LFC News January 31

Jan 302024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Benson Bannon, Bev Middleton, Bienne Tam, Helen Vander-Heyden, Meg Autin, Olwyn Smiley, Robin Gale-Baker and Sarah Willits.

Take action now to prevent QFF in your garden next season (by Robin Gale-Baker)

If you were hit by an outbreak of Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) this season, now is not the time to give up. In fact, it is the time to get busy to lower your risk of an outbreak next season.

The key task is to prevent QFF larvae pupating in the soil. If there is no QFF emerging from your soil next spring, then you are well ahead when it comes to a QFF-free orchard and veggie garden. And, you really don’t want to be spending money on lures for QFF that you have bred yourself!

To this end, pick up any fallen fruit daily and strip any fruit tree plus any tomato, chilli and capsicum plants that are infested. Larvae will emerge quickly from fruit laying on the ground (and can even drop from trees) and will burrow into the soil, beginning the long pupation process to emerge next season. This fruit should be:

  • Double bagged in black plastic and put in a sunny place for 14 days to solarise the fruit and kill the larvae; or
  • Frozen for 48 hours; or
  • Microwaved for 10 minutes; or
  • Baked in a hot oven for 10 minutes.

Place the treated fruit and vegetables in the waste bin – not in the green bin.

Do not compost fallen or infected fruit. Compost is QFF heaven! They breed in the warmth of the heap and, as you spread your compost, you also spread QFF. Make sure that any vegetable matter is buried in your heap and not exposed to QFF. Also, avoid pulling out plants such as tomato vines with fruit attached and leaving these on the ground. Bin them straight away.

Females will die off in autumn so, if no females are pupating in the soil, you only need deal with the males. Most males will die before winter, but some young males will survive, over-wintering in groups (leks) of about 10 in the canopy of trees, in particular lemon trees. In mid-autumn, place lures with Wild May in them in the canopy of lemon trees (if you have them) or other trees (otherwise) at a height of 1.5-2 metres, to deal with the males. Check the lures weekly as the liquid evaporates.

Wild May is a pheromone that smells like the female and attracts the males. It is organic. It can be difficult to find but should be available from the Sustainable Macleod shop in the autumn at cost price.

If you have chooks (or can borrow some short term) then you are in luck. Chooks scavenge for larvae and will clean the soil like no other. They are truly the gardener’s best friend in relation to QFF.

It can be very discouraging to endure a QFF outbreak and I have heard many a person say that they are ‘giving up for this season’. But that will simply prolong the agony into the following season. Good garden hygiene, proper disposal of infected fruit and using lures proactively during autumn and winter will position you well for a great harvest next summer.

Two new community gardens in Yarra Ranges

Lilydale

At 118 Main Street, Lilydale (outside of Bunnings). This garden is open to the public 24/7. To discuss any aspect of the garden, contact Benson Bannon by phone (0448 150 887) or email. Also, see their Facebook page.

Lilydale Community Gardens comprises a series of planter boxes on the footpath along the main road. Each of these boxes is a wicking bed. Herbs such as rosemary, mint, oregano and sage are grown, along with some small vegetables and some bee-attracting plants with flowers. There are also two olive trees growing in tubs. Seating is provided, including some with chessboard tables.

Some of the gardeners get together on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 11am for coffee and chat.

Read their page on our website.

Welcome to Benson and colleagues!

Mooroolbark

At 11-21 Charles Street (corner Charles and Station Street), Mooroolbark. This garden is open to the public 24/7. To discuss any aspect of the garden, contact Helen Vander-Heyden by phone (0407 405 665) or email. Also, see their Facebook page.

The garden is almost an acre in size and includes 12 large raised beds, all of which are communal. The aim is to provide a locally grown, organic, ethical, environmentally friendly, healthy, sustainable and self-funded community food source. Plus it is a place of being and sharing skills, knowledge and ideas for local community members of all ages, genders, ethnicity and abilities. They have a polytunnel where they grow veggie seedlings for sale and any excess produce is also available for sale.

The garden was opened in 2023 and is on a temporary site pending the Council deciding what to do with the site longer term.

There is a gardening club that meets every Wednesday morning 10am-midday. There is usually also someone there on Thursday mornings, 10am-midday, who you can chat with. For anyone that wants to be involved in the garden, they ask that you become a member in order to facilitate communications. Annual membership is $15 ($30 for families and free for concession card holders).

Read their page on our website.

Welcome Ayala, Caroline, Helen, Lorraine, Rhonda, Ronen, Tracey and colleagues!

Some other community garden news

Watch this video about the recent upgrade to the Brunswick Neighbourhood House Community Garden.

Croxton Community Garden / Marra Guwiyap Garden in Northcote has posted a number of photos from their recent working bee.

Pentridge Community Garden in Coburg have recently received a batch of mushroom compost from the Mushroomery.

Do you know?

Meg Autin’s blueberry leaves have been looking like in the photos below for a few weeks now. What might be the cause(s)? Email me with your responses.

    

The program for the 2024 National Sustainability Festival is now available

Read the program on their website. All the events will take place during February and the main events are in Melbourne CBD, most notably at the botanical gardens.

At least as far as the food-related events outside of the CBD, most are events that were happening anyway and have been previously announced in this newsletter. The main exception is
A tour of ‘the Plummery’ (garden tour), which will be happening multiple times during the month.

Chestnuts at Mt Dandenong

In the autumn of 2022, Judy Vizarri visited a property in Mt Dandenong and collected chestnuts. She then wrote up her visit for our website. A year later, in the autumn of 2023, Bienne Tam visited the same property and her writeup is now available on our website. Both articles are rather complimentary. If you would like to visit and collect chestnuts in the autumn of 2024, the owner’s name is Sylvie and her email address is sylvie9274@gmail.com.

Things to do with your excess zucchinis

A soothing face mask (from Bev Middleton)

Mash the zucchini, squeeze out the excess juice, and apply to the face and any other areas.

Put your feet up and relax for 10 minutes.

Rinse off and apply astringent.

Zucchini chocolate cake (from Robin Gale-Baker)

½ cup butter
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk
2½ cups of plain flour
5 tablespoons of the best cocoa you can buy
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini including skin

Pre-heat your oven to 160degC.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in. Add the sifted dry ingredients, milk and vanilla. Add the zucchini. Mix well.

Pour into a greased or lined 23 x 30 cm tin.

Bake at 160degC for 45 minutes.

What seeds to plant in February

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Sweetcorn
Cool season veggies

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Onion
Radish
Other

Chives
Fennel
Leeks
Parsley

In principle, you can start planting some of the brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, etc) but perhaps it would be better to wait until March.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On next Sunday’s show (4th February), Ann Stanley will interview Jaimie Sweetman about the layers of a food forest. Listen on 3CR (855 AM), 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Podcasts of all previous episodes are available on their website, the latest being Peter Symes on Global Gardens of Peace (28th January), Louise Ward and Jaimie Sweetman on the Edible Forest in Dixons Creek (21st January) and Claire on some of the permaculture principles (14th January).

Our articles over the last month

Here are some of the articles from our newsletters over the last month that you might have missed:

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Angelo’s article about Queensland fruit fly.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

A cheese sandwich walks into a pub.

The landlord says, “Sorry, we don’t serve food.”

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Corrections and clarifications

In last week’s newsletter, I wrongly stated that the Local Sustainability Fair (Ringwood) on Sunday, 17th March was from 10am to 4pm. It is actually from 10am to 2pm.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

A tour of ‘the Plummery’ (garden tour); 7 occurrences on various dates and times in February; $25 ($17 per hour); Northcote.

‘The Plummery’ is a small-scale 280m2 urban permaculture system which produces most of the veggies, herbs, fruit and eggs consumed by the household, as well as recycling all organic waste on site. The owner, Kat Lavers, currently manages a sustainable gardening program, My Smart Garden.

Summer pruning of apricot and cherry trees with Robin Gale-Baker; Saturday, 17th February, 1.30-4pm; $15; Macleod.

Apricot and cherry trees should be pruned on a warm, dry day in late summer or early autumn to protect them from infection through pruning wounds. You will be taught the principles of ‘thinning’ pruning to keep your trees low and manageable. Take your secateurs if you have them and they will teach you how to sharpen and care for them.

Mushroom farm tour; Saturday, 9th March, 2-2.30pm;$27 ($54 per hour); Alphington.

Go on a walk-through tour of The Mushroomery, showing how the farm operates and how mushrooms are grown. Due to potential fungal contamination, it is important that you wear very clean clothes. Organised by The Mushroomery.

Ricotta festival; Sunday, 17th March, 10am-4pm; $10; Thomastown.

Wander from stall to stall led by the scent of fresh hot ricotta, whilst enjoying live music. There will also be demos of how to incorporate ricotta into your home cooking. There will be around 12 ready-to-eat food vendors, 10 other food vendors and 4 drink vendors (see the total list of vendors). Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Introduction to food photography; Saturday, 23rd March, 1.30-4.30pm; $119 ($40 per hour); Warrandyte.

This class is for food bloggers, bakers, restaurant/cafe owners or anybody who loves food and wants it to look good. It will focus on taking great images of food using your own, or easily obtainable, equipment. It will cover such aspects as: choosing the right lens; choosing the right background, props and accessories; lighting; and software.

Introduction to permaculture; Sunday, 24th March, 10am-3pm; $145 ($29 per hour); CERES.

You will learn about permaculture by exploring the ethics and design principles of permaculture and how we can create resilient, sustainable systems that work with nature and the natural limits of our planet. The topics to be covered will include: what is permaculture; permaculture ethics and design principles; designing with permaculture zones and sectors; energy and nutrient cycling; veggies, fruit and animals in permaculture systems; social permaculture; and practical ways to bring permaculture principles and ethics into your life right now. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Traditional wooden spoon carving; Sunday, 24th March, 10am-4pm; $145 ($29 per hour); CERES.

Learn the traditional craft of carving your own kitchen utensils using specialised carving knives and your hands. From a piece of sustainably sourced native timber, carve spoons, butter spreaders, spatulas or spurtles from a piece of wood. You will learn: an age-old craft; the sense of meditation and slowness to be found in whittling life’s essential objects; sourcing sustainable materials; the basics of traditional tool use; and how to safely turn a log into your favourite wooden utensil. Presenter: Alma Arriaga.

