Calendar of free once-off events

One of the volunteers, John, runs this monthly working bee.

Click here to read about the garden.

This workshop is primarily for Whittlesea community and school gardeners but is also open to others who are interested in documenting food stories and cultural practices. It will entail using your smartphone to create a short video. You will learn how to: plan your story; film and gather sound; and edit the film and share it. Facilitated by Digital Storytellers.

This workshop is for those aged 14 to 25 years old who interested to learn more about gardening, cooking, food justice and sustainability. It will explore the challenges with sourcing food that is culturally relevant to us and the food insecurity that results from those challenges. It is the third of six workshops being organised in partnership between the Just Food Collective and Sustain: the Australian Food Network.

Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will tell you all you need to know to start keeping backyard chickens, including: what is needed to keep chooks; how to keep them safe from pests and foxes; which varieties are suitable for different purposes; and council requirements.

Find out what to plant and how to prepare your garden for your autumn vegetables.

One of the volunteers, John, runs this monthly working bee.

Click here to read about the garden.

Ben from Ben’s Bees will show you how to make your own beeswax wrap and have a large beeswax wrap to take home. You will also receive a small block of beeswax to take home to make your own wraps.

Bio Gro is the facility which will recycle Manningham’s food and garden waste (FOGO) into compost. See first-hand how your food and garden waste will be processed and ask any questions along the way. The tour will include bus transport to and from the Bio Gro organics facility in Dandenong South.

Hear from Food Leadership Action Group (FLAG) members who are leading a collective impact approach to addressing food security in Merri-bek through a Community Food Hub model.

You will also meet the project teams who have been funded to test ideas for a shared Community Food Hub model that delivers socially inclusive food security across Merri-bek’s diverse communities.

Learn how to brew your own kombucha with advice from the skilled brewing team at The Good Brew Company.

Dr Despina Handolias will discuss the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of cancer.

This is one of a series of monthly talks by health professionals about using food as medicine. Future talks will cover such subjects as asthma, depression & anxiety, obesity and reproductive health.

Learn the techniques to build a garden bed that wicks the water up into the soil from below, saving water from above and increasing drought tolerance.

Learn the basics of permaculture with Karen Sutherland, from Edible Eden Design.

Cultivating Community will guide you through identifying, growing and tasting native bush foods and bush teas.

One of the volunteers, John, runs this monthly working bee.

Click here to read about the garden.

Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will cover the theory of home food preservation before the group breaks to do some cooking in the kitchen. You will take home a jar of preserves.

Dr Despina Handolias will discuss the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of cancer.

Jenny Cameron will talk about using a calorie density approach to losing weight and strategies to avoid falling into the ‘pleasure trap’ of our modern food supply.

This is one of a series of monthly talks by health professionals about using food as medicine. Future talks will cover such subjects as asthma, depression & anxiety and reproductive health.

This workshop will cover: ideas for using random leftovers so nothing in your fridge goes to waste; tips for waste free packed lunches; how to get your portions right to avoid waste; and how to make a quick and easy zero waste meal out of leftovers.

One of the volunteers, John, runs this monthly working bee.

Click here to read about the garden.

Locally based farmers, producers and growers will be on hand to share their wisdom about local farming in the Green Wedge, with demonstrations, workshops and a range of local products to buy. There will also be farm animals, street performers, live music and face painting.

The participating businesses will include Apted’s Orchards, Balloonaversal, Billy Van Creamy, Buttermans Track Winery, Hildebrand Grove, Naturally Goat, Oz Tibet Kitchen, Provenir, Quists Coffee, The Basin Backyard, The Snake Hunter and Valley Rural.

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).

The two sessions are on Tuesday, 21st and 28th March, 10.30am-1pm.

If you have a balcony, a courtyard or a patio, there are ways you can maximise space to create your own little oasis. In this course, you will learn about how to grow food in pots or containers, what plants to grow and when.

Enrol by either phone (9369 1824) or email (programs@nwnhn.org).

Bio Gro is the facility which will recycle Manningham’s food and garden waste (FOGO) into compost. See first-hand how your food and garden waste will be processed and ask any questions along the way. The tour will include bus transport to and from the Bio Gro organics facility in Dandenong South.

There will be many plants for sale. Plus site tours, cake and coffee.

There will be many plants for sale. Plus site tours, cake and coffee.

Bio Gro is the facility which will recycle Manningham’s food and garden waste (FOGO) into compost. See first-hand how your food and garden waste will be processed and ask any questions along the way. The tour will include bus transport to and from the Bio Gro organics facility in Dandenong South.

One of the volunteers, John, runs this monthly working bee.

Click here to read about the garden.

Optimise your soil conditions, watering schedule, pest control and learn tips and tricks to ensure a bumper veggie crop.

Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will show you how, when and which seeds to save and store.

Learn all about composting your food scraps at home. Learn about how to set up and maintain a compost bin, worm farm and Bokashi bin and how to decide which system suits you best.

This workshop will cover: tips to use your fridge and freezer wisely, to prolong the life of your food; pantry storage to minimise waste; know the difference between ‘use-by’ and ‘best before’ dates; storing and maximising herbs; what you can do with commonly leftover ingredients; how to make vegetable stocks with food scraps; ways to turn stale bread into quick delicious snacks or meals; and tips for making quick, easy meals from leftovers, instead of takeaway.

Presenter: Kirsty from Sustainability Pathways.