Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Eliza McCumstie, Fay Loveland, Hui Ouliaris, Jon Buttery, Keryn Johnson, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong, Sue Sedelies, Trish Kent and Vanessa Shribman.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. The material can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

Re-opening plans

As most of you will know, the lockdown was eased in 22nd October and will be eased further in early November. Some local food organisations have already responded by re-activating their activities. Here is the current situation as far as I can make out.

• A few, but only a few, food swaps have re-started. These include: Blackburn North and Hurstbridge
• A few, but only a few, community gardens have re-opened. These include: Northcote Library, Pentridge and West Brunswick.
• Quite of lot of the events deferred because of the lockdown have now been re-arranged for November or December (as listed later in this newsletter).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.

Saturday: Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Organic versus inorganic fertiliser (by Robin Gale-Baker)

The fundamental difference between organic and inorganic fertiliser is their source. Organic fertilisers are derived from living things, including plants, animals and manures, while inorganic are synthetically derived chemicals plus minerals from the earth.

The main active components of all fertilisers are the three macronutrients that all plants need (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium or N:P:K) plus some micronutrients which are minerals, also known as trace elements. The table below sets out the sources for these components for both organic and inorganic fertilisers.

Component	Sources for organic fertilisers	Sources for inorganic fertilisers
Nitrogen	Mostly derived from animal manure	Mostly from petroleum
Phosphorus	Mineral sources such as rock dust, colloidal phosphate or bone or fish meal	Rock phosphate treated with sulphuric acid which then converts to other substances and finally to superphosphate or via other processes to triple superphosphate
Potassium (potash)	Wood ash, kelp, greensand (ancient seabeds) and compost	Potash ores such as kainit and sylvanite

Those favouring organic fertilisers say that the advantages include:

• The slow release of nutrients.
• The addition of organic material to the soil.
• The resulting ability of the soil to retain moisture.
• Sequestering carbon into the soil.
• It is made from renewable, rather than finite, resources.
• The fact you can produce your own by making compost.

Proponents of inorganic fertilisers (which include many companies producing it and many broad acre farmers) argue that the advantages include:

• High in nutrients.
• Quick release and this results in quicker uptake and growth.
• The exact amount of nutrient needed can be measured and used (no under or over feeding).
• They are less bulky, saving money in transport and spreading costs.

Organic growers argue that, whilst inorganic fertilisers give plants nutrients, they do not build soil fertility, biomass or contribute to moisture retention. They also point to loss of soil through erosion by wind and water when soil is ploughed and bare, the build up of chemical toxicity in the soil from repeated applications, and the degradation of soil long term. Regenerative farmers – 12% of Australian farmers – argue that what makes their farms viable is that they do not have to spend anything on buying fertilisers. Keeping the soil under a cover crop throughout the year, as they do, also builds biomass in the soil and moisture retention for only the cost of the initial cover crop. (Regenerative farmers plug seedlings into the cover crop so that the cover crop roots are always left in while the above ground growth is slashed and pushed back down into the soil mechanically).

Inorganic growers say that organic inputs are too inexact as they are not measurable, result in slow growth, require microbial activity to break them down for plant uptake, and are too bulky and expensive to transport to use on large areas.

As I mentioned in my article last month on seaweed tonics and liquid fertilisers, manufacturers often try to have it both ways – or both markets, you might say, i.e. organic and inorganic – so don’t be taken in by a fertiliser that has ‘organic’ incorporated into its name, e.g. ‘prorganics’ (a name I have made up), as this is to mislead. The packaging needs to state that an organic product is a ‘Certified organic’. There will always be some organic matter in any inorganic fertiliser (the minerals) but this does not make it ‘organic’. Strangely, it does not seem to work the other way: I’ve never seen an organic product presented as an inorganic one.

My peas and the cockatoos (by Pam Jenkins)

[A few weeks ago, we had a discussion about how to deter cockatoos. Pam Jenkins, from Diamond Creek, has now contributed to the debate.]

Earlier this year, cockatoos reduced the height of my climbing peas to the size of dwarf peas. My initial response was to cover the peas with nets but the peas continued to grow and started getting tangled in the nets. Then the wind got stronger and the nets started damaging the pea tips so I decided to dispense with them. I hoped that, by then, the cockatoos would have lost interest. But they were back and into mischief within the hour!

So, onto my next solution. Remembering that floppy top fences can keep possums at bay, I wondered if something unstable to land on might keep the cockatoos away. I folded some chicken wire to form a rough tube shape and loosely tied it above the wooden frame supporting my peas (see the photo). Hooray! No problems since then.

Jon’s podcast of the week

Watch this video, which is a lecture rather than a podcast. The subject is soil biology and the material includes nitrogen-fixing microbes and the importance of multiple species to promote diversity in cover crops.

Julian Fang, departing manager of Alphington Farmers’ Market, has recommended three podcasts in the latest newsletter from Melbourne Farmers Markets:

• One bite by Xavier Calluaud, which explores the work of various Australian influencers (Costa Georgiadis, Alice Zaslavsky, Tammi Jonas, etc) on changing the food system.
• Dirty linen by Dani Valant.
• Cooking the books by Robbie Bell, who is part of local food producer City Larder.

Do you know?

Get your thinking caps on and your typing fingers at the ready because we have a lot of questions this week.

Herbicide in compost

Eliza McCumstie writes in: “I first encountered herbicide in bought compost a few years ago and lost all my tomatoes. It was devastating and no one seemed to know much about it. This year, I used a certified organic compost to pot my tomatoes up and it’s happened again (see photo), where I used Angelo Eliades’ article on how to identify and treat herbicide contamination of commercial soil, compost and manure to diagnose the problem. I thought I’d be safe with a certified organic product but unfortunately that was not the case. It’s such a waste of effort when you put all the time into growing seedlings only to have to throw them away. Whilst I make my own compost, it is not enough for all my garden beds and I need the convenience of a ready-made product for growing seedlings. So, my question is this: can anyone recommend a safe and trustworthy source for compost?” Email your replies.