In February
In March
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Cupcakes and cocktails soiree; Wednesday, 14th February, 5-7pm; $75 ($38 per hour); Ivanhoe.

You will learn: the basics of buttercream; colouring buttercream; filling a piping bag; and piping techniques with three different piping tips. You will decorate 4 white chocolate raspberry cupcakes. Enjoy a complimentary cocktail by Imbue featuring their gin. Additional drinks and snacks can be bought on the day.

Japanese cooking 101: Chika’s Japanese home cooking (3 sessions); on 3 consecutive Fridays, starting 8th March, 1-2pm.; $80 ($27 per hour); Greensborough.

Week 1: dashi stock and miso soup. Week 2: gohan (steamed rice) and onigirazu (rice sandwich). Week 3: vegetarian side dishes. Presenter: Chika. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Urban Nanna’s scraptastic cooking; Friday, 22nd March, 1-2.30pm; $150 ($30 per hour); Croydon Hills.

Anna the Urban Nanna will show you how to make the absolute most of your weekly shop. Learn how to cook with scraps and discover scraptastic creations plus examples of useful books and resources to help you get the most out of your scraps.

Indian cooking; Saturday, 23rd March, 10am-3pm; $150 ($30 per hour); CERES.

Learn how to make easy, delicious and healthy vegetarian Indian recipes. At the end of the workshop, you will sit down together for a shared feast of your own making. Presenter: Aditi Daware.

Vegan desserts; Sunday, 24th March, 10am-3pm; $150 ($30 per hour); CERES.

You will learn a variety of vegan sweet treats from different backgrounds and different techniques. The menu will include: baked cheese cake; raw fruit tart; fruit pierogi; Portuguese tarts; coconut jelly; and tiramisu. Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

Sunflower cupcake decorating workshop; Sunday, 24th March, 11am-1pm; $100 ($50 per hour); Bayswater North.

Master the art of piping delicate buttercream sunflowers starting from plain pre-baked cupcakes. Take home 7 adorned cupcakes. Presenter: Maria from Enchanted Pots. Organised by Arrabri Community House.

Rose cupcake decorating workshop; Sunday, 24th March, 2-4pm; $100 ($50 per hour); Bayswater North.

Master the art of piping delicate buttercream roses starting from plain pre-baked cupcakes. Take home 7 adorned cupcakes. Presenter: Maria from Enchanted Pots. Organised by Arrabri Community House.

In February
In March
Regular classes

LFC News January 24

Jan 242024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Chris Chapple, Hayden Marks, Jaimie Sweetman, Kate Woodstock, Kerri Wellington, Lynn Wallace and Marcela Santos.

Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) by Jaimie Sweetman

[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 Fridays and Saturdays – read more and book your place on a future tour.]

    

The maqui berry, or Chilean wineberry (Aristotelia chilensis), is one of the unassuming plants in our edible forest due to its small berries and the fact that it’s not well known in Australia. It originates from South America.

The plant is a small tree (up to 4 metres) which grows well in full sun amongst other plants. It apparently won’t tolerate a high frost but it does well in our forest even with some frost.

The berries are so small that they do take a bit to harvest but they apparently have more antioxidants than blueberries, which makes it worth it. They taste almost eucalyptus-like to me (Wikipedia says that they taste like blackberries). They can be eaten fresh, ground up and used as a spice, or used as a super food powder.

Over time I am becoming more in love with this special plant. I highly recommend it if you can find a seedling to buy. Unfortunately one of ours blew over in the wind and this is why planting two and having cuttings available is always worth it when a plant may not be easily sourced.

Read more of Jaimie’s unusual edible plants on our website.

Midyim berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) by Melbourne Bushfood

[The material below is a summary of material from the Melbourne Bushfood website. Melbourne Bushfood sells a wide range of bush foods (both the foods themselves and the plants) which you can buy either online or at their shop at 49 Sparks Avenue, Fairfield, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm.]

The midyim berry has numerous, small, sweet berries which are best eat raw. They are one of the tastiest native fruits, with a touch of eucalypt and spice. The berries appear in late autumn.

The plant grows to around 50cm in both height and width. Grow in full sun (or part-shade with less fruiting). Suitable for growing in pots.

One plant can yield over 1kg of berries with correct care, with correct watering, fertilising and pruning key to a large bounty. They are generally drought tolerant but can experience problems with overwatering so water only when the soil becomes dry, and make sure the soil is well-draining. Fertilise with a native fertiliser immediately after harvesting and regularly spray with a seaweed solution. Trim lightly after harvesting to keep the plant bushy and well maintained.

Read about more bushfoods on our website.

Angelo Eliades’ articles

Lynn Wallace has written in.

“I do like Angelo’s articles. So science based and practical. Thank you, Angelo.”

[Editor: I agree, which is why I highlight all of his new articles plus index his previous articles on our website.]

“In last week’s newsletter, Angelo’s article about spent coffee grounds included a link to a previous article that he wrote about worm farms, which I also read.

“As I live on a property with 100% tank/rain water, it has never occurred to me that town tap water would be unsuitable for worm farms. Not everyone can produce lovely pure rainwater for themselves, let alone their worms. Maybe a trick that a friend used whilst stationed in New Delhi might help. The potable water there was treated quite heavily, with chlorine levels quite high. To remedy this, residents filled green or brown wine or beer bottles with the treated water. Left in the sun for a day, the chemicals evaporated (maybe Angelo knows the science!) and the water was sweet. Surprisingly, the water tasted a bit different depending on what colour the bottle was. I have since used this method in my home when living in a city with treated water. I stopper the bottles or not, depending on likelihood of debris getting in. Easy enough to do and problem solved, hopefully.

“ps. Angelo’s fruit fly traps are working a treat in my orchard. Several seasons of bad infestations have been followed by two seasons of lovely clean fruit and fruit flies (plus other nasties) in the traps. Both economical and effective.”

Powerhouse Cheese is no more

Following last week’s guide to local cheese, I have just found out that one of the cheesemakers listed – Powerhouse Cheese – is no more. That’s a great pity as they were, with their stinky cheeses, probably the most unique of the local cheesemakers. Thanks for the heads up, Chris Chapple!

Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre’s compost hub

During 2023, they processed 36,000Kg of food waste in their compost hub. Watch this video about the person who cycles round collecting the food waste. Read more about their compost hub.

Catfacing and sunscald tomatoes

The Kevin Heinze GROW garden has reported that they have had both catfacing and sunscald tomatoes this year – see the left hand and right hand photos below respectively.

  

They think that catfacing tomatoes are edible but that sunscald ones are not. From a brief Google search, the internet appears to think that both are edible.

Catfacing can happen when something goes wrong in either flower formation or pollination (read more on Wikipedia). Sunscalding can happen when the fruit is exposed to too much sun (read more on Wikipedia).

A new seed library at Bundoora Park

There is a new seed library at Bundoora Park Community Garden, Bundoora Park, 1069 Plenty Road, Bundoora. Read more on the Darebin Food Harvest Network website.

This is the 6th seed library in Darebin and the 19th that I am aware of in North East Melbourne. See the map on our website. If you know of any others, drop me a line.

All the seed libraries operate on a similar philosophy, namely:

  • Take – visit a seed library and take the seeds you would like to grow.
  • Grow – grow the seeds at home, but leave at least one plant to go to seed.
  • Save – save some seeds for next year from the healthiest plants.
  • Share – return some of the saved seeds to the seed library.

Renown Street Community Orchard

Renown Street Community Orchard, in Coburg North, was first established in 2018 and comprises numerous fruit trees plus some spots for annual veggies and plenty of herbs and flowers. Over the years, they have transformed the space from an unloved patch of weedy grass to a thriving, productive organic garden where a community of gardeners of diverse backgrounds and skill levels can learn and grow together.

The orchard sits on a parcel of Melbourne Water-owned land on Wurundjeri country, with the piped Merlynston Creek flowing underneath.

The orchard is open to the public and they are always looking for more people to join their orchard community, with the aim that lots of people will feel a sense of shared ownership of the orchard and feel comfortable to go along to do some gardening whenever they feel the desire. They have working bees from time to time, as publicised on their Facebook page.

Welcome Drew and colleagues!

13 community gardens in Merri-Bek now have pages on our website.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On next Sunday’s show (28th January), Ann Stanley will interview Louise Ward about global gardens of peace. Listen on 3CR (855 AM), 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Podcasts of all previous episodes are available on their website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Angelo’s article about whether or not coffee grounds can be used as a fertiliser in the garden.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

What do you get if you divide a pumpkin’s circumference by its diameter? Pumpkin pie.

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

If you are planning to go to a food swap or community garden over the next week, it would be prudent to check with them first that the event is actually happening because some of the regular activities don’t actually take place during January.

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Introduction to meadmaking (3 sessions); Saturdays 10th February (9am-midday), 24th February (10am-midday) and 9th March (10am-midday); $50; Eltham.

The cost of $50 includes membership of the guild until July 2024. You will also need to pay for the cost of your ingredients and utensils (expected to total around $65). Mead is the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage and uses honey as the primary fermentable sugar. This course will explore how to brew modern meads. Over the 3 sessions, you will be guided through the process and make your first mead. More specifically: the first session will cover learning about mead; the second, monitoring the ferment and potential problems; and the third, racking, tasting, finalising and bottling. Organised by Eltham & District Winemakers Guild.

Wicking pots and sun stress protection; Friday, 16th February, 9.30-10.30am; free; Princes Hill.

Yarra City Council’s Urban Agriculture team will demonstrate the construction of wicking pots (self-watering pots) and provide simple tips to minimise heat and sun stress through planning and maintaining your growing space, whether it be on a balcony, courtyard or something larger. Organised by My Smart Garden.

Community food aid festival; Sunday, 25th February, 11am-3pm; free; Edendale.

There will be some information stalls where you can learn about some of the local food aid organisations plus issues of food insecurity and food waste. They will be launching their Creative community cookbook – fighting waste and fighting hunger. There will also be food, music and activities for children (such as face painting). Organised by Diamond Valley Community Support.

