LFC News February 22 2023

Feb 212023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Connor Mcallister, Holly Gallagher, Jennifer Chellew, Leanne Hall, Lucy Richards, Melissa Lawson and Melissa Murphy-Webster.

An interview with Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow

Ann Stanley has interviewed permaculturalist Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow about local food production, adapting to change in an unpredictable world, and honouring indigenous knowledge. Read the full interview on our website. I (Guy) have tried to summarise the interview below but it is difficult to do justice to it in a few words so I really do suggest that you read the full interview.

Rowe has recently re-written her book, The Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture (originally published as The Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture), a work that shows us many of the ways that food can be produced locally, with a thorough discussion of the reasons why it should be. The updated version takes into consideration the changed world that we live in. Says Rowe, “in 1971, no-one was talking about megacities or about oceans, about refugee camps, pandemics and natural disasters. Since that time, whole villages in India have been lost because of glacial melting.“

Rowe has taught permaculture in refugee camps around the world and believes that “Refugee camps spread permaculture faster than anywhere else.“. From her point of view, a productive garden in a refugee camp is based on the same principles as an urban food garden on vacant land in an overcrowded and polluted city or food production in a suburban backyard. All should involve restorative practices in response to climate change and loss of biodiversity and often, especially in the case of displaced people, loss of community and identity. All should involve food production that maximises available water, soil, light and labour and all, ideally, should be infused with the permaculture ethics of ‘earth care, people care, fair share’.

For those of us lucky to live a more settled existence, Rowe says that “All the best work in sustainability around the world is being done at the local council level. It’s a local council-led movement. Cities are becoming cleaning and greener.” She recommends that each of us go about “seeing and naming” all the species of plant and animal in our own backyards because “you must know and love your ecosystem (not just individual plants) so that you can protect it.” On the subject of cities, Rowe speaks with enthusiasm about underground carparks that are turned into chicken homes, high rise buildings with worm farms and built-in water storage, and the possibility of whole urban communities living in vertical villages. She also believes that “Australia leads the way in regenerative agriculture“.

Read the full interview.

Want a copy of Rowe’s book?

Melliodora Publishing are offering a free copy of Rowe’s book, The Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture, to a lucky newsletter reader. Closing date: 1st March.

If you don’t win the free book, you can still purchase a copy for $47.45.

A new local egg producer – Henley Farms

Henley Farms, from Kangaroo Ground, produce organic-fed, pastured, free range eggs. The farm is Pastured Proof certified, which means that the chickens are raised outdoors with continuous and unrestricted daytime access to paddocks that are suitable for grazing and are provided with shade and shelter. Customised mobile caravans provide shelter, nest boxes and perches which are moved regularly to fresh pasture. They have a stocking density of just 150 birds per hectare. The chickens feed on Certified Organic feed that comes from Country Heritage Feeds. They listen to classical music as they lay eggs. Henley Farms do not use any chemicals, artificial fertilisers, antibiotics, hormones, fungicides, pesticides, herbicides or egg colour additives.

You can buy their eggs online, either via once-off purchases or, at a 12% discount, by committing to a dozen eggs each week for 12 weeks. Or at the following shops: Dynamic Vegies, Eltham; Eltham Gourmet Poultry; North East Organics, Research; and Organic Fix, Eltham. They are also sometimes at Eltham Farmers’ Market.

It is noteworthy that all three of my local shops specialising in Certified Organic produce stock their eggs, namely: Dynamic Vegies, Eltham; North East Organics, Research; and Organic Fix, Eltham

Read Henley Farms’ page in our Local Food Directory. Welcome Venu!

Want to have your soil tested for free?

Through its new GardenSafe program, Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria is offering free soil testing for a) soil quality (e.g. soil composition, organic carbon, soil nutrients, phosphorus and potassium) and b) trace elements (e.g. lead, arsenic and chromium). Read more. Register your participation. Thanks for the heads up, Jennifer Chellew!

Want some free sawdust?

Carpentry by Stu in Coburg North often have free sawdust to give away. $10 deposit to take a bag and bring it back. Generally the bags are 1½-2 wheelbarrows’ worth and a variety of timber. Only available sometimes so ring Connor Mcallister beforehand on 0435 784813. 69 Charles Street, Coburg North. Entry via Lens Street.

Read about more local people who give away sawdust, wood shavings, manure, coffee grounds, coffee husks, etc on our website.

And the world’s most beautiful garden is …

The results of the 16th annual International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) have just been announced. There were several different categories. The winner of the ‘beautiful gardens’ category is pictured right.

Newsletter reader tip

Melissa Murphy-Webster has written in to say that her experience is that cabbage white butterflies stay away from carnivorous plants. So, she now puts such plants near her most valuable veggies.

Thanks for the seeds

In our 30th November newsletter, we invited gardeners with excess seeds to send them in a Christmas card to one of a number of local not-for profit organisations, one of which was the Darebin Information, Volunteer & Resource Service (DIVRS) in Preston. Holly Gallagher, from DIVRS, has now written in to say thank you to everyone who contributed.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was again the article about the best vanilla slices in Melbourne.

As there is obviously a lot of interest amongst our readership in vanilla slices, people might (or might not) be interested to know that the biggest vanilla slice that I have ever eaten was from Peppers Paddock General Store in Wattle Glen. See picture right, with the 50 cent coin providing scale. It was yum as well as big.

You might also be interested to know that The 2023 Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph will be taking place on 19th August at Merbein, which is near Mildura. According to their website, around 5,500 people attended the 2022 event, with around 20,000 vanilla slices being sold.