What’s eating the passionfruit?

Vanessa Shribman asks: “Can anyone suggest how to protect passionfruits? I only had 3 ripe ones last year although there were many green ones which mysteriously disappeared. The same critter took large bites out of the tomatoes. Possums or rats? Any suggestions?” Email your replies.

What’s attacking the plums?

What is attacking Trish Kent’s plums (see the photo) and how should she treat it? Email your replies.

Foodbank’s annual Hunger Report

“The Foodbank Hunger Report is an annual spotlight on food insecurity in Australia bringing together Foodbank’s research and on-the-ground information and observations.” Read their 2021 report (32 pages). Read their website overview of the report

Bundoora Park Community Garden

“The team at the farm have been working hard to improve our community gardens during the lockdown, so Gardener Stacy thought she’d take you on a tour.” Watch the video (3 minutes).

Some suggestions from Chris Kent

Got a loquat tree?

If you have a loquat tree, you know that its fruit will be ripe in November and that you are quite likely to have much more fruit that you can use.

According to ABC News, Melbourne fruiterer Thanh Truong wants to buy your excess loquats. If you think you have at least 4Kg surplus, direct message him on Instagram.

Want to watch some free films?

Kanopy is a website where anyone with a library card can watch up to 6 films per month for free. Chris Kent recently used it to watch Seed: The Untold Story, which is a film about the importance of heirloom seeds to the agriculture of the world, focusing on seed keepers and activists from around the world.

Meg’s garden this month

The rain has filled the tanks and there are now deep puddles around the veggie beds. It is still too early on our south-facing block to pot up the seedlings that we have started indoors but summer is on its way with the Spring blossom on the pears and apples setting to tiny fruits in the past week or so. The cool weather and rain has ensured that the cos lettuce is full hearted and delicious and that the spinach is yet to run to seed.

We have recently been trialling mushroom kits (with great success). The current kits are much improved over the old Styrofoam box kits that I have dismally failed with in the past. We have successfully grown both Shitake and Oyster mushrooms (see photo) in a large clear box in our bathroom. The family has missed hunting for field mushrooms this year with Grandma at the farm, but watching them grow has been fascinating. I did manage to obtain Grandma’s recipe for her breadcrumb topping for field mushrooms (it would be good on a slow roasted tomatoes too).

This month I am:

1. Counting down the days until we can head to finally see the grandparents on the farm.
2. Harvesting the last of the Emperor mandarins (this large variety takes a long time to ripen in Melbourne).
3. Trying to sort the various unlabelled cucurbit seedlings from one another.
4. Telling myself to wait until the threat of frost has passed before planting them out.

Breadcrumb topping for mushrooms

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
? cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
leaves from 2-3 springs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Mix all the ingredients with enough olive oil to bring the mixture together. Season to taste and then press the mixture onto mushrooms. Bake at 180degC for about 15 minutes.

Read more of Megan Goodman’s recipes on our website.

Guy’s veggie growing tip of the week – grow sugar snap peas over Summer

In the UK, where I come from, broad beans and peas are both warm season vegetables which you plant in early Spring and grow over summer. That fitted with my intuition that access to more sun and heat help the juicy beans and peas to develop. But, as standard green beans are also a warm season vegetable, that means that, in the UK, there are too many legumes competing for space in your legume bed over Summer and too few legumes that you can grow in your legume bed over Winter.

When I came to Australia, I found, to my surprise, that broad beans and peas are both cool season vegetables here. At first, I found this a bit disconcerting as it showed (once again) that my intuition can be wrong. But, on further reflection, I became delighted as it means that I can grow broad beans and peas over Winter and then standard green beans over summer. And it also means that I have some spare space in my legume bed over Summer (there are only so many green beans one can eat) to grow a second ‘experimental’ legume, such as peanuts or soybeans. But sometimes being experimental is a bit too much of a fag and one hankers to grow standard vegetables. That is when I discovered that sugar snap peas (but not standard garden peas) can be grown all year round. So, last November, after harvesting the broad beans, we planted some sugar snap pea seedlings and the crop grew beautifully.

So here’s my tip: if you have some spare space in your legume bed after harvesting your broad beans, grow some sugar snap peas.

Read more of my veggie growing tips.

What seeds to plant in November

Here is a list (see the planting guide for more detail):

Warm season veggies Beans Cucumber Gourd Okra Peanut Pumpkin Sweetcorn

Leafy greens Lettuce Mizuna Mustard greens Parsley Rocket Silverbeet

Roots Beetroot Carrot Potato Radish Sweet potato

Perennial Asparagus Chives Globe artichoke Jerusalem artichoke

Compared with October, the list gets a bit shorter, with some summer veggies dropping off (e.g. rockmelon, watermelon and zucchini) and with nothing added. But there’s still lots that you can plant during November. Or, of course, you can buy seedlings for any of the summer veggies.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘garden art’ and attracted 14 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Soo Mei Leong’s Covid wombat.

Commendations to Ann Stanley’s dog in a boat and to Hui Ouliaris’ kids playing on the lawn.