Whittlesea Garden Expo; Saturday, 2nd March and Sunday, 3rd March, both 9am-3pm; $8; Whittlesea.

Guest speakers: Chloe Thomson and Melissa King. Around 40 stalls, including plants, flowers, pots, garden tools, garden design and garden art. Food, music and drinks.

Grow your veggie garden; Saturday, 16th March, 10-11am; $25 ($25 per hour); Kinglake.

Do you know how to prepare and get the best from your garden? Unsure what to plant and when? Go along learn what to do with the land you have, how to best prepare the area and the soil, and what to plant and how. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Edible weeds; Saturday, 16th March, 10am-midday; $70 ($35 per hour); CERES.

Learn about the seasonal edible weeds that thrive in Melbourne’s inner north and gain knowledge about the plants’ culinary, medicinal and ecological uses. This session will also include a demonstration, and sampling, of prepared edible weeds. Presenter: Lauren Mueller.

Growing nutrient dense food; Saturday, 16th March, 10am-3pm; $145 ($29 per hour); CERES.

This workshop will introduce you to growing better quality, nutrient rich produce at home even if you only have a tiny growing space. It will include: selecting your crops; transforming your soil by focusing on the soil food web; an introduction to soil minerals and going beyond NPK; creating nutrient rich composts; fertilising your plants for maximum nutrition; and harvesting and preparing produce to maintain nutrients. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Jenny’s garden open garden; Saturday, 16th March and Sunday, 17th March, both 10am-4.30pm; $10; Canterbury.

There is a mini orchard, including a quince, a pear, a lemon and several apple trees. There is also a bed of raspberries and a large potager garden, replete with tomatoes, rhubarb, asparagus, culinary herbs and other seasonal crops. Organised by Open Gardens Victoria.

The Herb and Chilli Festival; Saturday, 16th March and Sunday, 17th March, both 10am-5pm; $27; Wandin.

This festival will celebrate all things related to herbs and chillies. There will be stalls, demonstrations, talks, tastings, music and dance. There will be around 80 exhibitors.

Setting up a worm farm; Saturday, 16th March, 2-3.30pm; free; Edendale.

Learn how to set up a worm farm and the easiest methods to manage and care for these most hard-working of creatures. This workshop will cover both the theory and practice of worm farming in a household setting. It will be useful for those wishing to recycle household food waste in order to produce worm products for use in the improvement of soil in gardens and pot plants. Discounted worm farms will be available for sale on the day.

Local Sustainability Fair (Ringwood); Sunday, 17th March, 10am-2pm; free; Ringwood.

This will be a sustainably focused community family event incorporating information stands, crafters, food vendors, children’s activities, guest speakers, performers and many vendors selling sustainable products. Organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre

In January
In February
In March
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Buns and beer – cooking workshop at Molly Rose; Wednesday, 21st February, 6-8.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Collingwood.

Learn how to make a Taiwanese pepper bun. With a Molly Rose drink in hand, learn how to laminate a flaky Chinese-style dough, mix a pork filling, and fold and cook the buns. Presenter: Cristina Chang.

FFS … ferment four staples; Sunday, 25th February, 11.30am-4.30pm; $425 ($85 per hour); Fitzroy North.

This is a fermenting ‘101’ class, where you will learn about salt, different preserving techniques, two of the most popular cabbage recipes (kraut and kimchi), a drink (kvass) and all about SCOBYs, with a focus on milk kefir. At the end, you will sit down for a chat and a bite to eat, including fermented foods and drinks to taste. You will take home everything you make during the class: kimchi, sauerkraut, milk kefir butter, milk kefir with SCOBY, whey soda and kvass.

German easter baking with Claudia Loeber-Rab; Saturday, 16th March, 10am-1.30pm; $80 ($23 per hour); Camberwell.

Dive into the rich traditions of German baking, crafting Easter egg nests and intricately braided Easter bread. Presenter: Claudia Loeber-Rab. Organised by Camberwell Community Centre.

Tomato passata making workshop; Sunday, 17th March, 10-1pm; $10; Watsonia.

You will learn how to process tomatoes, sterilise jars/bottles and how to seal them. You will then have a pasta lunch. Take along some glass jars with lids (if you have some). Organised by Watsonia Neighbourhood House.

Thai chicken larb salad; Tuesday, 19th March, 10-11.30am; $28 ($19 per hour); Doncaster East.

Thai chicken larb salad is a celebration of fresh flavours and textures – the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, sour and spiciness with aromatic herbs and the fresh crunch from lettuce. Organised by Pines Learning.

In January
In February
In March
Regular classes

LFC News January 17

Jan 172024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amanda Wheeler, Ann Stanley, Christine Sammut, Norie Neumark, Robin Gale-Baker and Sam Holman.

Don’t be deceived by the downpour! (by Robin Gale-Baker)

Last week on Monday and Tuesday the skies opened and around 63mm of rain fell on Melbourne. Two days of steady, intense rainfall might suggest that the ground would be sodden. But this is not actually the case.

Several days later at the Sustainable Macleod Community Garden, in a bed open to the skies, those carrying out new planting found that, whilst the soil was moist on the surface, it was very dry beneath. While there were patches that were moist to a decent depth, most of the bed (which has had plenty of compost over time and was harvested just over 3 weeks ago and then prepared for a new crop) was quite dry. After the new planting, the bed required hours of drip irrigation.

This is not an uncommon occurrence. Soil can quickly dry out and become hydrophobic in hot, dry weather. To be certain that your soil is moist, you must regularly dig down to the root zone to ascertain the moisture content. Alternatively, use a moisture meter – a prong that you insert into the ground which gives a reading of moisture content. (The more expensive these are the more likely they are to be accurate – it is worth avoiding the cheaper ones). Keep in mind that roots absorb 97% of the water that a plant needs so the root zone is where water needs to be.

In its December statistics, the Melbourne Bureau of Meteorology reported that, in Viewbank (which is near me in Macleod), it rained on 16 days but that only 2 of these exceeded 10mm. In terms of watering, anything less than 10mm simply does not count – it is simply not enough to penetrate the ground – so effectively there were only 2 days of rain that could be considered adequate in December.

To summarise, you could be forgiven for thinking that 16 days of rainfall in December, plus 2 days of heavy rain last week, would render the soil well and truly moist to a reasonable depth but the proof is in the pudding – or in this case, in digging down to a spade’s depth and discovering for yourself whether or not your soil has received the benefit of recent rain.

Another local cheese maker – Stone & Crow Cheese

Stone & Crow Cheese, who are based in Warrandyte South, make a range of unique cow and goat cheeses, from soft to hard. Head Cheese Maker Jack Holman has been making cheese for more than 20 years, first at Yarra Valley Dairy (where he rose to become their head cheese maker) and then at Stone and Crow (which he founded). You can buy their cheese at a variety of local shops, including Rob Dolan Wines, which is where they are physically located (21-23 Delaneys Road). Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome Sam and Jack!

There are now 7 cheese makers in our Local Food Directory. Collectively, they cover wide range of cheeses, from hard to soft, from stinky to non-stinky, from goat to cow, and from Italian to uniquely Australian.

I’ve also updated my guide to local cheese. Here’s a table from that guide.

 
Name		  
Base		 What do
they sell?		 Where do they sell?
Own shop? Other shops? Online? Markets?
AVS Organic Foods Watsonia North vegan . yes yes .
Pantalica Cheese Thomastown Italian yes yes yes .
Stone & Crow Cheese Warrandyte South goat and cow . yes . .
That’s Amore Cheese Thomastown Italian, mainly soft yes yes yes .
The Cheese Rebels Epping . . . . .
Wholemilk Continental Cheese Company Heidelberg West Italian, mainly hard yes yes . .
Yarra Valley Dairy Yering goat and cow, mainly soft yes yes . .

 

Some more food swaps have ceased

Rosanna (was at Rosanna Fire Station Community House) and – unless someone tells me to the contrary – Mernda (was at Carome Homestead).

That brings the total down to 30 regular, local food swaps.

Want a job?

Garden Educator at the Fitzroy Learning Network

The Fitzroy Learning Network is seeking to recruit a Garden Educator to run their Introduction to urban gardening classes. These 2 hour classes will run each week in 2024 during term times and will cover such subjects as garden planning, what to plant where, setting up garden beds, propagation, pest control and vocational pathways. Hours: 3 hours per week during term times. Pay rate: $52 per hour. Closing date for applications: Sunday, 28th January. Read the position description, which includes the selection criteria and how to apply.

Strategic Communications Coordinator at Sustain in Preston

Sustain is seeking to recruit a Strategic Communications Coordinator to help lead the development and implementation of their communications strategy. Hours: 0.8FTE for 12 months. Pay rate: around $80,000 per annum pro rata. Based in Preston. Closing date for applications: Thursday, 25th January. Read the position description, which includes the selection criteria and how to apply.

At Oakhill Food Justice Farm in Preston

Sustain is seeking to recruit a Corporate Volunteer Coordinator and Oakhill Community Farmer. The volunteer coordination part is about running their education and corporate volunteer program. The Oakhill Farm part includes the day-to-day management of the farm. This position would suit someone interested in market gardening, building community and a fairer food system. Hours: 0.7FTE, with 0.4FTE on the volunteer coordination and 0.3FTE on Oakhill Farm. Closing date for applications: Thursday, 25th January. Read the position description, which includes the selection criteria and how to apply (scroll down to the second job on page).

More on food waste dehydrators

Last week, when talking about SEEDs communal garden’s new food waste dehydrator, I commented that it was “not clear exactly what is being produced“. In reaction, Norie Neumark, via Amanda Wheeler, has sent in a link to an article entitled The pros and cons of dehydrating food waste.

Here is one of the paragraphs from the latter article: “Dehydrated food waste is not compost … Dehydrated food may need to be re-hydrated to be effectively composted and should be blended with other compostable materials, such as green waste, and then be composted.”

Putting this another way, food waste dehydrators do what they say on the tin, namely produce dehydrated food waste.

Want to buy some food-related art?

As per the photo right, Bulleen Art and Garden currently has some paintings of pumpkins by Lynne Foard for sale.

