Local food-related events

St Andrews Market

Held each Saturday morning, this is a good opportunity to catch up with good food and other goodies at this local icon of Nillumbik.

Natural soil improvement

Rachel Bishop is leading this free workshop on Saturday May 31, 2-4pm at Edendale. Bookings required at 9433 3711.

Workshops in August in Heidelberg

Mikoto of Murundaka in Heidleberg West, has arranged two free workshops in August that you may wish to put in your diary! Bookings essential, email mikotoaraki@gmail.com.

• Sunday 3rd August 1 – 4pm, Rocket Stove Workshop with Aaron Shipperlee, a graduate architect with passion in sustainability and appropriate technology. Rocket stoves are highly efficient wood fired cooking stoves used in developing countries, easy to make with recycled materials.
• Saturday 23rd August, 1 to 4pm, Foraging Workshop. Learn about edible weeds, bush foods, ornamental edibles (garden plants with edible parts) and other plant uses – fibre for baskets, string etc. With Michelle Yang, who is a horticulturist with passion for primitive skills.

Other food activities/information

Gardening With Soul movie

Gardening With Soul is an endearing and optimistic film focussed on 90-year-old nun Loyola, who is the main gardener at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington. Loyola’s garden becomes a symbol of her dedication to nurture all living things. Both her garden and her charitable life work, are an inspiration to what is possible with faith, vision and dedication. The film is premiering at cinemas in Melbourne from May 29 onwards.

The Localising Food Project

Read about this New Zealand project which aims to facilitate the enrichment of local food resilience and the empowerment of communities.

Local food-related events

Wicking bed workshop

Tuesday, May 20, at Diamond Valley Library, 11:30am -12:30pm. Kat Irwin will demonstrate how to set up the wicking beds with help from participants. The Diamond Creek Men’s Shed folks have already been preparing the boxes.

Gardening and permaculture talk

This Sunday, May 18, 2-4pm at Drew and Angie’s place in Wattle Glen.

This is an Eltham POD event, so please contact Meredith on 9439 8750 or 0438 398750 for more details if you wish to attend.

Supporting our farmers

I heard an interesting story recently of a local lady who lives next door to a vegetable farmer. The lady buys the farmer’s produce from the organic store in town. When asked by the shopkeeper why she didn’t just visit her neighbour and buy direct from him, she said “I know he would insist on me taking the veggies for free. This way, he is getting a fair price for his produce and hence an income with which to maintain his farm, buy new equipment, etc”.

Another of our local farmers has begun a scheme whereby a group of farmers local to her are donating a small amount of produce each week to a box scheme to help a small number of families going through hard times. This same farmer is working with other parents at her daughter’s secondary school to convert the canteen to only supplying organic food to the students.

Other food activities/information

Food Alliance celebration

Thursday, June 5, 2014 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm, Drill Hall, 26 Therry Street, Melbourne.

The Food Alliance invites you to join them in celebrating a year of exciting food initiatives that they and others have undertaken in Victoria. The night will feature some lightning talks from their partners as well as drinks, nibbles and networking. The talks will be followed by plenty of time to meet and share with one another other inspiring food related activity that is happening. They welcome you to bring along posters, flyers or any information you would want to share with others, to put on display. Please register quickly so you don’t miss out. Should you have any questions about the evening, please contact Kathy McConell on 0403 010677.

Free Trade Deal with Japan

As you may be aware, Australia has signed a ‘free trade deal’ with Japan. The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance argues: “As Japan is a net importer of food, the trade barriers and tariffs that Japan has in place are there to protect her own farmers and food sovereignty. If trade is meant to be mutually beneficial, how does the reduction in tariffs benefit Japanese farmers? It doesn’t. A very small minority of Australian farmers might benefit from this trade agreement, but the bulk of Japanese farmers will suffer. There is no mutuality or reciprocity in this trade agreement, other than the vague and untested assertion that ‘consumers will benefit’.”

Local food-related events

Local Food Act talk – change of date

Unfortunately our speaker Nick Rose cannot make it on Wednesday May 7. We have changed the meeting to Thursday May 8, 6.45pm for 7pm at Nillumbik Health, 917 Main Road, Eltham. I will also inform of the change on our Facebook page.

Nick has been talking with the Department of Agriculture so will have information to share. He will talk about a proposed series of reforms covering the areas of planning; producer profitability; food security; health, well-being and education; urban agriculture, training and employment; and local economic development, so come along and have your say too!

Please register for the evening so that we can pass on some information sent by Nick and have adequate nibbles to share! RSVP Robyn at info@localfoodconnect.org.au or Guy, LFC phone, 0416 203067. Continue reading »