Soo Mei Leong   THE WINNER!   Wearing a face-mask, with a bottle of hand sanitiser in one hand and a foot on the Covid-19 virus, my garden art wombat reflects the changing world that we all live in.
Ann Stanley   COMMENDED   A little dog enjoying a boat ride in my pond. A ceramic by Eltham artist Jessie Pittard.
Hui Ouliaris   COMMENDED   3 kids playing on our front lawn.
Ann Stanley   A salad bowl from the local op shop used as both a decoration and as a drink bowl for chooks and visiting creatures.
Cathy Romeo   One of many incredible glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly in Kew Gardens, London.
Choon Yin Yeok   You have been watched.
Chris Kent   A cube, globes and diagonal leading lines provide an artistic composition.
Chris Kent   Garrya elliptica (or silktassel bush) is a native to California with a tassel wall art vibe. The long tassels of individual flowers appear in the winter months.
Chris Kent   The ‘Parterre Bas’ in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. A parterre is a formal garden, typically laid out in a symmetrical pattern. The potted citrus trees from the orangery are stored here, outside, during the summer months. An orangery is an indoor area of a large fashionable residence from the 17th century, where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter.
Hui Ouliaris   I had found 2 broken pieces of tree branches in the garden and thought it would look cute transformed into a whimsical scene with an elf climbing out of the wood and possibly down the makeshift stairs.
Nada Cunningham   This sculpture on the wall of our house is made from the remains of a Pandorea pandorana vine which killed three large trees in our garden during its 30 year reign as it twisted its way through their canopies. Doug Smidt took the bundle of dried-out vines that I gave him, added the red cedar birds carved from the remains of church pulpit in Richmond, and created this sculpture (which I love).
Rita Varrasso   Emu in the ‘burbs.
Rita Varrasso   In Wycheproof, farm machinery is recycled to make garden sculptures. Check out the plough discs.
Sue Sedelies   Ring-tailed lemurs in the Montreal Botanical Garden.

This week’s competition

As we are now out of lockdown, it is time for this newsletter to focus again on upcoming events. But I thought that we would have one last photo competition, with the theme being ‘your best ever food- or garden-related photo’. Email your photos together with some words about them.

To get you started, here is what I think was the best photo from our competitions last year (i.e. 2020): male blue-banded bees hanging out by Alison Raven. Click the picture to see it at a goodly resolution.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the photo of Elissa Hunter’s miniature French patisserie shop and florist. The second most popular link was the photo of Elissa’s miniature veggie garden outside of a house. As several of you have said to me over the last week, Elissa’s miniatures are simply extraordinary.

Recent articles that you might have missed

Articles published over the last month:

• Angelica (by Jaimie Sweetman).
• Cape gooseberries (by Megan Cassidy).
• Homemade gin (by Guy Palmer).

Word of the month – Tyromancy

‘Tyromancy’, meaning the art of telling the future through the observation of cheese, especially as it coagulates. Types of emerging mould and patterns of growing holes are apparently both important aspects.

A variant is to write the names of possible suitors or suitresses onto pieces of cheese and then place these pieces around a mouse. Whatever name is on the piece of cheese that the mouse eats first is then destined to be your love mate. [Editor: I am currently running an experiment to see if this works in practice using three pieces of cheese with the names Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift and Kate Upton on them.]

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Let them eat cake. Said to have been spoken by ‘a great princess’ upon being told that the peasants had no bread. As cake is obviously a luxury item, and way more expensive than bread, the anecdote went to show either the princess’s frivolous disregard for the starving peasants or her poor understanding of their plight. Note that the original French phrase referred to brioche rather than cake.

The phrase was supposedly said by Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI, in 1789, during one of the famines in France. But, as discussed in Wikipedia, many people now attribute it to Marie-Thérèse, wife of Louis XIV, from around 100 years earlier. Marie Antoinette was, of course, executed in 1793, at aged 37, during the French Revolution.

In passing, Let Them Eat Cake is ““Melbourne’s premier and longest-running arts, culture and dance music festival held every New Year’s Day” in Werribee.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” by James W. Douglass.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Germany is now advising people to stock up on cheese and sausages. This is called the Wurst Käse scenario.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Spring into growing; Thursday, 28th October, 11am-midday; free

Organised by Museums Victoria. Presenter: Jaclyn Crupi, author of the new book Garden like a nonno. Learn how to make your own seed-raising mix and use household items to grow seeds in preparation for your garden or balcony. You will need some seeds of your choice, something to plant the seeds into, some seed-raising mix, and some weed tea fertiliser.

Cooking for kids with a witch! – Chocolate spiders; Friday, 29th October, 4-4.30pm; free

Organised by Eastern Regional Libraries. Jump in the kitchen and with four ingredients whip up a tasty and sweet Halloween treat. For kids of all ages with adult supervision.

Cardinia Community Food Forum; Tuesday, 9th November, 9.30am-3pm; free

Organised by the Cardinia Food Circles Project. Host: Thanh Truong, the Fruit Nerd. Keynote speaker: Sandro Demaio, CEO of VicHealth. The day will include a range of short talks and panel discussions with Young Food Leaders, Young Farmers, Agri-Food Social Enterprises, Siri Guru Nanak Darbar (Sikh Urban Farm), United African Farm, Cockatoo Sustainable Food Project, The Community Grocer and others. The event will be recorded.

Managing food waste at home; Tuesday, 9th November, 2-3pm; free

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Presenter: Ella from Chooktopia. Ella will share some tips around managing your household food wastage, from the avoidable (using leftovers, correct storage, etc) to the unavoidable (composting, the council’s green bin service, etc).

Pop-up pantry audit workshop; Thursday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free

Organised by Whittlesea Council. Presenter: Angela Chung from Pop-up Pantry. Angela will share ideas, tips and tricks on how to create a beautiful and functional pantry free of pesky plastic packaging.

Edible garden tour With Karen Sutherland; Thursday, 18th November, 11am-midday; free

Organised by Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries. Presenter: Karen Sutherland. On this virtual tour, Karen will share her knowledge and answer questions from the audience.

Cooking demonstration: san choy bao and mango sago pudding; Thursday, 25th November, 7-8pm; free

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Presenters: Helen and Hay. Learn how to how to bring authentic Asian flavours into your home with two classic Asian dishes.

Keeping backyard chooks with Felicity Gordon; Saturday, 27th November, 3-4pm; free

Organised by Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries. Learn some tips and hints on keeping backyard chickens. Find out the best breeds for laying eggs, what chickens eat, and how to ensure they are not prone to feral animals, particularly at night.