Megan is taking a break

When the pandemic lockdowns started in 2020, I assumed that these newsletters would have to stop because of lack of material. But Megan Goodman jumped to the rescue with her weekly Meg’s social isolation week articles and recipes. Then, once face-to-face activities resumed, she moved to a monthly contribution entitled Meg’s garden this month. That’s a total of 60 articles and 57 recipes. Megan is now taking some well-deserved long service leave. Thanks for all your contributions, Megan!

Potential use of coffee grounds as a fertiliser

Those of you with long memories may remember the debate in this newsletter during 2021 about the potential use of coffee grounds as a fertiliser. Jian Liu was a fan, whilst Sarah Hardgrove and Duncan Cocking were more sceptical.

Angelo Eliades has now waded into the discussion with a typically comprehensive analysis.

Read more of Angelos’ food-related articles.

Fun facts – growing pineapples

One of the overall points that Louis Glowinski made in his 1997 classic The complete book of fruit growing in Australia is that you can grow just about any fruit tree in Melbourne so long as you look after it appropriately. One of the fruits that I have been trying to grow is pineapples, which I grow in pots that I move into the greenhouse during Winter. I grow these pineapples by cutting off and planting the tops of organic, shop-bought pineapples.

One of my pineapples is currently in flower. Who would have guessed that pineapple flowers are small, purple and grow out of scales of the incipient pineapple?

Pineapple flowers are apparently usually pollinated by hummingbirds and hummingbirds don’t live in Australia. Luckily, however, pineapples are not technically fruit and apparently grow better when the surrounding flowers have not been pollinated.

Pineapple plants are monocarpic (i.e. they only flower once, then die).

Despite its common name, a pineapple plant is a bromeliad, not a pine nor an apple.

Read more food fun facts on our website.

Another video for you to watch

Chloe Thomson has visited Ting and Hannes’s garden in Coburg North. Their garden includes raised veggie beds, a two-bed composting system, a chook run and various DIY tee-pees and upcycled structures. They allow plants from the homegrown compost to grow in the garden, turning footpaths into mazes of cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchinis during summer.

We now have a total of 19 home garden videos on our website.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On next Sunday’s show (21st January), Ann Stanley will interview Jaimie Sweetman and Louise Ward about the Edible Forest in Dixons Creek. Listen on 3CR (855 AM), 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Podcasts of all previous episodes are available on their website, with the latest being interviews with Claire Smith on permaculture principles on 31st December and Henri Muniz on Downs Community Farm in Seaford on 7th January.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was The Veggie Empire’s new online shop.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

I decided to have scrambled eggs this morning … immediately after thinking “I’ll just flip this omelette.”

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

If you are planning to go to a food swap or community garden over the next week, it would be prudent to check with them first that the event is actually happening because some of the regular activities don’t actually take place during January.

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Urban foraging 101; 5 occurrences, each 10am-12.30pm, on Saturday, 20th January, Sunday, 21st January, Saturday, 10th February, Sunday, 11th February and Saturday, 2nd March; $90 ($36 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will help you find and identify a range of edible fruits, greens and flowers found in ‘wild’ urban spaces across Victoria. You will learn about the basic principles and protocols of foraging, and then move on to plant specifics. You will observe and interact with many types of fruit trees, edible green weeds and useful flowers. You will be shown the physical features you can use to correctly identify useful trees even when they’re not fruiting. You will discuss the types of locations where you can hunt for wild edibles in the future, and finally how to safely prepare and enjoy eating many of the foods we find. At the end you will have an outdoor picnic of hot and cold foraged foods. Overall, there will be around 1-2km of walking over grassy terrain involved.

Introduction to beekeeping (2 sessions); Saturday, 2nd March, 9.30am-4.30pm and Saturday, 9th March, 10.30am-12.30pm; $225 ($24 per hour); Blackburn North.

This all day program is highly interactive and includes a live hive opening on the following Saturday (9th March, 10.30am-12.30pm) as well as other hands-on skill building exercises. The background instruction includes equipment selection and bee biology in addition to details of the Apiary and Biosecurity Codes of Practice. Included in the course fee are a comprehensive handbook and a copy of the textbook The Australian Beekeeping Manual, 2nd Ed. (which retails at $60). Organised by The Beekeepers Club.

Companion planting and mini market; Saturday, 2nd March, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; Montrose.

Pat will discuss how plants can support each in the garden. Following the talk, the Montrose Community Cupboard will have a mini market. Those attending the talk will enter the market first.

Potato fest; Saturday, 2nd March, 4-7pm; free; Bellfield.

Help them eat all of the 72kg of potatoes that were harvested in January 2024. Create your own jacket potato with BYO toppings. Organised by Bellfield Community Garden.

Food waste solutions – Bev Middleton; Sunday, 3rd March, 12.30-1.45pm; free; Edendale.

This outdoor session will explore practical solutions you can use for your food waste. There will be lots of other climate-related events at the same venue on the same day. See their event list. Presenter: Bev Middleton. Organised by the Nillumbik Climate Action Team.

In January
In February
In March
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Tea blending workshop; Sunday, 21st January, 11am-12.30pm; $60 ($40 per hour); Brunswick East.

You will be given a quick history of tea and a tea tasting of some of the most unique teas from around the world. Learn about the intricacies of creating balanced tea blends from various types of teas, herbs, flowers and spices. You will then make a personalised tea blend to take home from a chosen tea base (green, black, rooibos or herbal) plus floral, citrus and native ingredients. Presenter: Amy Freund, from Crafternoon Tea.

Cook Indian by the creek; Wednesday, 24th January, 6.30-8pm; $55 ($38 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: butter chicken and flatbread.

Mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella with Kristen Allan; Saturday, 10th February, 11am-4pm; $345 ($69 per hour); Fitzroy North.

You will learn how to make mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella cheese. They will discuss the story of milk, beginning with life in the soil, how different seasons and types of animal influence it’s composition and how to source and select the best quality, local milk for making cheese. You will take home around 1Kg of cheese. Lunch will be served.

Goat – soft cheeses with Kristen Allan; Saturday, 9th March, 11am-4pm; $345 ($69 per hour); Fitzroy North.

You will learn how to make goats curd chèvre, soft ripened cheese and cream cheese fromage frais. They will discuss the story of milk, beginning with life in the soil, how different seasons and types of animal influence it’s composition and how to source and select the best quality, local milk for making cheese. You will take home around 1Kg of cheese. Lunch will be served.

Sri Lankan Banquet; Friday, 15th March, 6-8pm; $35 ($18 per hour); Kinglake.

Learn how to prepare traditional Sri Lankan street food with fresh produce and lots of spice. The menu will comprise two curries and rice. Then share the meal in the company of others. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

In January
In February
In March
Regular classes

LFC News January 10

Jan 112024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Colleen Duggan, Jennie Ramage, Kate Anderson and Patrick Turnbull.

Growing green beans (by Jennie Ramage)

Here are my (Jennie) tips for a bumper crop of green beans:

  • Plant bean seeds in a place that has previously grown tomatoes/capsicums/eggplants (following the principles of crop rotation).
  • If following moon phase planting, plant the seeds in the waxing moon phase as the moon changes from a dark moon to a full moon.
  • Wait until at least late October to plant beans, when the chance of cold weather has passed (mostly passed, in Melbourne anyway).
  • For a continuous supply of beans through summer, start planting dwarf beans in late October and climbing beans one month later.
  • A further, late planting of climbing beans in January should produce beans until May.
Dwarf beans only
  • Stronger, taller plants will result if they are given support. Place stakes at either end of the row, with twine every few inches on either side of the row (see photo left below).
Climbing beans only
  • Use prunings from bamboo or fruit trees for long and thin supports (see photo right below) or place supports in a circle and tie at the top for a tee-pee.
  • Plant 3 or 4 seeds around each support.
  • Help the plants twist around the supports when they are very young, then they’ll be off and away.

   

Both dwarf and climbing beans
  • As the plants begin to flower, water with a fine mist in the early morning to improve flower setting. Note that this should be a fine mist and does not replace a proper watering at root level which can be done as needed according to the weather.
  • Weed well when the plants are very young. Then mulch with pea straw, which reduces evaporative water loss from the soil, feeds the microorganisms of the soil, and prevents the soil splashing up on the plants at times of heavy rain.
  • When the beans begin to form, start picking a few even if they are not big yet. This encourages the plant to produce more seeds. The plant will then hopefully flower profusely and your bean crop will be plentiful! After a week or so of picking smallish-sized beans, wait until they grow to a normal size and then pick daily.
  • Pick the beans in the afternoon or evening. If you pick in the morning, the tiny new beans that are about 1cm long have a tendency to fall off when knocked. I don’t know why but this doesn’t seem to happen if you pick beans later in the day.
  • If the beans are curly instead of straight this means that the soil has been allowed to become too dry or that a sap-sucking insect is feasting on your beans. Good ventilation/space between the rows can help prevent this.
  • Feed the soil with liquid or solids from a worm farm.
  • Remember, the more you pick, the more you get! Pick daily and avoid letting any beans grow so large that they develop their seeds. This is because, once the plant has produced viable seed, it has achieved its biological purpose of producing the next generation and may well then stop flowering so you won’t be picking beans from this plant for much longer.
  • Have some good recipes at hand for a bumper crop! Read my recipe for green bean and almond salad.

Happy growing and eating!

Crop rotation and moon phase planting

As Jennie mentioned both crop rotation and moon phase planting in her article above, I thought that I would say a few words about each of them.

Crop rotation

Crop rotation is about where you should plant your veggies.

The basic idea of crop rotation is that there should be a considerable gap in time between plantings of veggies from the same family in the same place. This helps stop particular diseases building up and also gives the soil a rest from particular burdens placed on it.

The second idea is that, at any particular location, heavy feeders should, where possible, alternate with light feeders.

The diagram shows a possible 6-year rotation. Let’s assume that alliums (onions etc) are planted in bed 1 in year 1. Then (reading down the column in the diagram) that bed would be planted with cucurbits in year 2, roots in year 3, brassicas in year 4, legumes in year 5, solanums in year 6, alliums again in year 7, and so on. And (reading down the diagonal in the diagram) alliums would be planted in bed 2 in year 2, bed 3 in year 3, bed 4 in year 4, bed 5 in year 5, bed 6 in year 6, back in bed 1 in year 7, and so on.

