperative in the Eltham Research area

A couple of people have enquired if there are any existing food co-ops in the Eltham Research area. Do you know of one? Or are you interested in joining with a few others to create one?

Other food activities/information

The love and peas revolution

Read about other street planter boxes around the world here: “…replacing geraniums and petunias in public areas with rhubarb, carrots, parsley, strawberries, and raspberries. As a result of all this effort, people not only enjoy eating fresh and locally produced food, but they also experience sustainability and science!”

Polyface Farm

Those of you who are fans of Joel Salatin may like to see these photos of his property and the fun that people were having. Our local equivalent of this style of farming is Taranaki Farm.

World Food Day October 16

Sustainable food systems for security and Nutrition is the theme this year. Nutritionists say “eat a variety of foods”.

Sep 132013
 

Local food-related events

Harvest Month and Home Harvest Feast 2014

Discussions are well underway for the planning of Harvest Month in March next year. As well as encouraging home growers to grow a little extra food, we are hoping to interest other community groups to run a harvest theme with their meetings during March. Do you have any activities in mind that interest you?

Community garden planting

We are very excited to be planting herbs and vegetables in Nillumbik Health’s planter box (in Main Street Eltham) on September 22, starting with a talk on community gardening at 10am. We would love you all to come along, although after the talk and a cuppa we will have to limit the hard work to about a dozen (just because of space). We have had generous donations from Bulleen Art & Garden, Edendale, and Stephen Onians and are delighted to be working with Nillumbik Health, SGA Eltham POD and NERP on this project. We would love to see regular ongoing support from locals or those passing through Eltham, to share the produce, re-plant, water, etc. This garden produce will be available to share with the general public as well as participants in Nillumbik Health activities.

Other food activities/information

Tomato seedlings

Stephen Onians is offering unusual tomato seedlings for sale again this year on Sep 21. He has around 140  potted tomato plants for sale (around 20-25 of each variety).

They are about 15cm tall now. He intends to make them available on Saturday the 21st of September onwards. They should be 18-22cm tall by then. He will put them on tables in his car park area. Please help yourself to the plants and leave the money in the security box provided. Price: $2.00 each pot.

Varieties:

  • Kotlas – red , very early, good for cool climates.
  • Peruvian sugar lump – very sweet red cherry, tall growing.
  • Big Yellow – large yellow, long season, low acid.
  • Italian Plum – large flat slicing tomato.
  • Olomovic – a prolific producer of small to medium, red globe shaped fruit to 150g.
  • Jaunne Flamme – this old French variety gives early crops of apricot-coloured fruits the size of a golf ball or slightly larger.  It is a fabulous fresh-eating tomato with an explosive, intense flavour.

Stephen Onians      94386702   0433647920  220 Ironbark Road, Yarrambat   Melways  map 184 J 11

Another lot of potted seedlings will be available in six weeks time.

Varieties:

  • Megatom – red, the name says it all.
  • 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.
  • Pixie- Stephen’s favourite, medium red fruit on compact plant, no staking required.
Sep 052013
 

Local food-related events

Food Swaps

Rivers of Yarrambat have re-branded their swap as Rivers Community Produce Exchange. This weekend, there will be a broccoli soup making demonstration after the exchange. For more information, see the website.

Community planting, Eltham

On Sunday September 22 there will be a community planting activity at Nillumbik Health, Main Street, Eltham. After a talk on community gardening at 10am, we will be planting herbs and veggie greens in the current planter box . This is a joint activity with SGA, NERP, Nillumbik Health, Veggie Empire, Edendale and LFC. If you are unable to attend on the day but wish to take part, let me know as there will be a small amount of ongoing maintenance required – watering, re-planting, harvesting, etc that we will need to take care of.

Local cafe using local produce

Tanck’s Corner is a busy cafe in Yarrambat run by a young couple Sue and Chris. They are sourcing good local produce for their menu and are interested to hear from anyone who can supply a consistent and reasonable quantity of local produce. It was interesting to hear that distribution of local produce can be a difficulty to overcome. This was an issue raised in the Local Economy Q & A that LFC ran in March. They can be contacted on 9436 1700.

Whole larder love

Eltham Library have Rohan Anderson talking about his healthier lifestyle on Monday Sep 16, 7pm-8:30pm. Bookings 9439 9266.

SAKGP

Montmorency Primary are looking for a cooking teacher for their Stephanie Alexander kitchen program. Call the school for more information.

Other food activities/information

Transition

It is interesting to read that some people in government around the world are beginning to realise that Economic growth is an outdated model and are looking at the Transition model. Here is a story from Rob Hopkins about a recent conference in Paris.

The Art of Fermentation

Pickles, sourdough, cheese, yoghurt, kimchi, sour cream, miso as well as beer and wine. Have you ever thought of making these from scratch but have no idea where to start? Sandor Katz is coming to Melbourne in February, 21 -23, to hold talks and workshops on fermentation.

Tecoma Flashmob at McDonald's

This You Tube video is well worth seeing and supporting. Magnificent singing!