Take your recipe to retail; Wednesday, 15th December, 9-10am; $50

Organised by Business of Food. Learn the practical steps to running a thriving food business and understand the obligations of taking your food product to a retail market. Suitable for anyone in the food industry that would like to re-visit the basics, or those that have developed a new food product and ready to launch.

Previously announced online events

• Fussy eaters – meal ideas from 0 to adolescence; Thursday, 28th October, 10-11am; free; organised by Eastern Regional Libraries
• Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm; $50; organised by CERES
• Keeping backyard chooks; Thursday, 28th October, 7-8pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries.
• Preventing and treating pesky pests organically; Saturday, 30th October, 11am-12.30pm; free; organised by My Smart Garden
• Design a small and productive garden; Wednesday, 10th November, 6.30-8pm; free; organised by My Smart Garden.
• Composting at home; Wednesday, 10th November, 7-9pm; free; organised by Banyule Council

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Building wicking beds using recycled materials: Thursday, 4th November, 10.30am-midday; $20 ($14 per hour); Fitzroy.

Organised by Cultivating Community. Learn about the benefits of wicking beds, how they work, what plants are suitable for wicking beds and what are not, and how to make wicking beds using recycled materials. Participants will make a small wicking bed using recycled materials to take home, including soil and seedlings.

Plant sale: Sunday, 7th November, 8.30am-1pm; free; Hurstbridge.

Organised by Hurstbridge Sow & Grow Garden Club. There will be a wide range of interesting, unusual and drought tolerant plants for sale.

Pick and eat – Spring harvest: Saturday, 13th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; $41 ($21 per hour); Bulleen.

Organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Join Heide gardener Alice Crowe for a tour of the kitchen gardens with a focus on the care and cultivation of the spring harvest. Then enjoy a glass of wine and a gourmet treat at Heide Cafe.

Sprouting gardens: Saturday, 20th November, 1-2.30pm; $20 ($14 per hour); Fitzroy.

Organised by Cultivating Community. Learn how a seed germinates, how to start your sprouting garden and how to look after it so your sprouts don’t rot. Try out different types of seeds that have different crunch and flavour once they start to sprout. Make and eat a salad using sprouts and other ingredients.

Edible weeds: Saturday, 20th November, 3-4.30pm; $22 ($14 per hour); Bulleen.

Organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Learn about the edible weeds in your own backyard with gardeners David Murphy and Luke Murchie.

Re-activated or re-arranged following the end of the lockdown

• Organic vegetable gardening: Saturday, 30th October, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.
• Bakery Hill whisky distillery tour and tasting: Sunday, 7th November, 2-3.30pm; $59 ($40 per hour); Bayswater North.
• Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 13th November, 10-11.30am; $25 ($17 per hour); Edendale.
• Beginners backyard beekeeping; Saturday, 13th November, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.
• Flavours of Coburg food tour: Saturday, 13th November, 10am-1pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Coburg.
• Home brewing: Saturday, 13th November, 10am-3pm; $80 ($16 per hour); CERES.
• Kitchen medicine – garden farmacy: Saturday, 13th November, 2-4.30pm; $75 ($30 per hour); CERES.
• Bush foods & herbs for courtyards & balconies: Thursday, 18th November, 6.30-9pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden.
• Beginners backyard beekeeping; Saturday, 20th November, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.
• Intro to permaculture (two sessions), Sunday, 21st November and Sunday, 28th November, both 10am-3pm; $220 ($22 per hour); CERES.
• Backyard beekeeping basics; Sunday, 21st November, 1-3pm; $70 ($35 per hour); CERES.
• Mould – a cheese festival: Friday, 26th November, 4.30-8.30pm, Saturday, 27th November, 11am-3pm and 4-8pm, and Sunday, 28th November, 11am-3pm; $49 (includes all cheese tastings); Abbotsford.
• Food photography; Saturday, 27th November, 9.30am-12.30pm; $109 ($36 per hour); Eltham.
• Beeswax wraps; Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $75 ($38 per hour); CERES.
• Flavours of Coburg food tour: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-1pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Coburg.
• Setting up a worm farm: Saturday, 27th November, 2-3pm; free; Edendale.
• Bakery Hill whisky distillery tour and tasting: Sunday, 28th November, 2-3.30pm; $59 ($40 per hour); Bayswater North.
• Growing nutrient dense food: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-3pm; $110 ($22 per hour); CERES.
• Introduction to growing microgreens: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-3pm; $110 ($22 per hour); organised by CERES; Preston.
• Bakery Hill whisky distillery tour and tasting: Sunday, 5th December, 2-3.30pm; $59 ($40 per hour); Bayswater North.
• Flavours of Coburg food tour: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-1pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Coburg.
• Bakery Hill whisky distillery tour and tasting: Sunday, 12th December, 2-3.30pm; $59 ($40 per hour); Bayswater North.
• Bakery Hill whisky distillery tour and tasting: Sunday, 19th December, 2-3.30pm; $59 ($40 per hour); Bayswater North.

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Wok it real good: Sunday, 21st November, 10.30am-3pm; $160 ($36 per hour); Panton Hill.

Organised by Under the Pickle Tree. Learn how to season a wok for its first use. Then use your wok to cook some Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes. You will learn how to smoke the wok and how not to overcrowd it. Menu items will include classic Thai pad thai (vegetarian available), Thai stir fried beef with basil and chilli, Malaysian belachan spinach and chilli tamarind prawns.

Fermenting made simple: Saturday, 4th December, 9am-midday; $120 ($40 per hour); Kinglake.

Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House. Learn to make kimchi, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented pickles and wild fermented kombucha and sourdough mother. Take them home so that you can continue to ferment for years to come. With Narelle.

Cheese making at home; Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $120 ($40 per hour); Kinglake.

Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House. Learn how to make labneh, ricotta, feta and halloumi cheeses. You will take home 3 cheeses and your own cheese mould. Take an apron, a cooler and 3 or 4 plastic containers to take your cheese home. With Narelle.

Gingerbread house workshop; Wednesday, 8th December, 7-8.30pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Chirnside Park.

Organised by Chirnside Park Community Hub. Embrace your whimsical side with a centrepiece that looks as good as it tastes or give a handmade gift to that special person in your life. You will receive a glass of bubbles on arrival and all the equipment for the workshop is provided, namely: prebaked gingerbread; an assortment of lollies; icing sugar; base board (15cm x 15cm or 20cmx 20cm); icy pole sticks; cellophane and ribbon.

Re-activated or re-arranged following the end of the lockdown

• Nonna & Mum’s cooking class: Thursday, 28th October, 7.30-10pm; $20 ($8 per hour); organised by the Furlan Club; Thornbury.
• Rosa’s Friday traditional Italian cooking class: Friday, 29th October, 6-10pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Rosa’s Saturday traditional Italian cooking class: Saturday, 30th October, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Rosa’s Sunday traditional Italian cooking class: Sunday, 31st October, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• The ultimate biscuit class: Tuesday, 2nd November, 10am-3pm; $160 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.
• Blue cheese making: Friday, 5th November, 10am-4pm; $170 ($43 per hour); CERES.
• Become a junior chocolatier: Saturday, 6th November, 10-10.45am; $40 ($53 per hour); Yarra Glen.
• Triple cream brie cheese: Sunday, 7th November, 10am-4pm; $170 ($28 per hour); CERES.
• Rosa’s Friday traditional Italian cooking class: Friday, 12th November, 6-10pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Rosa’s Saturday traditional Italian cooking class: Saturday, 13th November, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Rosa’s Sunday traditional Italian cooking class: Sunday, 14th November, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• The ultimate biscuit class: Tuesday, 16th November, 10am-3pm; $160 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.
• Sri Lankan cooking class: Friday, 19th November, 6-9pm; $90 ($30 per hour); Surrey Hills.
• Chocolate discovery class: Saturday, 20th November, midday-1pm; $48 ($48 per hour); Yarra Glen.
• Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters: Sunday, 21st November, 11am-12.30pm; $75 ($50 per hour); Brunswick.
• Nonna & Mum’s cooking class: Thursday, 25th November, 7.30-10pm; $20 ($8 per hour); organised by the Furlan Club Thornbury.
• Rosa’s Friday traditional Italian cooking class: Friday, 26th November, 6-10pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Sourdough bread baking: Saturday, 27th November, 9am-5pm; $180 ($23 per hour); CERES.
• Rosa’s Saturday traditional Italian cooking class: Saturday, 27th November, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Vegan cooking Italian style: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-3pm; $110 ($22 per hour); CERES.
• Rosa’s Sunday traditional Italian cooking class: Sunday, 28th November, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• The ultimate biscuit class: Tuesday, 30th November, 10am-3pm; $160 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.
• Intro to fermenting at home: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $70 ($35 per hour); CERES.
• Feta and haloumi cheese making: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-4pm; $170 ($28 per hour); CERES.
• Rosa’s Friday traditional Italian cooking class: Friday, 10th December, 6-10pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Sourdough bread workshop: Saturday, 11th December, 9am-11.30pm; $165 ($66 per hour); organised by Bee Sustainable; Brunswick East.
• Rosa’s Saturday traditional Italian cooking class: Saturday, 11th December, 10.30am-2.30pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Bundoora.
• Authentic Mexican: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-3pm; $110 ($22 per hour); CERES.
• The ultimate biscuit class: Tuesday, 14th December, 10am-3pm; $160 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.
• Nonna & Mum’s cooking class: Thursday, 23rd December, 7.30-10pm; $20 ($8 per hour); organised by the Furlan Club Thornbury.

In Richmond

• Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 30th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 30th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 31st October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Indian cooking master class: Friday, 5th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 6th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 6th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Going native Australia: Saturday, 6th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 7th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 7th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Nonna’s comfort food (Italian); Tuesday, 9th November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Thursday, 11th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 13th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 13th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Street food of Asia: Saturday, 13th November, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 14th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 16th November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Thai cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 23rd November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Street food of Asia: Friday, 26th November, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 28th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Pizza making party: Sunday, 28th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
• Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• The cuisine of Central Italy; Thursday, 16th December, 6.30–10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
• Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
• Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Archna Bhatt, Avril Clark, Brooke Earl, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Dorothy Kwak, Helen Simpson, Jaimie Sweetman, Jon Buttery, Kathryn O’Connell, Kayla Blackmore, Larysa Sutherland, Lyn Richards, Lynn Wallace, Megan Cassidy, Monique Decortis, Rita Varrasso, Robin Gale-Baker, Sandra Verdam, Simone Boyd, Sonia Martinez and Soo Mei Leong.

Given that we are not covering face-to-face events at the moment, there is lots of space to include other things. Now would therefore be a really good time for you to submit some words about any food-related matters. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.

Saturday: Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Yarra Valley.

As listed above, Melbourne Farmers Markets have started a new midweek farmers’ market at Alphington, every Thursday, 2-5pm.

Because of Covid-19, the Community Grocer has had to temporarily move some of its markets:

• Carlton: re-located to Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre, 20 Princes Street, Carlton North. Fridays, 8am-midday.
• Fitzroy: re-located to Fitzroy Learning Network, 198 Napier Street. Tuesdays, 9am-1pm.
• Heidelberg West: still at The Bell Street Mall, Corner of Bell Street and Oriel Road. Saturdays, 9am-1pm.

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – angelica (Angelica archangelica)

This month I have chosen angelica as my edible plant of the month because it’s really beautiful at this time of year and has so many uses.

