LFC News August 10 2016

Aug 102016
 

Four food swaps in the Brunswick, Coburg and Fawkner areas

Our interactive map of food swaps, our website calendar and our local food directory now all include:

  • The IncrEdible Coburg Food Swap. 10am-2pm, 1st Saturday of the month. PepperTree Place, 512 Sydney Road, Coburg, 3058. Contact Natasha van Velzen by email.

  • The Sustainable Fawkner Food Swap. 10am-midday, 2nd Saturday of the month. CB Smith Reserve, Jukes Road, Fawkner, 3060. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sustainable-Fawkner-129158263767497. Contact Felicia Wylie by email.

  • The North Coburg Food Swap. 10am-12.30pm, 3rd Saturday of the month. Parker Reserve, off Mathieson Street, Coburg North, 3058. Facebook: www.facebook.com/northcoburgfoodswap. Contact Margaret by email.

  • Urban Orchard Food Swap. 10am-1pm, every Saturday. CERES, corner Stewart and Roberts Streets, Brunswick East, 3057. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Urban-Orchard-295600050569582. Contact April by email.

A provider of free wood shavings

Thanks to Lee Tozzi, our list of providers has grown again. Yard Furniture in Preston are offering free bags of clean wood shavings. Contact Peter McManus beforehand by phone (9480 6171) or email to confirm availability.

Can you donate any seeds or gardening tools?

In 2015, some members of Local Food Connect worked with a group of refugee women from Somalia, who live in Heidelberg, to help them set up a veggie garden. Two of these women have now taken their knowledge back to Somalia and are starting a program in their homeland of Puntiland to develop a food security co-operative. As part of this, they are planning some container shipments of seeds and gardening tools. If you have anything that you could potentially donate, contact Pauline Crosbie by email.

Marina Bistrin writes about implementing a water reservoir

The objective was to implement something relatively simple into a standard garden bed which will help the veggies survive and thrive throughout the summer. Her solution was to dig a trench in the clay beneath the garden bed soil, fill it with water absorbent material and add a pipe which allows water to be added to the trench. Read her full article.

Warranwood Primary School food forest garden

warranwoodWarranwood Primary School is establishing a permaculture designed forest garden which will enhance the education program and create a productive area where the children can explore the life cycles of nature. They are currently seeking funding to plant a Japanese garden, construct trellises, and plant a range of edible and beneficial shrubs groundcovers and climbers.

Local food producers in the news

Montmorency-based The Mushroom Shed and Kangaroo Ground-based winery Kings of Kangaroo Ground (yes, them again!) both featured in the 3rd August edition of The Weekly Review.
mushroom shed      kings 2

beesOn 8th August, Frankie Spranger, from both Bee Rescue and Heidi Honey Hurstbridge, rescued a bee colony after a P-plater crashed his car through a wall in St Helena. Read the articles in The Age, The Herald Sun and The Leader. Which article has the best (or worst) pun?

The Common’s latest Facebook post

Is about butter.

Hurstbridge Primary School’s kitchen garden

A few weeks ago, healthAbility ran a workshop on kitchen gardening for schools in Nillumbik. As part of this, they interviewed Hurstbridge Primary School. Here is a summary.

In 2014, Hurstbridge Primary School joined the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF), whose food education philosophy is that of promoting pleasurable food education and building positive food habits through fun, hands-on learning. Since then, changes at the school include: new garden beds, compost bays and a chook pen; assigning gardening and cooking specialist roles to staff; recruiting parents as volunteers; and incorporating gardening and cooking sessions into the weekly timetable. The benefits of having students excited about the program, sharing meals cooked with the produce and gaining positive food experiences clearly outweigh the ongoing challenges with storage space, budgeting and not having a designated kitchen. If you would like to know more, contact Chris Tatnall or Diane Brown by phone (9718 2386) or email.

Whilst on the subject of SAKGF, here is a list of the schools in North East Melbourne which are part of the SAKGF program, followed by a list of those who are classroom members.

Program schools:
Banyule Montmorency Primary School
Montmorency South Primary School
St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary School
Viewbank Primary School
Boroondara Andale School
City of Yarra Fitzroy Primary School
Learning Centre at Collingwood College
Yarra Primary School
Darebin Findon Primary School
St Francis of Assisi School
Westgarth Primary School
Manningham Templestowe Valley Primary School
Wonga Park Primary School
Maroondah Croydon Special Developmental School
Dorset Primary School
Kalinda Primary School
Melbourne Carlton Primary School
Nillumbik Hurstbridge Primary School
Whitehorse Kingswood College
Whitehorse Primary School
Whittlesea St Peter’s Primary School
Yarra Ranges St Richard’s Primary School

 

Classroom members:
Banyule Edward Street Preschool
Boroondara Auburn Primary School
Carey Baptist Grammar School
Greythorn Early Childhood Centre
Hawthorn Early Years
Trinity Grammar School
Darebin Merri Community Child Care Centre and Kindergarten
St Joseph the Worker Primary school
Manningham Creative Play Early Learning Centre
Warrandyte Kindergarten
Maroondah Eastwood Primary School
Melba College Senior Campus
Milestone Childcare and Kindergarten
The Village School
Yarra Valley Grammar School
Moreland Antonine College
Murrindindi Ellimatta Youth Inc
Middle Kinglake Primary School
Nillumbik Early Learning Centre Diamond Creek
Eltham High School
Eltham Primary School
Whitehorse Old Orchard Primary School
Orchard Grove Primary School
Our Lady’s Primary School
Roberts McCubbin Primary School
Whittlesea St Joseph’s Primary School
Yarra Ranges Lilydale High School
St Peter Julian Eymard School

New events

Vegetarian and vegan food truck event

What: Bringing the best in Melbourne’s vegetarian and vegan street food vendors, this street food event is set to please all foodie lovers. Their lineup will include: Bomba Wood Fired Pizza, Cheese & Bread, Crispy Chickpea, Grace Cafe, Fitzroy, Jerry’s Vegiburgers, Lekker Lekker Snackbar, Manny’s Doughnuts, Pierogi Pierogi, Pookie May Coffee, Shiva Indian Cuisine Food Truck, The Butter Thief, The Real Jerk Food Truck, Vegilicious, Von’s Vegan Bake House, VUTU Nepalese, Woking Amazing and Yo India.
When: Friday, 12th August, 5-10pm; Saturday, 13th August, midday-10pm; and Saturday, 14th August, midday-9pm.
Where: Preston.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: The Food Truck Park by phone (1300 162636).
Bookings: just turn up.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Biodynamics in practice

What: This is a fundraising event for the Biodynamics in Community project, which aims to support those in need through growing biodynamic produce. The project has been offered a grant of $8,000 from the Federal Government, which they need to match. The workshop will include sessions on: working with the calendar; choosing what to sow and how; and maximising biodynamic production.
When: Sunday, 14th August, 9.30am-4.30pm.
Where: Warranwood.
Cost: $125 (includes the Antipodean Astro Calendar 2016).
Enquiries/Bookings: Atika Rea by phone (0433 677106) or email (the LFC calendar entry gives further details on payment methods but it is best to check with Atika first).
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Seed saving and hands-on sowing

What: Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will talk about on seed saving and hands-on sowing.
When: Tuesday, 4th October, 7.15-9.15pm.
Where: Hurstbridge.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Cheryl Lowe by phone (9438 1563 or 0481 362242) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.

Summary of upcoming events

Over the next week
Over the next month

Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.

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