Would anyone like to tell us about any notable vanilla slices they have eaten? Email me.

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

Submitted by Olaf Falafel: Don’t miss the last day of a wedding cake making course – it’ll end in tiers.

Read more jokes.

 

Not local but interesting

Ecotopia Festival; Friday, 17th March, 3.30-9pm; $15; Wesburn.

This annual event marks the start of permaculture week in the Yarra Valley. This year’s theme will be African culture and there will be African food tastings and cooking demos. The live music will include Mount Kujo, Kofi Kunkpe Music, Yarra Valley Drummers and Jayda Jean Music. There will be a variety of food stalls.

Stallholder applications are now open. If you would potentially like to have a stall, email them.

Yarra Valley permaculture week; Friday, 17th March to Sunday, 26th March.

There will be a variety of events in a variety of places over the week.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets

Note that, when the Carlton Farmers’ Market re-starts in March, it will be on Saturdays rather than the previous Sundays.

Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Heritage apple tasting; Sunday, 5th March, 5-7pm; $15; Templestowe.

Around 15 varieties will be available for tasting – mainly early/mid-season apples. An orchard tour is also included.

Cheese and beer masterclass; Thursday, 16th March, 7-9pm; $64 ($32 per hour); Abbotsford.

6 cheeses will be matched with 6 beers. Jointly hosted by Moon Dog Brewing and Cheese Culture.

CERES Harvest Festival; Saturday, 18th March, 10am-3pm; $10; CERES.

This is an annual event which includes live music, farm tours; workshops & talks, face painting and a scarecrow-building competition plus food and craft stalls.

Urban property garden tour; Tuesday, 21st March, 6-7.30pm; $5; Kilsyth.

The property features a solar system, multiple water tanks, a glasshouse, a seed saving box, a pond, a vegetable patch with wicking beds and fruit trees, chickens, beekeeping and a food forest.

Edible forest tour; Saturday, 25th March, 10am-midday; $15; Dixons Creek.

Go and have a guided tour of Edible Forest Yarra Valley Estate to see an acre of edible delights followed by an optional morning tea where you can have a drink and taste something harvested from the forest. The forest contains around 500 edible or medicinal plants.

Make a wicking bed; Saturday, 25th March, 10am-midday; $21 ($11 per hour); Hurstbridge.

This hands-on session will demonstrate the ins and outs of wicking beds. You will see how two different types of beds are constructed, and get a better understanding of wicking-bed design by helping to build the internal layers. The session will cover: the pros and cons of wicking beds; design principles and construction; commercial beds vs making your own out of re-purposed materials; planting out your beds; and soil management and maintenance over time.

Foundation to organic gardening course (2 sessions); Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of March, 10am-2.30pm; $75 ($8 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. Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre.

Organic vegetable gardening; Saturday, 15th April, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to get the most from your garden and have an abundance of vegetables, fruits and herbs; insights into seasonal produce growing; and the skills and knowledge to create an abundant and productive garden. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Sustainable gardening (8 sessions); starting Tuesday, 18th April, 10am-2pm; $625 ($16 per hour); CERES.

This course will introduces you to the basics of horticulture, permaculture and organic gardening. The 8 sessions will cover: intro to sustainable gardening and permaculture principles; soils and their preparation; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; organic vegetable production; growing bushfoods and berries; seed saving and propagating; organic fruit production; and water management and guild planting. Presenters: Justin Calverley and Lizzie.

In February
In March
In April
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Nutrition and cooking (8 sessions); on Saturdays, starting 25th February, 9.30am-midday; $87 ($4 per hour); Preston.

You will explore nutritional theory, healthy eating concepts and gain hands-on culinary skills. You will learn about the nutrients specific to each food group and their benefits, including how energy is balanced to maintain a healthy weight. The course will also cover how to decipher labelling on food packaging to build a healthy meal plan on a budget. The sessions will be led by a certified nutritionist. Organised by Bridge Darebin.

Turkish cooking class; Sunday, 19th March, 2-4.30pm; free; Reservoir.

Join Arzu for this cooking and cultural discussion workshop. Learn how to make lentil soup, kisir, Turkish borek and baklava. Organised by Friends of Regent Community Garden.

Aheda’s Palestinian feast; Saturday, 25th March, 6-10pm; $65 ($60 per hour); Brunswick.

Chef Aheda will prepare a Palestinian feast. The night will provide the chance for deep connection, story telling, listening and sharing a meal.

Kids school holiday cooking program; Thursday, 13th April, 10am-midday; $40 ($20 per hour); Hawthorn.

Put the fun back into food. This class will introduce Middle Eastern flavours and teach easy and exciting recipes. Organised by Hawthorn Community House.

Gnocchi making class; Sunday, 16th April, 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.

Indonesian food experience; Tuesday, 18th April, 10.30am-1pm; $40 ($16 per hour); Yarra Glen.

Tina Vankooten will demonstrate how to prepare and cook a number of Indonesian dishes including: Indonesian spring roll; chicken satay & peanut sauce; beef rendang; and curry laksa. Organised by Yarra Glen Living & Learning Centre.

In February
In March
In April
  • Kitchen basics; Saturday, 1st April, 10am-1pm; $165 ($55 per hour); Mount Evelyn.
  • Sausage making with Frank; Sunday, 2nd April, 10am-1pm; $165 ($55 per hour); Mount Evelyn.
  • Cake decorating using coloured fondants; Sunday, 2nd April, 1-5pm; $99 ($25 per hour); Surrey Hills.
  • Men in the kitchen; Tuesday, 4th April, 6.30-9pm; $35 ($14 per hour); Yarra Glen.
Regular classes

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