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is in the Apiaceae family. Also in this family is celery and angelica is sometimes referred to as wild celery.

All parts of the plant are edible. The stems can be eaten raw in salads or prepared in the same way you use celery or asparagus in stews or stir-fries. The leaves are also edible too but can be quite bitter; we dry them and use them in herbal teas, with some of the listed health benefits being treating heartburn, respiratory issues, runny nose, benefit sleeping and reducing nervousness.

The roots are traditionally used in Chinese medicine where they are dried and ground up.

The other great thing about having angelica in the garden is that it attracts beneficial bugs, including bees and hover flies. Also, due the strong tap root as they self-seed around the garden, they help break up the soil.

A true biennial, the first year there is lots of leafy lush growth followed by umbel flower heads the next year. They are prolific in seeds that you can collect or just let them sow themselves around the garden as we do.

If you are looking for a low maintenance useful plant that is also edible, angelica would be a good choice.

* * * * *

Watch Jaimie’s video about angelica.

Read about Jaimie’s previous edible plants of the month.

Jaimie Sweetman is Head Gardener of the Edible Forest located on the Yarra Valley Estate in Dixons Creek. Tours of the Edible Forest, often led by Jaimie, take place on all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.

Why you should choose a cape gooseberry plant for your garden (by Megan Cassidy)

[Megan Cassidy, from Greensborough, is active within Sustainable Greensborough. But, of course, her main claim to fame is that she has started writing articles for our website, with her first article being on growing cape gooseberries.]

A cape gooseberry bush grows to around 2 metres wide and 2 metres high, with multiple stalks from a central root. Megan originally grew hers to help keep one of their external brick walls cooler. Depending on conditions, it can be either perennial or annual, with Megan’s being perennial. Water needs are moderate and flowering starts in late winter.

The berries are small (1-2cm across), yellow and round. Each is “encased in a papery husk that starts out green and flexible, and turns into a cool-looking ‘skeleton cage’ with the yellow berry peeping through, so that you know it is ready.” Megan got around 500 berries from her plant last year!

Each berry has “lots of tiny edible seeds, and it tastes a little like a tiny, tangy, zingy tomato. It has to be tried several times to fully appreciate its flavour though, as it’s a very distinctive and different taste.”

“They are great for eating straight off the bush – they often don’t even make it past the little helpers who gather them! I do prefer to give them a wash first, to get the waxy, slightly sticky sheen off it, but this is not essential. They also go well in salads in place of cherry tomatoes, in salsas and baked tomato dishes. You can jam them easily because they are high in pectin. Don’t eat the green ones though! If you have a dehydrator, you can even make your own inca berries – yes, those expensive superfoods you see at the health food shops for $50/kg!”

Megan’s final thought: “My daughter’s room has been cooler since we put this plant in and I enjoy looking out her window and spotting the brown papery pods I can go out and pick. It’s a reminder to get out in the garden and enjoy the fruits of my labour!”

Read the full article.

Jon’s podcast of the week

Here is a podcast about eating acorns. It answers such questions as: Why would anyone want to eat acorns? What is the best method for gathering, and how can you tell if an acorn is no good? How do you remove the tannins in order to make acorns edible? What’s the best way to prepare acorns to eat?

More on making homemade gin

Robin Gale-Baker has written in to say that she recently made a bottle of gin using rock samphire which was great. It apparently took longer than usual to develop a really good flavour.

Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum) is one of the plants that Jaimie Sweetman suggests that you grow. Read her article on the subject on our website.

Every newsletter needs a good photo

Lynn Wallace has written in to say that, during the lockdowns, her daughter has discovered a talent for making ‘miniatures’. For Lynn’s recent birthday, her daughter gave her a miniature garden shed measuring 22cm x 15cm (see the photo)! Not surprisingly, Lynn loves it!

New free food pantries in Diamond Creek, Eltham and Watsonia

Every week we seem to be announcing new community pantries or food is free locations!

There are new free community pantries in Diamond Creek, Eltham and Watsonia. The Diamond Creek one is at St John’s Anglican Church, 61 Main Street. The Eltham one at the Eltham Lions Club, 2 Youth Road. The Watsonia one is at Watsonia Neighbourhood House, 47 Lambourn Road. All three are the initiative of The Food Collective and are open 24/7 to whoever needs food. Give what you can, take what you need.

Look at a map of where all the free community pantries are.

Want to volunteer?

Diamond Creek Primary School is looking for a volunteer Garden Club Coordinator, starting late January. 4-6 hours/week during Spring/Summer and 2-3 hours/week during Autumn/Winter. The garden is substantial, comprising 22 raised garden beds, the majority of which are wicking beds. There is an aluminium framed polycarbonate greenhouse, large garden shed, a netted greenery area, a compost area and a potting shed. The garden is self-funded, where sales from seedlings, produce, plants and market stalls assist with the upkeep and running of the garden and the club. Read more. All expressions of interest and enquires should be directed to Jessica Betts, jebetts@hotmail.com or on 0411 067621.

Yes you did know!

Last week, Valerie Mudie asked for any advice about growing strawberry spinach (Blitum capitatum syn. Chenopodium capitatum).

Simone Boyd has provided a comprehensive response: “I have grown strawberry spinach mainly for the tiny, edible ‘strawberries’ which form towards the end of the plants season. Not a true strawberry, but they make a great addition to salads or as an edible flower alternative. The leaves are also edible as a spinach substitute (just pick them off as soon as they get to a size that you can harvest).

“The plants are pretty easy to grow. I sow direct into well-prepared soil (addition of compost prior to planting) then just keep moist until germination. They tend to do better here in the cooler months, but are also worth a try during Summer. The plant will readily self seed so let it go if you want free plants, or make sure you eat the berries if not.”

