Oct 302014
 

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.

Oct 292014
 

Both Local Food Connect and Transition Banyule are running tours on the weekend of Nov 8 & 9. Details and booking details are below.

Greensborough/Diamond Creek Edible Garden Tour

10am-1pm Saturday November 8. This tour will only take 10 people.

Enjoy a guided tour of three gardens in Greensborough and Diamond Creek. The tour will begin at 10am in Greensborough and will finish at Diamond Creek at 1pm. At the first garden, a food swap will also be in progress in which tour participants are welcome to participate. Morning tea will be provided at the second garden. The tour is free, although a donation box for the Diamond Creek Thrive Community Garden may be offered at one garden. Here is a brief description of each garden. Bookings are essential.

Forest of Plenty

Begun two and a half years ago this suburban food forest, very close to the Plenty River in Greensborough, includes many fruit trees and perennial and annual food plants. The forest on a difficult, sloping site utilises gleaned neighbourhood mulch and lawn clippings along with compost and worm products produced from household organic waste. The key to this productive backyard food system is living soil!

The Garden of Plenty

The Garden of Plenty is a community garden attached to a public library in Greensborough. Many different groups covering all age groups have contributed to the development of this garden over the last few years. The garden includes wicking boxes, a worm farm and compost bin and a redeveloped lawn area. Water is captured using two different tank systems. The garden is the site for monthly food swaps, monthly garden club sessions and regular workshops with pre-school & school children. It is a popular space for visitors to the library to rest, relax or enjoy the produce.

Jenny’s food forest garden

Just 4 years ago, the front garden of this north facing Diamond Creek garden only had a large deciduous tree that died in the drought, lots of ivy and a few straggly shrubs. Now there are 13 fruit and citrus trees, nut bushes, kiwi vines, several varieties of berries and vegetables growing in this space, as well as natives and a variety of flowering plants. Around the back are 15 wicking boxes full of veggies, more fruit trees, grape and passionfruit vines, as well as chickens. Coffee and food scraps from a local café, plus green waste, is used to enrich the soil by being added to the compost bins.

Bookings are essential as there is a limit of 10. To book a spot on the tour, ring 0431 037810 or email info@localfoodconnect.org.au.

Banyule Edible Garden Tours, Sat 8 and Sun 9 November 2014

To celebrate the season of growth and renewal, Transition Banyule offers a series of tours of local gardens growing edible produce.

Bookings are essential. Groups will be limited to 10 people per tour, so don’t delay in booking your place. Cost per tour $10/$5, children free, includes lunch. Book online here or email info@transitionbanyule.org.au or phone Penny on 9459 4209.

Below are descriptions of the five tours offered so generously by local residents. Many thanks to all the garden hosts and tour leaders! Addresses will be supplied when you have registered.

Tour locations and dates*:

  1. Tour 1: Watsonia/Macleod, Saturday 8 November, 9.30am-2pm.
  2. Tour 2: Heidelberg Heights, Saturday 8 November, 9.30am-2pm.
  3. Tour 3: Ivanhoe, Sunday 9 November, 10.00am-2.30pm.
  4. Tour 4: Heidelberg West, Sunday 9 November, 10.00am-2.30pm.
  5. Tour 5: Ivanhoe/Heidelberg, Sunday 9 November, 10.00am-2.30pm.

* Each tour includes lunch at the third garden, which is in Heidelberg Heights on Saturday and in Heidelberg on Sunday.


Tour 1: Watsonia/Macleod Saturday 8 November 9.30am-2pm

Ian and Heidi’s Garden

With a flourishing mixed orchard (front and back: fruit, nuts, berries and vines) and vegie garden based on permaculture principles. It’s in the process of replacing an ornamental garden with one where there’s always something fresh to eat. Features include multi-grafted fruit trees, some uncommon varieties, simple berry propagation and bananas.

Mala’s Garden

A garden demonstrating how to get started growing food in small spaces, using no dig method, replacing weed trees with fruit trees and utilising limited space. A new garden that has become remarkably productive in just three years.

Murundaka’s Garden (includes lunch)

Over the last 3 years since moving in, the Murundaka community has developed the community garden and composting system and the chook yard. They have an abundance of seasonal produce to feed not only the residents, but also visitors, sometimes holding workshops teaching people how to cook from the garden as well as core gardening skills. This garden demonstrates the use of secondhand materials such as pallets and bathtubs and is self-sufficient in compost made from their kitchen scraps and horse poo from Viewbank (pony club). They keep chickens for eggs and have started raising meat birds too. The garden is still in development, with an orchard in its infancy.