Read a longer version of this discussion on our website.

Moon phase planting

Moon phase planting is about when during the month you should plant your veggies.

In moon phase planting, different types of veggie are planted at different times in the moon’s 29½-day lunar cycle. The basic idea/assumption/rationale is that one wants root crops to grow downwards, and thus when the upward pull of the moon is lessening, and thus when the moon is waning. By contrast, one wants leafy and fruity crops to grow upwards, and thus when the upward pull of the moon is increasing, and thus when the moon is waxing. This gives the following phasing:

  • 1st quarter: leafy – plant crops where one eats the leaves/foliage.
  • 2nd quarter: fruits – plant crops where one eats the fruit.
  • 3rd quarter: roots – plant root crops.
  • 4th quarter: have a rest!

The obvious reason for following moon phase planting is that you believe it will result in better veggies. But there are actually two other possible reasons for following it, namely that a) it helps to impose discipline on your veggie growing activities and/or that b) it helps to give your life cadence.

To do it for discipline reasons, you have to understand one of its major implications, which is that if you miss the relevant week then you won’t be able to try again for at least a month, and possibly up to a year. Consider capsicum seeds, which are best planted in August or September. There will be usually be precisely one week in August, and another in September, where the moon is in its 2nd quarter. So, you only have two opportunities in the whole year to plant capsicum seeds and if you miss both these opportunities then you won’t have any capsicum plants from seed. So, if you want homegrown capsicums from seed, then you have to be organised and disciplined to get your act together in these two weeks.

The cadence reason is probably only of potential relevance if you are not in paid work. Those of us who are retired know that days and weeks can flow into each other, with time passing and little rhythm to one’s life. Anything that makes one day different than another, or one week different than another, is welcome. (So, for example, writing this newsletter helps give my life cadence.)

The Veggie Empire’s new online shop

The Veggie Empire, who grow veggies in Greensborough, now have an online shop via The Open Food Network. As well as The Veggie Empire’s own produce, the shop also stocks produce from some other local farms, as well as bread and coffee from Craftwork Roasting Co. in Eltham. Either choose a ‘seasonal veggie box’ that includes veggies that the farmers have handpicked or choose your own produce from what’s available that week. The online shop is open from 9am Thursday to 6pm Sunday. You can get your order delivered straight to your door or pick it up from the farm on a Wednesday.

Some food swaps which have apparently ceased

It appears that the Collingwood Yards and Joe’s Market Garden food swaps have both ceased.

That brings the total number of food swaps in North East Melbourne down to 32.

SEEDs communal garden’s food waste dehydrator

SEEDs communal garden in Brunswick have historically had a thriving compost system but it was one of the casualties of the pandemic. During 2023, they decided, with the help of a grant from the State’s Circular Economy Communities Fund, to acquire an industrial food waste dehydrator as an alternative way of processing food waste. As I understand it, the machine produces something akin to compost in a 24 hour period (the Internet is not clear exactly what is being produced).

In the first 4 months of use, the SEEDs’ dehydrator processed 1,800Kgs of food waste.

I was alerted to this initiative by a Facebook post from DIVRS, who are in a food relief organisation in Preston, expressing their thanks for receipt of some of the product.

Sustainable Macleod’s total volume of food production

Sustainable Macleod Community Garden have announced that the community garden has produced 5,000Kg of fruit and vegetables since 2018.

Ann Stanley’s local hero of the month – Somer Elan

Somer Elan volunteers his time to save some of the food from supermarkets in Melbourne that would be otherwise be wasted and re-distributes it at The Really Really Free Market it to people who need it. The Really Really Free Market operates at the Catalyst Social Centre, 144 Sydney Road, Coburg every Wednesday (except for a short break in January) and it is part of a world-wide anarchist-inspired movement in which collectives of individuals take the direct action of setting up pop-up markets for free groceries. Somer participates in weekly dumpster dives, sets up the market and finds it satisfying to see people leave with several bags of perfectly good food that would have been wasted.

Listen to Ann’s recent interview with Somer.

The Really Really Free Market is always looking for more volunteers to help out. Contact them by message on their Facebook page. Read more about the movement.

Nominations please!

Would you like to nominate anyone to be our next hero of the month? If so, email us and Ann will be in contact. I really would like to receive some people’s names as it helps make the newsletter more relatable but last time I asked for nominations, there weren’t any. Could it be that the use of the word ‘hero’ is a bit over the top and therefore off-putting? If we simply called it ‘person of the month’ or ‘this week’s pen portrait’, could you nominate someone, including possibly yourself?]

On the subject of nominations, I would like to promote more newsletter reader websites. In 2023, we discussed 13 such websites but then the nominations dried up. If you have a website that you think some of our readership might be interested in, email us. The website doesn’t have to be about food.

And, finally, Ann still wants to visit some of the local community gardens and write up the results for this newsletter. If you would be happy for Ann to visit your community garden, email us.

Want to receive another local, food-related newsletter?

If so, you could do worse than sign up to receive the CERES Fair Food newsletter written by Chris Ennis. To give you a flavour, here is an extract from their latest edition. “Food … gives us many opportunities to get out of our heads. Working in Joe’s Market Garden, I used to chastise myself for slacking off – regularly finding myself standing in a dream, gazing across the rows into the half distance.
Slowly, I came to recognise this was a kind of composting of the soul, a breaking down and renewing of self that’s as essential to a human as regular compost is to soil.“.

They don’t have a specific page on their website where you sign up to receive the newsletter. Rather, it is part of the footer than appears on every page. So, for example, go to their contact page and scroll to the bottom.

A final word of warning: they do send out a lot of newsletters (more than one a week).

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On next Sunday’s show (14th January), Ann Stanley will interview Claire Smith about the permaculture principles 9-12. Listen on 3CR (855 AM), 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Podcasts of all previous episodes are available on their website, with the latest (24th December) being an interview with Chris Sprake from The Wellington, which is a community centre located in Collingwood.

Honey versus sugar

I recently came across this article, which I thought was quite interesting. Here is what I have learnt from my research.

Sugar is 50% fructose and 50% glucose. Honey is around 40% fructose, 30% glucose, 20% water and 10% other substances (including pollen and minerals). So, whereas sugar is a simple substance, honey is much more complex.

Because of the 10% of other substances, honey has a taste that goes beyond sweetness and this means, for example, that baked goods taste somewhat different if made using honey rather than sugar. Some of these other substances in honey may also have some health benefits.

In sugar, the fructose and glucose are bound together to form sucrose. In honey, however, the fructose and glucose are mostly unbound. One byproduct of this is that honey actually tastes sweeter than sugar.

Honey has an ability to retain moisture and baked goods made using honey may stay therefore moist and tender for longer periods of time than those made using sugar. This can be important for recipes where dryness is a concern, such as whole-grain bread or muffins.

Honey is about 50% heavier than sugar.

When substituting honey for sugar in a recipe, the formulae to use are not obvious because, as discussed above, honey has less sugars but tastes sweeter and is much heavier. A brief survey of the Internet suggests that substituting equal weights (not volumes) is reasonable. Because of the 20% water in honey, reduce the liquid in your recipe by a fifth of a cup for every cup of honey used. And potentially add a bit of baking soda to counteract the acidity of the honey.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Angelo’s article about growing passionfruit.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

Why do French people eat small breakfasts? One egg is an oeuf.

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

If you are planning to go to a food swap or community garden over the next week, it would be prudent to check with them first that the event is actually happening because some of the regular activities don’t actually take place during January.

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Urban farm excursion; Friday, 23rd February, 11am-1pm; free; Greensborough.

Take a tour of The Veggie Empire’s local urban farm. Meet the farm’s team, take a tour with Josh and Scott, harvest fresh produce, and then join Chika from Greenhills in the gardens for a lunch made and enjoyed on-site. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Mushrooms growing; Sunday, 25th February, 10am-4pm; $195 ($33 per hour); CERES.

In this hands-on introductory workshop, you will learn: the secrets to successfully growing oyster mushrooms at home; inoculation, sterilisation and basic mycology; and how to start master cultures. Presenter: Buttons Mira from The Mushroomery.

Wangim cups; Tuesday, 27th February, 6.30-7.30pm; free; Reservoir.

Learn about the Wangim Cup project – a circular economy, zero waste, re-usable coffee cup initiative in Darebin. Local cafes from across Darebin can participate. Patrons can use a cup at no extra cost and all you need to do is return the cup to any participating Wangim cafe.

Complete urban farmer (14 sessions); starting Wednesday, 28th February, 9am-3pm; $1,150 ($14 per hour); CERES.

The topics to be covered will include: permaculture; fruit production; soil preparation; beekeeping; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks; and community gardens. Presenter: Justin Calverley.

Organic gardening for beginners (2 sessions); Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March, 10am-2.30pm; $85 ($9 per hour); Richmond.

The course will cover: garden design – from raised beds to orchards; soil composition – get the dirt on dirt; propagating and seed sowing; four seasons planning; and composting systems to suit your needs. Presenter: Kath Jones. Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre.

The Prosecco Festival; Saturday, 2nd March, 11am-10.30pm; $70; Abbotsford.

There will be around 40 different proseccos to taste and all tastings are included in the ticket price. There will also be food and music.

Summer vegetables illustration (4 sessions); consecutive Thursdays, starting 7th March, 10am-midday; $144 ($18 per hour); Forest Hill.

Make some cool veggie art. Using pencils and watercolours, students will learn about the application of paint, look at composition and colour mixing while using a restricted palette. Take your own materials.

In January
In February
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Cook Indian by the creek for kids; Thursday, 18th January, 11am-midday; $40 ($40 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: flatbread parantha and mint raita.

Cook Indian by the creek for kids; Monday, 22nd January, 11am-midday; $45 ($45 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: chicken tikka skewers and roti wrap.

Yes chef! Cooking for preschoolers (4 sessions); on 4 consecutive Thursdays, starting 15th February, 2-3pm; $136 ($34 per hour); Coburg North.