Tomato and other veggie seedlings available at Kevin Heinze Grow (Coburg and Doncaster)

As discussed last week, Kevin Heinze Grow are currently selling their tomato and other veggie seedlings via a ‘call and collect’ service. You choose what you want from their website and send them an email (plantsales@kevinheinzegrow.org.au). They will then contact you re payment and to organise collection.

Guy’s veggie growing tip of the week – copper tape to deter snails and slugs

The most popular link (by far) in last week’s newsletter was Angelo’s article entitled How to control snails and slugs without toxic chemicals. Part of that article discussed copper tape barriers. This is a method that has been successful for me so I thought that I would say a few words about it.

The theory behind using copper tape is that, because snails/slugs are moist and copper is highly conductive, the snail/slug will receive something of an electric shock if the two come into contact and will retreat. No killing is involved.

Just about whenever my wife and I plant a veggie seedling, we cover it with a pot which has its bottom cut out and some copper tape going round it. The copper tape has to form a continual barrier around the whole of the pot as otherwise the snails/slugs will go through the gaps.

We usually remove the pot when the seedling is, say, around 30cms in height. In this way, we have a stack of around 50 pots which are continually being circulated around the veggie patch. Most of the pots are intact apart from having their bottoms cut off but we also have a few with a vertical cut through them as these are easier to remove for ‘wide’ seedlings.

The copper tape is about 2-3cm wide and typically comes in rolls of 4 metres in length. For example, Bunnings call it ‘snail & slug barrier’ and sell a 4 metre roll for $10, which is sufficient for around 15 pots.

Read my previous veggie growing tips.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘your garden (or someone else’s garden)’ and attracted 15 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Archna Bhatt’s photo of someone’s garden.

Commendations to Chris Kent’s roses and to Larysa Sutherland’s garden.

Garden Archna Bhatt   THE WINNER   A pretty colourful front garden somewhere in Doreen.
Roses Chris Kent   COMMENDED   A few years ago, an elderly gardening customer finally allowed me to prune her ‘prize’ rose – a magnificent ‘Just Joey’.
My garden Larysa Sutherland   COMMENDED   We know that Spring is definitely here when our wisteria is in full bloom.
Calendula Archna Bhatt
Hippeastrum Soo Mei Leong   When the clump of Hippeastrum papilio blooms in my little patch of garden, it brings me great joy and happiness.
My garden Avril Clark   This is my beautiful snowball tree covered in blooms. To the left is a ballerina crab apple wreathed in a hop vine. To the right is a gingko just coming into leaf.
My garden Brooke Earl   This section of the garden has cost me nothing as all the plants are cuttings from existing plants elsewhere in the garden.
My garden Cathy Romeo   The beauty of a fruit tree garden laden in spring blossoms as the sun is setting.
My garden Choon Yin Yeok
My garden Dorothy Kwak   Lots of colour getting into summer.
Rainbow Archna Bhatt   A rainbow in my local community garden (Buna).
Re-purposed school desk Larysa Sutherland   An old school desk, re-purposed as a shady plant stand for cyclamen, ferns, ginger, begonia, etc.
Spring watering Lynn Wallace
Succulent garden Rita Varrasso   Note the flowers.
Under the verandah Dorothy Kwak

This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition.

Thanks to Cathy Romeo, Chris Kent, Helen Simpson, Kathryn O’Connell, Larysa Sutherland and Lyn Richards for their various suggestions for themes for future photo competitions, some of which we will use in the coming weeks.

The theme this week is ‘nature strips or other streetscapes’. I realise that this is a narrower theme than last week’s but let’s hope it attracts some interesting entries. Email your photos together with some words about them.

The theme is based on a suggestion by Kathryn O’Connell who wrote: “What about nature strips? When my local council (Banyule) removed an old and limb dropping gum, they left a great gap which I couldn’t mow, so I popped in pieces of pigface to cover it and the whole thing became an addiction. Now I regard nature strips as an urban desert, waiting for gardeners to adorn the space with whatever suits their style – natives? Succulents? Mediterranean? Unfortunately Banyule Council has a ‘no plant’ policy, so any plants must be seen as temporary but for many of us the joy of watching a dead space turn into a beautiful canvas outweighs the threat of losing all. Here is a photo of my nature strip after NBN was installed, as part of which they kindly put some top soil on the bare clay.”

Mandarin cake (by Sonia Martinez)

This is a good way of using up any mandarins that are still on your tree.

Ingredients

5-6 mandarins, already poached with some sugar and brandy (brandy optional)
100g soft butter
150g sugar
3 eggs, separated
250g self raising flour
Grated lemon rind of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
about 1 cup milk (any type will work)

Method

Cream together the butter, sugar, egg yolks and ground cloves.

Add in the lemon zest, flour and milk, so that it forms a thick batter.

Add in the mandarin segments, gently folding through.

Whisk the egg whites separately and gently fold into the batter.

Bake at 180degC for around 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Add some icing sugar if you wish.

Joke (or pun) of the week

By replacing your morning coffee with green tea, you can lose up to 87% of what little joy you still have left in your life.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming face-to-face events

For obvious reasons, we’re generally not currently advertising face-to-face events, but here is one outdoor event which is scheduled for after when such events are likely to be allowed.

Plant sale; Sunday, 7th November, 8.30am-1pm

Organised by Hurstbridge Sow & Grow Garden Club. There will be a wide range of interesting, unusual and drought tolerant plants for sale. Saunders Automotive Carpark, 941 Main Road, Hurstbridge.

Upcoming online events – an alert about non-working hyperlinks

Some of our local libraries (e.g. the Whitehorse Manningham and Yarra Plenty libraries) use a website called Spydus for their events management and booking. The problem is that Spydus hyperlinks don’t work in a normal way. More specifically, the hyperlink to any particular event seems to change from day to day so whenever I add any hyperlink into the newsletter it works for a time and then ceases to work. So, newsletter readers can’t easily book their place at the event and sometimes get (or should get) irritated. Until and unless someone from either the libraries or from Spydus tells me how this problem can be avoided I am, regrettably, not going to be able to include any of their events in this newsletter any more. So, at least for the time being, there won’t be any events in this newsletter from either Whitehorse Manningham Libraries or Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries (which covers Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea).