Tour 2: Heidelberg Heights, Saturday 8 November, 9.30am-2pm

NB: These gardens are near enough to each other for this tour to be walked.

Sue’s Garden

Backyard garden with lawn and established fruit trees, vegetables, chooks and compost, adapted to minimise heavy garden work. Vegie garden focuses on permanent crops and raised beds. Garden also influenced by family history and the challenges of birds, tree roots, a new puppy and a play area for grandchildren, and a shading multi rebuild next door. A bit of a hotchpotch that feels good to live in.

Jonathan’s Garden

An ongoing (6 year), one person, transformation of what was a standard suburban yard into an edible landscape, with fruit trees, nuts, companion and medicinal plants, vegetables and chickens. A key feature being the raspberry “driveway” and large number of strawberry plants.

Murundaka’s Garden (includes lunch)

Over the last 3 years since moving in, the Murundaka community has developed the community garden and composting system and the chook yard. They have an abundance of seasonal produce to feed not only the residents, but also visitors, sometimes holding workshops teaching people how to cook from the garden as well as core gardening skills. This garden demonstrates the use of secondhand materials such as pallets and bathtubs and is self-sufficient in compost made from their kitchen scraps and horse poo from Viewbank (pony club). They keep chickens for eggs and have started raising meat birds too. The garden is still in development, with an orchard in its infancy.


Tour 3: Ivanhoe, Sunday 9 November, 10.00am-2.30pm

McKern’s Garden

A purposefully designed garden to enhance a back yard and at the same time provide fruit, herbs and general vegetables. Orchard, with greens and edible herbs under trees, berries and snow pears for screening and making a good brew. Raised vegetable plots.

Angie’s Garden

This garden began to combine established ornamentals with edibles over three years ago. The focus has been to create a garden that has both the pretty and the practical – edible. Within the garden there are 15 wicking beds. Some are made from apple crates and others have been built from recycled timber pallets. A variety of garden beds as well. There is an aquaponics system with the tank set inground. A chook run down one side of the house, with a chook house built around a loquat tree from recycled timber. There are over 30 fruit trees, many are espeliered and some are in pots. There are 3 rotating compost bins and three free standing. A variety of places to sit and enjoy each setting. All on a standard house block. Solar panels, water tanks, fish and frog ponds.

Robert and Mary’s Garden (includes lunch)

Entire back lawn replaced by a flourishing vegie garden and orchard designed using permaculture principles. Front garden filled with dry tolerant indigenous, ornamental and productive plants, and a demonstration aquaponics system. Look out for the asparagus bed, the bananas in a greenhouse and the avocados.


Tour 4: Heidelberg West, Sunday 9 November, 10.00am-2.30pm

NB: These gardens are near enough to each other to travel by bicycle.

The Blackwoods – a busy family’s occasionally maintained rambling edible garden

With the first of more than 50 fruit trees planted in 2008 this garden is an ongoing experiment in high density, low maintenance urban fruit and vegetable production. Features include sugar cane, water plants, honey bees, backyard chooks, worm farm, wicking bed under mature trees, raised gardens built from recycled materials and low pressure irrigation with tank water. One of a collective of eight households that make up an informal community nicknamed ‘The Hood’ where the care of a herd of milking goats is shared by number of families.

Hibi Farm

Winner of the 2012 Darebin & Banyule Council’s Sustainability Awards (Home & Garden category), The Hibi Farm is a suburban block converted into a thriving hub of sustainable living. Bicycles and bike trailers are used for transport. Front and back yards have become orchard and vegetable gardens including raised garden beds with tank-fed irrigation system. The keeping of milking goats, poultry and bees are a conscious step towards increased self-sufficiency.

Robert and Mary’s Garden (includes lunch)

Entire back lawn replaced by a flourishing vegie garden and orchard designed using permaculture principles. Front garden filled with dry tolerant indigenous, ornamental and productive plants, and a demonstration aquaponics system. Look out for the asparagus bed, the bananas in a greenhouse and the avocados.


Tour 5: Ivanhoe/Heidelberg, Sunday 9 November, 10.00am-2.30pm

NB: These gardens are near enough to each other to travel by bicycle.

Susan and Mario’s Garden

Susan and Mario have been growing fruit and vegetables for over 25 years at their home in Heidelberg/Ivanhoe (recently rezoned). Over time they have had to replace old fruit trees but continue to maintain a range of trees and vines dotted throughout the ornamental part of the backyard. As gardeners Mario and Susan believe in the maintenance of the soil as the key to good organic gardening and their fertile soil built up over decades is the key to their success. They have kept chooks for more than 10 years and consider them to be an integral part of their approach to recycling and soil improvement. Mario and Susan garden throughout the year and attempt to plant in stages for constant supply, they grow almost everything from seed and are self-sufficient in a range of vegetables for their family of five.