Children will need to be supervised by their parent(s) for each session. Week 1 – prepare your environment (set up the space, discuss how to work together and learn how to make a list). Week 2 – safety, hygiene and identifying strengths. Week 3 – preparation and storage (how to peel veg and how to store foods). Week 4 – team building (make pasta dough, how to anticipate what might be needed next and how satisfying cleaning up can be). Presenter: Cook Murph from Suntop Plaza. Organised by NECCHi.

Yusheng and dumplings; Saturday, 24th February, 11am-1pm; $28 ($14 per hour); Forest Hill.

Exploring the world of vegetarian cooking in this Chinese New Year celebration: yusheng and dumplings. Taste and take home your creations.

Zero waste cooking workshop; Sunday, 25th February, 10am-1pm; $25 ($8 per hour); Brunswick.

Learn cooking techniques and recipes that lead to zero waste cooking, getting the most out of produce in order to be both environmentally and financially sustainable. Presenter: Tony Chiodo. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Thai BBC classics; Sunday, 25th February, 10am-2pm; $190 ($48 per hour); Panton Hill.

You will re-create Thailand’s flame-grilled Isaan chicken with a coriander pepper paste marinade and green papaya salad and sticky rice and a side dish of north-eastern eggplant or fish laab. You will learn: using a mortar and pestle to bruise green papaya; lighting and tending charcoal; and how to use a sticky rice powder to add a textural element to your salads. At the end, eat a shared lunch with a local beverage of your choice. Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree.

Mexican cooking; Sunday, 25th February, 10am-3pm; $150 ($30 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to work with fresh seasonal ingredients, traditional spices and ancient grains to create authentic Mexican meals. At the end of the workshop, you will sit down together for a shared feast of your own making. The menu will include corn tortillas (make your own), guacamole, traditional salsa verde, Mexican rice, re-fried pinto beans, Juanita’s pulled pork tacos, mole poblano (with chicken) and agua de jamaica. Presenter: Juanita from Juanita’s Kitchen.

Fermented soda workshop; Thursday, 29th February, 6.30-8pm; $110 ($73 per hour); Collingwood.

Discover the goodness of fermented soda, brimming with probiotics, compared to traditional sugary options. Learn about the basics of fermented drinks. Make three soda flavours. Presenter: The Fermented Mumma.

No waste cook club 18-25 years (4 sessions); on Fridays, starting 1st March, 11am-2pm; $107 ($27 per hour); Coburg.

Each week, you will cook and share a vegetarian meal with others using donated surplus food. In so doing, you will learn different recipes and cooking skills, including: cook healthy plant-based meals on a budget; grocery shop; plan meals; and gain knowledge on general nutrition, food safety, and storage. You will also get a bag of free, fresh groceries each week. Organised by Open Table.

Gnocchi making class; Saturday, 2nd March, 10am-1pm; $140 ($47 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: how to make fluffy potato gnocchi with a four cheese sauce; and how to make easy ricotta gnocchi with a cavolo nero pesto. What you will get: Italian style lunch and drinks; and a That’s Amore apron to take home. Host: Pia Gava. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Fermenting at home; Saturday, 2nd March, 10am-1pm; $120 ($40 per hour); CERES.

You will learn the basics of making your own sauerkraut, fermented seasonal vegetables and kombucha plus how to use fermented products in day-to-day life. You will take home your own jars of vegetables to ferment at home plus a kombucha SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Presenter: Lauren Mueller.

Macarons workshop; Saturday, 2nd March, 2-4pm; $102 ($51 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will pass on her techniques for making macarons. Take an apron. A limit of 4 participants in total. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Sourdough bread baking; Sunday, 3rd March, 9am-5pm; $220 ($28 per hour); CERES.

You will: make a variety of different breads, gaining the skills and confidence to make your own at home; enjoy some of your own handmade pizza for lunch; and take home some leaven to get you started baking bread at home. Presenter: Ken Hercott.

Sri Lankan cooking class; Monday, 4th March, 6-8.30pm; $90 ($36 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Experience the tastes, smells and sounds of Sri Lankan cooking. You will learn how to make a chicken curry dish, dhal with spinach and brinjal moju (eggplant) alongside Sri Lankan special yellow rice. Afterwards, you will sit down and enjoy a Sri Lankan feast. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

Sourdough basics; Wednesday, 6th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $120 ($60 per hour); Collingwood.

The Fermented Mumma will discuss ingredient selection, starter care, and the processes of sourdough fermentation and baking. At the end, you will take your fermenting dough home to bake in the morning.

Japanese cooking 101: Chika’s Japanese home cooking (3 sessions); on 3 consecutive Fridays, starting 8th March, 1-2pm.; $80 ($27 per hour); Greensborough.

Week 1: dashi stock and miso soup. Week 2: gohan (steamed rice) and onigirazu (rice sandwich). Week 3: vegetarian side dishes. Presenter: Chika. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

In January
In February
Regular classes

LFC News January 3

Jan 042024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Bev Middleton, Brendan Bolton, Bruce Plain, Rob Body and Teresa Day.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On next Sunday’s show (7th January), Ann Stanley will interview Henry Muniz, from the Down’s Community Farm in Seaford. Listen on 3CR (855 AM), 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Podcasts of all previous episodes are available on their website, including:

Can you help Kevin Heinze GROW?

The Kevin Heinze GROW nursery in Doncaster needs an upgraded irrigation system. To do this, they need to raise around $6,000. Read more and potentially donate.

Mitcham Community Meal

Mitcham Community Meal provides a free community dinner every Sunday evening, where each meal is cooked by a different local community group. During December, the cooking teams were Crossway Life De Vine, Mitcham Baptist Church and Team Tulsi (see photo right). Look at some photos of these teams, plus those of previous teams.

Some suggested reading

Making olive oil

Newsletter reader Brendan Bolton has written a paper on community olive oil initiatives in Victoria and elsewhere in Australia.

Growing passionfruit

Newsletter reader Angelo Eliades has written an article entitled How to grow and prune passionfruit vines for maximum fruiting.

Read more of Angelo’s food growing articles.

A zucchini flower with multiple stamens

Male zucchini flowers usually have a single long stamen in the centre of the flower with pollen on it but Rob Body has sent in this photo of a male flower with multiple stamens. Rob is using the pollen to hand pollinate some of his female flowers.

  
I thought that it might be helpful to say a few words about why this is (arguably) newsworthy.

For a flower to produce seeds, the female parts of the flower have to receive pollen from the male parts of a flower of the same species. Depending on both species and circumstances, the female and male parts might be from the same flower, from different flowers on the same plant, or from flowers on different plants. And the transmission of the pollen can be by bees, other critters, wind or gravity.

In most plant species, all the flowers are both female and male. The diagram right illustrates, and also shows the botanical names for the various parts. The male part is called a stamen. The number of stamens in a single flower varies by plant species, from one to many.

Unusually, zucchinis (and other cucurbits such as pumpkins and rockmelons) have separate female and male flowers on the same plant and the male flowers have a single stamen only.

Why do zucchinis (and other cucurbits) have separate female and male flowers, you might ask, wouldn’t pollination be simpler if the male parts of a flower could simply pollinate the female part of that flower? Well, from an evolutionary perspective, plants exclusively pollinating themselves (‘self-pollination’) leads, over time, to genetic uniformity and thus less ability for the species to cope with changes in circumstances. For this reason, most plants have methods for avoiding or discouraging self-pollination and the cucurbit method is to have separate female and male flowers, which at least stops a flower pollinating itself (the method of humans is for men to exist!).

Whereas self-pollination is a problem in nature (because of genetic uniformity), it is a benefit for human-cultivated plants (because it makes pollination more likely to occur), particularly if a flower can pollinate itself (because no bees are then necessary). For this reason, many edible plants have, through human selection over time, become self-pollinators. For example, most tomato flowers pollinate themselves. But flowers pollinating themselves is obviously not an option for cucurbits and hence cucurbit flowers are less likely to become pollinated than, for example, tomato flowers. In reaction, many people hand pollinate their cucurbits to increase the chances of pollination, where hand pollination involves brushing the innards of a male flower with a brush or equivalent to pick up the pollen and then brushing the innards of a female flower with the brush to deposit the pollen.

Hand pollination is not strictly necessary for cucurbits because bees will usually do the job for you. But it is necessary for sweetcorn (which also has separate male and female flowers) because it is wind pollinated (rather than bee pollinated) and the wind is not very effective at pollinating the small areas of sweetcorn that are grown in backyards.

Another video by Simone Boyd on Egyptian walking onions

Newsletter reader Simone’s new video is about when Egyptian walking onions should be harvested.

Previous Simone videos on Egyptian walking onions include how to plant them and how to use them.

Egyptian walking onions (Allium × proliferum) are unique because, as well as growing normal shallot-like onions underground, they also grow miniature onions at the tops of their stalks (see photo)! As these miniature onions, called bulblets, grow, the stalk bends under their weight until the bulblets touch the ground some distance from the parent plant. They then (with a bit of luck) take root and create new plants. Or you can cut them off and plant them yourself. They average, say, 4 bulblets per stalk, so the number of plants can quickly multiply. They are both fun and easy to grow.

It is pretty obvious why these onions are called walking, but why Egyptian?

You don’t know? Ok, here is another question for you: what was The Bangles’ greatest hit?

Some suggested viewing – soil

Bruce Plain suggests that you watch the following two videos: If no-till is so great, why isn’t everyone doing it? and I stopped buying compost for two years.

Both videos are by the same person, Jesse Frost, and he is obviously both articulate and knowledgeable about soil issues. He has also written a book, called The living soil handbook.

Which plants where?

Which plants where is a free Australian website that helps you decide what plants to plant in your garden. More specifically, under ‘search by location’, you enter your postcode plus various other filters and it gives you a list of plants that fit were those criteria and can be grown in your postcode. So, for example, I filtered by ‘height less than a metre’, ‘can be grown in full shade’ and ‘clay soil’ and it gave me a list of 25 species.

Note that, although it is free, you have to sign up and then log in. If you don’t, then it penalises you by giving your completely erroneous results!

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the Really Really Free Market in Coburg.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

If the tomato is technically a fruit, does that mean ketchup is a smoothie?

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

If you are planning to go to a food swap or community garden over the next week, it would be prudent to check with them first that the event is actually happening because some of the regular activities don’t actually take place during January.