Upcoming online events – newly announced

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Keep the Yarra Valley fruit fly free; Friday, 15th October, 10.30-11.30am

Organised by Eastern Regional Libraries. Free. Presenter: Bron Koll. Learn how to prevent this pest getting a foothold. Read more and potentially book your place.

Introduction to fermenting at home; Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. Presenter: Monique. You will learn: how to turn cabbage into sauerkraut; the easiest way to experiment with vegetables fermented in salt brine; and how to ferment your own kombucha. Read more and potentially book your place.

Grow herbs at home; Tuesday, 19th October, 6.30-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Learn how to grow herbs in whatever space you have, from the smallest balcony to the biggest garden, in dry areas, wet areas, shade or sun, outside or indoors. They will cover how to plant, propagate, harvest, dry and store herbs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Spring picnics (thermomix); Friday, 22nd October, 7.30-9pm

Organised by Thermotess, Tess Murray. Free. Presenters: various. The menu will includes: minted mosco mule (a cocktail), gourmet crackers, beetroot salad with raita dressing, peanut soba noodle wonton cups, peanut dressing, mini spiced lamb pies and pecan pie cheesecake cups. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting for kids; Sunday, 24th October, 11-11.45am

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenters: Charlie Mgee (musician) and Brenna Quinlan (permaculture illustrator). This will be a fun and musical tour of life in our soil, learning about how we can keep it healthy through composting and worm farming. Read more and potentially book your place.

Wicking bed workshop; Tuesday, 26th October, 7-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Craig Castree. Learn about permaculture design principles, how to conduct a site analysis and working with vertical gardens, pots and containers plus how to make the most of your space to increase your harvest. Read more and potentially book your place.

Design a small and productive garden; Wednesday, 10th November, 6.30-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Kat Lavers. Learn how to grow herbs in whatever space you have, from the smallest balcony to the biggest garden, in dry areas, wet areas, shade or sun, outside or indoors. They will cover how to plant, propagate, harvest, dry and store herbs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Wednesday, 10th November, 7-9pm

Organised by Banyule Council. Free. Learn about all the tips and tricks to make great compost. Find out about different containers, worm farming and Bokashi buckets. Read more and potentially book your place.

Upcoming online events – previously announced

Harvest work information session; Thursday, 14th October, 12.30-1.15pm

Organised by Yarra Ranges Council. Free. Learn how you can apply for harvest jobs available in the Yarra Ranges over this Summer. Hear from a current harvest worker and a local cherry farmer.

SecondBite’s mission is to end waste, end hunger; Thursday, 14th October, 1-2pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Free. Presenter: Steve Clifford, CEO of SecondBite. SecondBite rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers and farmers and re-distributes it free of charge to local charities and not-for-profits that run food programs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to pruning; Thursday, 14th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Skill up in all the basics so you can get started pruning right away. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing great tomatoes; Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. This workshop will cover: how to choose which tomato varieties to grow; whether to grow from seed or seedling, in pots, raised beds or directly into soil; when and how to plant and tips for success; training growth with stakes, cages or string vs free range; pros and cons of pruning; preventing common problems; feeding; and crop rotation. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Understanding and improving your soil; Sunday, 17th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to identify the various types of soils and improve them to create a healthy and productive garden. Learn about the fundamentals of soil ecology, plant nutrition, soil pH management and soil care. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to urban farming (7 sessions); starting Sunday, 17th October, 2pm

Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. $82 for all 7 sessions. The 7 sessions will cover: 1. making a wicking pot, starting seedlings, container gardening, introduction to permaculture; 2. soil, making biochar, trench composting, soil carbon, hugelkultur, soil food web, fungi; 3. composting, worm farming, bees wax wraps, weed tea; 4. straw bale gardens, hidden hugelkultur, no dig gardens, bee scaping, food scaping; 5. creating a guild, plant companions, polycultures, building soil, maximising space, increasing vigour and yield; 6. feeding the soil, organic control of common problems and pests, chop and drop, looking after our insect friends; and 7. seed saving, cuttings, produce sharing, seed sharing and making community connections. Read more and potentially book your place.

Take your recipe to retail; Wednesday, 20th October, 9-10am

Organised by Business of Food. $50. Learn the practical steps to running a food business and understand the obligations of taking your food product to a retail market. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 10-11am

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a compost bin at home. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worm farming and Bokashi at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 11.30am-midday

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a worm farm and Bokashi bucket. Read more and potentially book your place.

Home composting for beginners; Saturday, 23rd October, 2-3.30pm

Organised by Edendale Farm. Free. Learn the basics of home composting including how to set one up and maintain it, the simple recipe for success, what to add and what not to add. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces; Sunday, 24th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Topics will include fruit, vegetables and berries for small spaces, growing produce in pots and containers, maximising productivity in any size space, and plant selection. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Setting the right price for product; Tuesday, 26th October, 10-11.30am

Organised by Business of Food. $45. Learn about accurately costing your product and setting a retail price. Read more and potentially book your place.

Preparing for a summer veggie crop; Wednesday, 27th October, 7-8.30pm

Organised by Boroondara Council. Free. You will learn about: garden maintenance and preparation; selecting what to plant and when to plant it; growing summer veggies in pots; managing hot weather, including mulching and smart watering; improving productivity sustainably, including crop rotation and companion planting; and soil preparation and management. Read more and potentially book your place.

Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Learn the best herbs for sunny or shady spots, which grow well pots and what to grow when. Discover rules of thumb to know which herbs you can take cuttings from and which grow best from seed. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese. Read more and potentially book your place.