Ken and Jenny’s Garden

This fruit and vegie garden includes a number of large raised wicking beds and a variety of fruit trees; garden pond; compost bins; chicken yard and run. It illustrates what can be done in a short time using the wonderful VEG (Very Edible Garden) service.

Robert and Mary’s Garden (includes lunch)

Entire back lawn replaced by a flourishing vegie garden and orchard designed using permaculture principles. Front garden filled with dry tolerant indigenous, ornamental and productive plants, and a demonstration aquaponics system. Look out for the asparagus bed, the bananas in a greenhouse and the avocados.

Remember to book online here or email info@transitionbanyule.org.au or phone Penny on 9459 4209.

Oct 222014
 

Local food-related events

Local Food Q&A

Tonight, 7pm, The Common, Eltham. The local State candidates have been invited to tell if local food has a place within any of their party’ policies. We will be there to indicate to them how important this is in an age of reduced access to oil and climate change! Nick Rose from AFSA and Food Alliance will share with us some of his recent experiences of Urban Agriculture in North America and Argentina.

trophyPractically Green Sustainable Community Organisation Award

LFC was lucky to receive this award from the Shire’ Practically Green’ awards this week. We think it recognises the many achievements of individuals and groups within LFC over the last 5 years, including food swaps, community food plantings, increased awareness of and access to local food, increased production of food locally, recipe book production and the Eltham Farmers’ Market. Well done to you all.

Practical Green Festival

We enjoyed talking to many of you at the festival. Apted’ apples and pears were certainly popular, as was also the competition related to local producers, Congratulations to Terri Bakos, who won the hamper of locally produced foods.

Edible garden tours

Over the weekend of November 8 & 9, there will be several garden tours offering in both Banyule and Nillumbik. Please check the website in coming days for more details and booking information.

Other food activities/information

Australian agriculture must adapt to climate change

Peanuts have moved north, tuna has moved east, wine has moved south, but sooner or later, Australia is going to run out of places to shift agricultural production to avoid the harsh effects of climate change. You can read more here.

Tooboorac Food Forum

Last week a diverse group of people gathered to talk about food security in the Tooboorac area and surrounds. There are some videos of the event on Youtube at this address. LFC member Linda C is now living up in that area.

Oct 172014
 

Local food-related events

Local Food Q&A

The committee has invited candidates for the upcoming State elections to share with us their views on developing a local food economy and food security. Both Labor and The Greens party will be represented. Also, special news is the Nick Rose, from the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, will also attend and share with us some stories from his recently Churchill Scholarship funded trip to the Americas looking at Urban Agriculture.

Wednesday October 22, 7pm, The Common, cnr Pryor and Commercial Place, Eltham, $20 per head. Enjoy homemade dips and canapes.

Local beekeeping courses

Bob Owen will run beekeeping courses at Edendale on the last Sunday of the next two months. Check the details on his website.

Successful grant recipients for food projects in Banyule

Congratulations to the many hardworking folks in Banyule for developing a variety of projects and for gaining some funding from their local government. The projects include:

  • Montmorency’ Big Red, building on last year’ tomato project – increasing diversity and learning more about preserves.
  • Watsonia Library’ Community Garden.
  • Sustainable Macleod’s Organic Community Garden.
Banyule Gardeners’ Almanac

The new Banyule Gardeners’ Almanac is a great resource for gardeners in Banyule and surrounding areas. It provides gardening tips on soil, growing veggies from seed, dealing with common garden pests, attracting beneficial insects and a lot more. It also has a month by month listing of what to plant, key gardening tips and space to record your own gardening efforts, and is beautifully illustrated by local artist Felicity Gordon.The Almanac came about when a group of gardeners attending the Montmorency Food Swap, began recording what they planted and harvested each month and the key tasks they undertook on a seasonal basis. It’s on sale for $5 at the Eltham Farmers’ Market. Enquiries, call Julie on 0438 115853.

Macleod Organic Community Garden Working Bee

This Saturday, noon to 2pm. Removing rubbish, weeds and pruning trees. Take lunch and tools.

Local shops with local products

Those of you who have been using the Local Food Directory will probably know this, but others of you may be interested in which local shops stock more than one local product. Please let us know of others.

