The 9 community planter boxes in Chute Street, Diamond Creek are now officially opened.
Thanks to Heidi for organising the event, to Felicity for doing some ceremonial stencilling and to Diamond Creek Primary School for participating.
Jun 262014
Jun 202014
Local food-related events
Local small food plant business looking for space in Nillumbik/Banyule
Richard writes: “We are looking to rent 100m2 to build a unheated hoophouse to grow seedlings using the soil block method. We trade under the name KABUU. It stands for Creating a Better World.
Our current project is making and growing soil block seedlings for sale to raise funds to start our 1st urban market garden. Soil blocks are a more sustainable alternative to plastic pots/punnets. Our seedlings are of high quality because they are grown in certified organic compost. We use inputs allowed for certified organic production. We do not use herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. If this interests you, please contact kabuu_richard@outlook.com.
KABUU’s main objectives are to create urban market gardens and community gardens on currently under-utilised spaces. This allows us to produce and supply hyperlocal, fresh, healthy and affordable food to communities. In turn, this creates green spaces and facilitates social interactions.“ Continue reading »
Jun 132014
Jun 132014
Local food-related events
Diamond Valley Library Community Garden
During or after the food swap this Saturday, the new planter boxes in the garden will be planted with edibles. Anyone available is invited to help with this exciting project. On Tuesday June 17 at 11:30am, Lucinda from Growing Green Solutions in Hurstbridge will be talking about sustainable gardening.
Diamond Creek Chute Street planter boxes
These boxes have been planted and are coming along well. There will be an official opening of the project on Monday June 23 at 10am at Deganis.
Fabbro Fields
2 Bell Street Eltham, opposite Eltham High, is officially now known as Fabbro Fields, in honour of the market gardener who worked the land for many years. There is a working bee there this Sunday, June 15, 10am-12pm, to plant many grasses shrubs and trees. The master plan includes potential for establishing a food growing area within the Fields. I think it is just waiting for those with time and energy to develop the project!
Edible flowers
Margy and Mary of “Flower Bird” are looking for growers to supply their business with organic and edible flowers and small berries. If interested, please contact them at flowerbirdflowers@gmail.com.
Olives from Panton Hill
This message may be late, but Lou from Diamond Creek is ordering olives to preserve from an olive grove in Panton Hill this week. He is happy to order for others who send him their email and phone details.
Community Garden project, Lower Plenty
Meeting Tuesday June 17, 7-9pm, at Amberley, 7 Amberley Way, Lower Plenty. See previous news for more details.
Other food activities/information
Fair Food Farmers’ United
Seymour is home to the annual Alternative Farm expo each February and the Food eXchange which I have referred to in recent posts. It is also the place where a group of farmers recently met and formed a group called Fair Food Farmers’ United (FFFU). FFFU is a chapter of Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance of which LFC is a member. The FFFU group is working to connect eaters and growers, while raising awareness of issues of sustainability and ethics in the food system.
Jun 062014
Local food-related events
More community planter boxes installed
Nine boxes have been established and planted out this week with herbs, vegetables and flowers in Chute Street Diamond Creek. For more information and photos see this post. Stay tuned for the official opening of the project.
Eltham Farmers’s Market this Sunday
Check this page for this week’s stallholders. Entertainment will be provided by Greensborough primary’s Marimba group from& 9:30 and later a young local singer.
Eltham SGA POD activity for neighbourhood gardeners
This Sunday, June 8, 2-4pm. Andre and Susan Obradovic have turned their large block into a very productive and charming garden. Jamie Spencers, a soil consultant, will share his secrets on building the healthy soil food web in which Andre’s veggies are thriving. Andre and Jamie turned clay and some good old fashioned compost, horse manure and rock dust into wonderful rich smelling soil. If you want to stay and give a hand with some work in the garden you will start to get a feel for how the garden functions. Wear your gardening clothes and bring something for afternoon tea. For more information: meredith@baag.com.au.
Workshops at Edendale
Fruit tree pruning are being held at Edendale, 1-4pm, June 14, 18, and 21.
Soil improvement, 10am -12pm, June 27.
Bookings at www.edendale.vic.gov.au.
Community gardens in Banyule
Three new community gardens starting:
- A new community garden is starting at the Bellfield Community Centre, corner of Oriel Road and Banksia Street.
- Another is starting at St John’s Anglican Church, Heidelberg. The initial community meeting will be held on site, Sunday June 15 11:30am, 1 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg.
- Produce with a purpose is a new garden forming at Amberley. A community meeting will be held Tuesday June 17, 7-9pm, at 7 Amberley Way, Lower Plenty.
Other food activities/information
New Senator elect attacking organic food
I am reluctant to give this man a voice, however I believe that it is best to know of a parliamentarian with such opposing views. He has taken aim at organic food production, which he describes as “less safe” than genetically-modified crops, and says “There’s quite a lot of cases where organic food has led to food poisoning, due to the use of manure.” He believes that “modern agricultural cropping involves a small amount of tillage, in some cases none at all, and the reason they can do that, is they spray the weeds with herbicides. That’s much better for the soil, it means less soil erosion, and more bacteria. Organic crop production systems often have to till the soil to control the weeds, and the potential for damaging the soil structure is greater. If you want more, listen to a Radio National interview here.
Jun 022014
At the behest of the Diamond Creek traders, 9 community planter boxes have now been installed in Chute Street, Diamond Creek. These are wicking beds and are part of a wider plan to install planter boxes around Nillumbik.
Thanks to David, Guy, Jenny, Liam, Nathan, Pam and Robyn for helping out with the planting, and to Dave and Charles from the CFA for filling the wicking beds with water.
Here are a few pictures of the recent planting session:[wp-flowplus dir=chute]