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

The role of dingoes in our ecosystem; Friday, 5th May, 5-8pm; $22 ($7 per hour); Ivanhoe East.

Between 6pm and 7pm, Zali Jestrimski will talk about her study and work on dingoes, and running the dingo education centre at Wooleen Station in WA. She will discuss the role of dingoes in our ecosystem and their use in managing the feral animals. Light refreshments and drinks at bar prices will be available berfore and after the talk.

Not face-to-face but interesting

Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) have organised a series of online classes during January with the overall theme of new year, greener garden. You can book individual sessions (see the details below) or all five for $150.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Gardening for renters; Monday, 22nd January, 7-8pm; free; Lalor.

Kathleen Tants will discuss how to have a thriving produce garden in your rental home and how to grow your produce in a non-permanent way.

Get buzzy with Ben’s beeswax wrap workshop; Tuesday, 23rd January, 10-11.30am; free; Croydon.

Learn about bees and their by-products. Make your own beeswax wrap and take it home. Presenter: Ben from Ben’s Bees.

Basic inoculation workshop; Saturday, 27th January, 2-4pm; $87 ($44 per hour); Alphington.

You will get a hands-on go at inoculating your own mushrooms. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 2-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Presenter: Buttons. Organised by The Mushroomery.

Introduction to food photography; Sunday, 28th January, 9.30am-12.30pm; $119 ($40 per hour); Warrandyte.

This class is for food bloggers, bakers, restaurant/cafe owners or anybody who loves food and wants it to look good. It will focus on taking great images of food using your own, or easily obtainable, equipment. It will cover such aspects as: choosing the right lens; choosing the right background, props and accessories; lighting; and software.

The herbal apprentice (8 sessions); starting Friday, 2nd February, 10am-3pm; $995 ($21 per hour); CERES.

The course will include the following topics: medicinal plant cultivation; introduction to plant identification and botany; understanding common ailments; herbal language and terminology; patterns of traditional western herbalism; plant chemistry basics; introduction to medicine making; botanical animism and community supported herbalism. Presenter: Taj Scicluna, aka The Perma Pixie.

Summer fruit tree pruning; Saturday, 3rd February, 9am-1pm; $65 ($19 per hour); Edendale.

Many of us focus on winter as the best time to prune our fruit trees but some fruit trees benefit much more from summer pruning (e.g. stone fruit). Learn how to best care for your fruit trees for health and to maximise your yield for next season. What you will learn: winter versus summer pruning; and how to shape and improve fruiting with summer pruning. Facilitated by Justin Calverley. Take your gardening gloves, a hat and a pair of secateurs.

Composting and mini market; Saturday, 3rd February, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; Montrose.

Pat will discuss composting, the different types and the ways that we can use it. Following the talk, the Montrose Community Cupboard will have a mini market. Those attending the talk will enter the market first.

Urban wine walk; Saturday, 3rd February, midday-4pm; $82; Richmond.

This is a self-guided wine tasting experience, where you choose the order in which you visit the various venues. The ticket includes 30 complementary tastings, a $10 food voucher, a $25 voucher for wine orders and a tasting glass. The participating venues and winemakers: Attria Wine Bar with Nomads Garden Wine; Corner Hotel with Susuro Wines; Klae with Pizzini Wines; Maeve Fox with Zonzo Estate; The Blacksmith Bar with Xanadu Wines; The Posty with Small Boots; The Precinct Hotel with Yering Station; Ugly Duckling with Tokar Estate; and Waygood  with Alkimi Wines.

In-depth mushroom cultivation workshop; Sunday, 4th February, 10am-4pm; $149 ($25 per hour); Alphington.

You will learn the growing methods for oyster mushrooms, including inoculation & sterilisation, and be introduced to basic mycology. You will undertake practical sessions and learn how to start master cultures. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 5-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Presenter: Button. Organised by The Mushroomery.

The Haven open garden; Sunday, 4th February, 10am-4.30pm; $10; Mooroolbark.

This garden shows the diversity of what you can grow in a small area. It focuses on growing in pots and alternative containers as a renter. A small food forest area has been planted and is in its infancy. Chooks add another dimension to the garden.

The aussie veggie patch open garden; Sunday, 4th February, 10am-4.30pm; $10; Mooroolbark.

This garden shows the variety of produce that can be grown on a suburban block in a space that also caters to bees and chickens. Tim follows organic processes and enjoys experimenting with companion planting to get the best results from his garden.

Buttenshaw Farm open garden; Sunday, 4th February, 10am-4.30pm; $10; Montrose.

Buttenshaw Farm is an organic and permaculture based micro-seed farm and productive garden.

Foraging course (5 sessions); Tuesday, 6th February, 6-7.30pm; $339 ($45 per hour); Coburg.

You will learn about: the importance of wild foods; medicine as food; the difference between cultivated foods and wild food; sustainable wildcrafting; safe foraging; identification, nutrition and properties of several plants; and recipes for each of the plants. Presenter: Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Beginners beekeeping course (5 sessions); on Wednesdays, starting 7th February, 7-9pm; $255 ($26 per hour); Kinglake.

Each week, discuss a topic that is pertinent to keeping a strong and healthy hive. By the end of the course, you will have gained an understanding of: bees and their behaviour; proper control of an apiary; hive management; honey and extracting; and tools and equipment, with some assembly of frames and woodwork. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Summer vegetables illustration (4 sessions); consecutive Thursdays, starting 8th February, 10am-midday; $144 ($18 per hour); Forest Hill.

Make some cool veggie art. Using pencils and watercolours, students will learn about the application of paint, look at composition and colour mixing while using a restricted palette. Take your own materials.

Permaculture Design Course (100 hours); Saturday, 10th February, 9am-4.30pm; $2,350 ($24 per hour); CERES.

The course will comprise a combination of Wednesday evenings (6.30-9.30pm), weekend days (9.30am-4.30pm) and two weekend visits. It is a classroom-based, theoretical course with site visits, not a gardening course. Participants will develop: an appreciation of the fundamentals of permaculture and the historical context in which it was developed; an ability to incorporate ecological and energy literacy/understanding in the design process; an ability to read patterns in landscapes and understand how they influence design choices; an understanding of the design processes and the conceptual design tools used in permaculture, as background for later application topics; an ability to design food production and other agricultural systems in appropriate landscapes; an understanding of how communities function and how permaculture concepts can be used to build functional communities; an understanding of how trading functions and how permaculture concepts can be used to build more equitable economic systems; an understanding of how settlements can be designed to meet human needs on a sustainable basis; an understanding of how buildings can be designed to meet human needs on a sustainable basis; an appreciation of the technologies that are available to assist in building sustainable lifestyles – renewable energies and conservation of non-renewable resources; and a confidence in one’s ability to make a difference at the individual level. Trainers: Beck Lowe, Joel Meadows, Kat Lavers, Monique Miller and Taj Scicluna.

Small space gardening; Saturday, 10th February, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

You will learn: how to maximise your small space to create an abundant oasis of food, herbs and ornamentals; and container gardening techniques and principles. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Beginners backyard beekeeping; Sunday, 11th February, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.

Learn everything from the inner workings of a beehive to the healing properties of raw honey. You will learn how to maintain a healthy hive, discover the wonders of swarms and how to keep them in check. Weather permitting, they will also open a hive and have a hands-on demonstration. Presenter: Ashton Edgley.

Traditional wooden spoon carving; Sunday, 11th February, 10am-4pm; $145 ($29 per hour); CERES.

Learn the traditional craft of carving your own kitchen utensils using specialised carving knives and your hands. From a piece of sustainably sourced native timber carve spoons, butter spreaders, spatulas or spurtles from a piece of wood. You will learn: an age-old craft and discover the sense of meditation and slowness to be found in whittling life’s essential objects; and about sourcing sustainable materials, the basics of traditional tool use, and how to safely turn a log into your favourite wooden utensil. Presenter: Alma Arriaga.

Introduction to permaculture (4 sessions); on consecutive Mondays starting 12th February, 10am-2.30pm; $60 ($3 per hour); Edendale.

To be eligible for the government subsidised fee, you need to be either a permanent resident and/or an Australian Citizen/New Zealand Citizen and not enrolled in mainstream secondary school. This practical, hands-on course will give you an understanding of what permaculture is and how it can be applied in both a home garden setting and a commercial setting.

Introduction to horticulture and permaculture (15 sessions); starting Wednesday, 14th February, 10am-3pm; $1,050 ($14 per hour); CERES.

This course is designed as a taster for those who are unsure as to whether accredited training is for them, or whether horticulture and/or permaculture is the right pathway, or who are simply not able to commit to a full course at this stage. The three units offered (recognise plants; assist with soil or growing media sampling and testing; and plant and maintain permaculture crops) have been selected from the Certificate II in Horticulture and Certificate II in Permaculture. Presenter: Abigail Jabines.

Get buzzy with Ben’s beeswax wrap workshop; Wednesday, 14th February, 12.30-2.30pm; free; Bayswater North.

Learn about bees and their by-products. Make your own beeswax wrap and take it home. Presenter: Ben from Ben’s Bees.

Complete urban farmer (14 sessions); starting Thursday, 15th February, 9am-3pm; $1,150 ($14 per hour); CERES.

The topics to be covered will include: permaculture; fruit production; soil preparation; beekeeping; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks; and community gardens. Presenter: Justin Calverley.

Urban wine walk; Saturday, 17th February, midday-4pm; $82; Collingwood.

This is a self-guided wine tasting experience, where you choose the order in which you visit the various venues. The ticket includes 30 complementary tastings, a $10 food voucher, a $25 voucher for wine orders and a tasting glass. The participating venues and winemakers: Bad Frankie with Dazma Wine Company; Commis with Vinteloper; Glou with Tillie J Wines; Goldy’s Tavern with Alle Vare Wines; Hotel Collingwood with Mary’s Myth Wines; Molly Rose Brewing with Little Brunswick Wine Co.; Paradise Alley with Dr Edge; The Craft & Co with Concrete & Clay; and The Mill Brewery with Blood Moon Wines.

North Fitzroy urban agriculture walk; Wednesday, 21st February, 10.30am-midday; free; Fitzroy North.