Name Number of local brands Local brands
Bolton Street Deli & Liquor 11 Caffe Strada; Chocolatier Australia; Healthybake; Hildebrand Grove; Lovegrove Vineyard & Winery; Marisa’ Kitchen; Paleta Artisan Popsicles; Red Box Vineyard & Winery; Under The Pickle Tree; Wedgetail Estate; Yarra Valley Tea Company
Little Organic Shop 7 Herbs to Home; Hildebrand Grove; Kylie’ Slow Dough; Panton Hill Estate Olives; Quists Coffee; Real Food Catering; The Mushroom Shed
Eltham Deli 4 Hildebrand Grove; Old Evropa; Under The Pickle Tree; Van Nunen Chocolates
Kangaroo Ground General Store 4 Kylie’ Slow Dough; Panton Hill Estate Olives; Under The Pickle Tree; Warrandyte Local Honey
Nillumbik Cellars 4 Kooinda Boutique Brewery; Lovegrove Vineyard & Winery; Panton Hill Estate Olives; Red Box Vineyard & Winery
Edes & Bibi – Organic & Fine Foods 3 Caffe Strada; Paleta Artisan Popsicles; Under The Pickle Tree
IGA Friendly Grocers Hurstbridge 3 Lovegrove Vineyard & Winery; Top Hundred Acres; Under The Pickle Tree
Zacks Gourmet Meats 3 Smoke and Roast; Under The Pickle Tree; Warrandyte Local Honey
Nature’ Harvest Hurstbridge 2 Hildebrand Grove; Under The Pickle Tree
Cooking demonstrations at the Eltham Farmers’ Market

any of you watched Michelle from Home Grown Catering cook a vegetable dish last Sunday, mainly from market purchases. What other cooking demonstrations would you like to see? Continue reading »

Oct 102014
 

Local food-related events

Tomato seedlings for sale

Stephen has about 80 potted tomato plants for sale (around 20-25 of each variety). They are about 30-12 cm tall and are available now. He will put them on tables in the 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.
  • Big Yellow – large yellow, long season, low acid.
  • Italian Plum – large flat slicing tomato, excellent flavour.
  • Pixie – medium red fruit on compact plant, no staking required.

Stephen Onians, 9438 6702, 0433 647920, 220 Ironbark Road Yarrambat Melways map 184 J 11.

fair food weekFair Food Week, October 10-19

Some activities at Eltham Farmers’ Market this Sunday:

  • Nicole Jones, dietician from Nillumbik Health will answer questions and bust some common myths.
  • There will be an inaugural Nillumbik Health Cooking Challenge.
  • Local cook, Michelle Hegarty from Home Grown Catering, will show us how to cook a simple healthy meal from produce sold at the market.
Special LFC Event – State Election Q & A

Wednesday Oct 22, 7pm, The Common, corner Pryor Street and Commercial Place, Eltham.

With the State election due, it is timely to bring our concerns about a local food economy and food security issues in general, to the local candidates. Steve Briffa, Leizl Shnookal and Vicki Ward will talk about their perspectives on local food and attendees will have a chance to ask questions. Commencing at 7pm, you will be provided with The Common’s homemade dips and canapes at a cost of $20 per head.

Gardening with Somalis in Heidelberg

The LFC team has been talking with the Somali community in Heidelberg West about some gardening opportunities.These projects may include assisting community members to establish food gardens in their homes, in a community garden or in planter boxes in community spaces. These ideas are exciting in terms of the potential they have to enrich the lives of the Somali women who would like to grow food as well as the cross cultural understandings they will encourage. If you are interested in joining this project please email Chris with your name and contact details.

Edible garden tour

We are planning a small local tour of three gardens in Greensborough and Diamond Creek on November 8. If interested, put the date in your diary and we will announce the details soon.

Small steps to a clean world

Subtitled ‘Food waste disposal, recycling and composting’ this small booklet was recently launched by the Olympic Education Centre in Heidelberg West. For more information, please contact Kathleen at kcranage53@hotmail.com.

Thrive Community Garden, Diamond Creek

Members of Thrive have taken possession of the land at 31 Watkins Street and plan to turn it into a community garden. The next working bee will be on Sunday October 26 at 10am and work will continue on building bays and brewing compost. For more information, email info@thrivecommunitygarden.org or seek out the Thrive stand at Practically Green Festival, Sunday October 19.

Cooking workshops

Over July and August, Carol ran a series of cooking workshops for men who had recently been bereaved. Over several weekly meetings at a fully equipped church kitchen in South Morang, the gentleman learned to cook simple but nourishing 3 course meals. After the cooking sessions they all sat down and enjoyed the food and even had leftover to take some home. It was such a success that the course is continuing later this year. Warm thanks go to Carol for her hard work and thoughtfulness in planning and presenting the lessons and for using as some of the ingredients, fresh produce picked from her own garden. Continue reading »