Join them for a walking tour of Fitzroy North’s urban agricultural spaces. Learn about the local community gardens, neighbourhood houses, Indigenous habitat gardens, and how you and your neighbours can grow food together to save money on groceries.

Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Preserving summer fruits; Thursday, 11th January, 10.30am-midday; free; Thomastown.

Maria, from My Green Garden, will discuss how to preserve all your summer fruits.

Cooking with induction; Saturday, 13th January, 10-11am; free; Camberwell.

Open Table who will demonstrate how easy it is to cook nutritious, healthy, low emissions meals on an induction cooktop.

Cooking with induction; Saturday, 13th January, midday-1pm; free; Camberwell.

Open Table who will demonstrate how easy it is to cook nutritious, healthy, low emissions meals on an induction cooktop.

Kids cupcake decorating workshop; Tuesday, 16th January, 11am-1pm; $56 ($28 per hour); Doreen.

For children aged 7-15. You will decorate 4 vanilla bean cupcakes. You will learn: how to fill a piping bag; how to colour buttercream; and piping techniques with 3 different piping tips. Host: Priyanka.

Kombucha brewing (young and old); Tuesday, 16th January, 1-3pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Does your child love drinking kombucha but you know it’s not the real thing? Kombucha brewing is easy and fun! This is brewing for beginners – kids as well – (8-15 years old). You will go home with your own SCOBY ready to brew at home plus a bottle of kombucha that you flavour during the class.

Healthy cooking demonstration; Thursday, 18th January, 6.30-8pm; free; Mill Park.

Julia, from Green Karma, will demonstrate some recipes that are money-savers and also sustainable.

Cooking with bean curd; Saturday, 20th January, 11am-1pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Forest Hill.

Explore a wide range of bean curd products, including tofu and fermented soybeans.

FFS … ferment four staples; Saturday, 20th January, 11.30am-4.30pm; $425 ($85 per hour); Fitzroy North.

This is a fermenting ‘101’ class, where you will learn about salt, different preserving techniques, two of the most popular cabbage recipes (kraut and kimchi), a drink (kvass) and all about SCOBYs, with a focus on milk kefir. At the end, you will sit down for a chat and a bite to eat, including fermented foods and drinks to taste. You will take home everything you make during the class: kimchi, sauerkraut, milk kefir butter, milk kefir with SCOBY, whey soda and kvass.

Feta, halloumi and mascarpone with Kristen Allan; Saturday, 27th January, 10am-4pm; $345 ($58 per hour); Fitzroy North.

You will learn how to make feta (including marinated Persian feta), halloumi and mascarpone. They will discuss the story of milk, beginning with life in the soil, how different seasons and types of animal influence it’s composition and how to source and select the best quality, local milk for making cheese. You will take home around 1Kg of cheese. Lunch will be served.

Japanese fermentation; Wednesday, 31st January, 6.30-9pm; $120 ($48 per hour); Collingwood.

You will learn how to make miso, starting with the preparation of the soybeans and ending with the shaping of your miso. You will also make tsukemono pickles from fresh vegetables. You will take home some miso, which will then mature into robust flavours over time. Presenter: The Fermented Mumma.

Milk kefir magic; Thursday, 1st February, 6.30-8.30pm; $145 ($73 per hour); Fitzroy North.

They will show you how to easily incorporate this little SCOBY into your daily routine. You will make some milk kefir and then move onto flavouring, making butter, labneh, catching the whey and then making a naturally fizzy and gut-loving soda. You’ll go home with: a milk kefir SCOBY in a jar and ready to feed when you get home; a whey soda flavoured with fresh fruit of your choice to finish fermenting at home; milk kefir cultured butter; and an illustrated recipe card.

No waste cook club 18-25 years (4 sessions); on Fridays, starting 2nd February, 11am-2pm; $107 ($27 per hour); Coburg.

Each week, you will cook and share a vegetarian meal with others using donated surplus food. In so doing, you will learn different recipes and cooking skills, including: cook healthy plant-based meals on a budget; grocery shop; plan meals; and gain knowledge on general nutrition, food safety, and storage. You will also get a bag of free, fresh groceries each week. Organised by Open Table.

Sourdough bread baking; Saturday, 3rd February, 9am-5pm; $220 ($28 per hour); CERES.

You will: make a variety of different breads, gaining the skills and confidence to make your own at home; enjoy some of your own handmade pizza for lunch; and take home some leaven to get you started baking bread at home. Presenter: Ken Hercott.

Pasta making class with Piera; Saturday, 3rd February, 10am-1pm; $140 ($47 per hour); Thomastown.

Learn how to make the dough from scratch and how to shape the pasta. You will learn how to make orecchiette, garganelli and maccheroncini. You will also learn how to make two sauces (alla norma and quattro formaggi). At the end, enjoy the pasta you have made together with a class of wine. Presenter: Piera Pagnoni. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Jam making workshop with Rie’s Kitchen; Saturday, 3rd February, 10.30am-midday; free; Whittlesea.

Marie Vassallo, from Rie’s kitchen, will demonstrate how to turn your summer fruit into jam.

Jam making workshop with Rie’s Kitchen; Saturday, 3rd February, 2.30-4pm; free; Lalor.

Marie Vassallo, from Rie’s kitchen, will demonstrate how to turn your summer fruit into jam.

Summertime salads – Vietnamese classics; Sunday, 4th February, 10am-2pm; $190 ($48 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn what makes an Asian salad, the combination of textures and flavour to get your tastebuds singing. The techniques that you will learn include: simple smoking at home using a wok; how to hang and treat duck skin so it is crispy; and how to balance sweet, spicy, salty. On the menu: rice paper rolls (prawn or tofu); crispy five spice and cinnamon duck or chicken with an Asian microgreen salad and cumquat dressing; green mango or papaya salad with smoked fish, prawns or tofu; Vietnam classic dipping sauce; and coconut and Vietnamese iced coffee ice-cream. Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree.

Food for mind and gut; Sunday, 4th February, 10am-2.30pm; $150 ($33 per hour); CERES.

You will learn about foods that can help you to build and protect your gut microbiome and clear brain fog. You will also learn how to incorporate brain powering foods easily into your daily diet. All the recipes centre on nutritionally dense vegetables and are both gluten- and dairy-free. The sample menu includes: vegan cream cheese; oat + mesquite crackers; beet sauerkraut; chickpea salad with orange tahini; coconut + turmeric pie; and miso puffed balls. Presenter: Melanie Leeson, from Mettle + Grace.

Cooking for one (5 sessions); on 5 consecutive Thursdays, starting 8th February, 11am-1pm; $50 ($5 per hour); Lilydale.

Learn how to cook easily just for one person. Make the meals each week and eat together what you have made. Organised by Lilydale Community House.

Healthy cooking for adults (6 sessions); on Fridays, starting 9th February, 10am-midday; $55 ($5 per hour); Kilsyth.

Got a full FOGO? Did your veggie garden overflow? Wondering how to minimise waste and stretch your food budget? These classes will explore creative ways to help with practical, sustainable tips and tricks, including a collaborative cooking session each week. Organised by Japara Living & Learning Centre.

Blokes in the kitchen (2 sessions); on Fridays, 9th February and 8th March, each 9am-midday; $90 ($15 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Learn to prepare simple meals with other blokes under Shawn’s guidance. Enjoy a shared meal and conversation to finish the session. Organised by Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Mozzarella making class; Saturday, 10th February, 10am-midday; $150 ($75 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: the process behind producing curd; how to make hand-stretched fresh mozzarella; and how to shape mozzarella into bocconcini and trecce. What you will get: guided cheese tasting with a glass of wine; and freshly made mozzarella to take home. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella cheese making; Sunday, 11th February, 10am-3pm; $240 ($48 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to make and go home with milky soft pillows of mozzarella and the best of the stretched curd cheeses including burrata (with an oozy filling of creamy stracciatella) and stracciatella (fine stringy strands of mozzarella, mixed with cream and salt). Presenter: Kristen Allan.

Cupcake decorating workshop; Sunday, 11th February, 11am-1pm; $130 ($65 per hour); Bayswater North.

Make your own decorated cupcakes starting from plain pre-baked cupcakes. Presenter: Maria from Enchanted Pots. Organised by Arrabri Community House.

Cupcake decorating workshop; Sunday, 11th February, 2-4pm; $130 ($65 per hour); Bayswater North.

Make your own decorated cupcakes starting from plain pre-baked cupcakes. Presenter: Maria from Enchanted Pots. Organised by Arrabri Community House.

Vegan chocolate making; Wednesday, 14th February, 6.30-8pm; $80 ($53 per hour); Collingwood.

Start by unravelling the story of cocoa butter. Then delve into the intricacies of chocolate making, from melting and mixing the perfect blend of ingredients to mastering the art of setting. Presenter: Tina Gelberidis.

Making relish and quick pickling; Thursday, 15th February, 7.30-9pm; $10; Bundoora.

Maxine will demonstrate how to make a zucchini relish, and how to do quick pickling. Take 2 small-medium jars in which to take home relish and pickles. Organised by Watsonia Neighbourhood House.

Bubble tea making workshop; Friday, 16th February, 3-4pm; free; Bundoora.

For young people aged 12-18. Learn how to make bubble tea.

Croquembouche workshop; Saturday, 17th February, 1.30-5.30pm; $137 ($34 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will teach you the art of making croquembouche, starting with how to make the choux pastry and the creme patisserie and then how to cook toffee and build the croquembouche. A limit of 4 participants in total. Take an apron, a container to put extra profiteroles in and something to carry the croquembouche (base of a container at least 20cm). Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Vegan cheese making; Sunday, 18th February, 10am-3pm; $150 ($30 per hour); CERES.

Learn how to create your own array of vegan cheeses, milks, creamy spreads and dairy-free desserts. Limitless options for flavours and styles. Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

Kombucha, jun, water kefir, wild mead and beet kvass; Sunday, 18th February, 10.30am-12.30pm; $180 ($90 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Make four easy summer drinks. You will go home with 3 large jars full to be nurtured and ferment at home in your own kitchen of mead, beet kvass, kombucha and water kefir with the SCOBY – and a bottle of second fermenting water kefir that will be ready the next day.

Regular classes