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Seeds to sow in December (temperate zone)
Beans, baby beets, beetroot, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese greens, cucumber, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, spring onions, parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb crowns, silverbeet, squash, sweet corn, tomato, watermelon, zucchini.
Herbs: basil, fennel, nasturtium, parsley, salad burnet.
Minutes from POW Meeting 30/9/09
POW meeting no. 5 held 30 September 2009, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Attendees: Shaun, Angela, Scott, Kat, Janelle, Deb, Mel, De Chantel, Delia, Fiona
Apologies: Nyree, Neesh, Leah, Monica, Richard
Location: 7 Bellairs Avenue Seddon
Introduction and Welcome
Janelle joined us for the first time. Welcome!
Maidstone Tennis Club site
Maidstone Tennis Club site Nina from Maidstone sent through an email alerting POW to the Maidstone Tennis Club Site. Site is up for sale. Inspection done by Mel, Scott, Kat, Nyree and Deb. Great potential as a market garden, something along the lines of Ceres. Meeting planned with Pam Morgan (Maribyrnong City Council) on Monday 5/10/09 at 9am to discuss what the next steps are. Fiona put forward the idea of suggesting to the council to delay any sell decision for 3 years.
Hobsons Bay Eco Expo
Hobsons Bay Local Sustainability Street – Eco Expo Local Sustainability Street coordinating a Hobsons bay Eco Expo on 21/11/09. Invited to attend as an exhibitor or presenter. Need volunteers for the stalls. General discussion that there’ll be more of these expo invites (already have Water expo 15/11/09 and Braybrook 29/11/09), so we need to get together a stall kit, roster list.
Big Backyard Festival welcome other sustainability groups. Just contact them , no charge for the stall
Action: Information pamphlets on POW, membership forms
Action: Subcommittee to work on display i.e. What is permaculture, what is a permablitz, website details, posters – Kat, De Chantel and Angela are to be the subcommittee
Action: Angela to send through permablitz photos to Scott so they can be printed off
Action: Add Online Community Directory entry to Maribyrnong City Council website
Action: Mel to send roster around via email asking for volunteers
Sustainable Living Festival
Invite for POW to the Sustainable Living Festival 6-21 February 2010. General discussion that maybe this is more for regional, state or national focus groups.
Action: contact PcM to see what they’re doing and pass POW information on to them
Maribyrnong City Council Free Fundraising Workshop
Free Fundraising Workshop When: 22 October 2009, 5.30 opening with tea, coffee, biscuits 5.45 session commencing to 7.15pm Where: Functions Room at Maribyrnong City Council, Hyde Street Footscray
Action: Mel to send email to everyone about this workshop
Action: Add fundraising projects for discussion at the next meeting
Water & Energy expo
Maribyrnong Council invite for POW to attend Water & Energy Expo in November
Action: Roster
Action: subcommittee to come up with ideas for Flyer, Poster, Pics of Blitzes
Action: more printed Membership forms
Other Business
Action: Kat (Treasurer) to find out what is the tax deductibility status for donations to POW
Action: Mel to scan Permablitz article in local newspaper and send to Deb
De Chantel – Set up a Permaculture Playgroup. Best to find a nonfunctioning playgroup and take it over
Janelle – easy to join Playgroup Australia for $25
Scott – look into the Braybrook Community Centre playgroup
Action: Mel to send an email to De Chantel re finding out about the Braybrook Community playgroup
Discussion re group workshop activities. Ideas where Noodle making Yoghurt making Vine leaf preserving (Kat is going to do one)
Braybrook Community centre has a community kitchen and can be used for the workshops provided at least one person present has food training skills.
Scott can help with Sunday access to Maidstone Community Centre.
N.B. With group activities at private residences, just need to let Mel know with a few weeks notice so that PcM can notify the public liability insurer.
Action: Skillshare – Kat to send an email a skillshare
How can we raise public awareness of POW?
Kat – we should have regular movie nights
De Chantel – put up posters in Seddon
Janelle – tshirt stenciling with POW logo. Black and white screen printing is easiest
Action: Bring your designs for a POW logo to the next meeting
Old Trugo site – Shaun needs to get a business plan into council by end of October
Action: Kat to email business template to Shaun
Budding workshop – date set for 13/03/10.
Action: Scott to write up letter of support for Werribee Environmental Community Park, send through to Mel who will send it onto Werribee.
Website
Action: Set up for POW reminders, and subscribing online
For the future – POW weekly updates, quarterly movies
De Chantel – Kinglake Community Fast for 40 days, starting 1/11/09 to co-incide with Copenhagen talks
Shaun – Need pledges for Western Permaculture Centre to show that it’s a viable community project. Pledge things like time, supplies, tools, maintenance etc.
Action: Shaun to send out form to Mel who will send it out to the group.
Braybrook Community centre have a tool library. They’ll show you how to use the tool as well.
Kat has a Good Life Book club catalogue – have a look at the catalogue and tell Kat if you’d like to order a book.
Action: Think of an issue that POW can put some time into and raise money
Contact Scott if you’d know of someone with an African or Asian style garden and would like to be in the Open Gardens event.
Next Meeting
Date: 28/10/09, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: 28 Fontein Street, West Footscray
Minutes from POW Meeting 2/9/09
POW Minutes
Meeting Date & Location |
Wednesday 2 September 2009297 Ascot Vale Road Moonee Ponds |
|
Attendees: |
Melanie, Scott, De Chantel, Debbie, Richard, Monica, Shaun and Neesh, Bryan, Marley, Leah, Mika,Angela |
|
Apologies: |
Vivian |
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Convenor: |
Melanie Henkel |
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Minutes taken by: |
Debbie |
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Meeting opened |
6:00 pm |
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Meeting closed |
8.00pm |
Agenda
- Introduction, apologies
- Permablitz – how do we proceed from here
- Mel’s Permablitz
- Maribyrnong Council invite for POW to attend Water & Energy Expo in November
- LETS system
- Review Action Items
- Other Business
- Next meeting location
- Close meeting
| DETAILS | COMMENTS | |
| Item 2 – Permablitzes | Group permablitzes are going well. 3rd one this weekend at Mel’s.Agreed to treat permablitzes as a 2nd aim of the groupMel has spoken to Nyree, who has agreed to be the permablitz co-ordinator for POWAction: Separate email address to be set up (Deb)
Action: Mel to contact Adam re the use of permablitz name (Mel) |
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| Item 3 – Mel’s Permablitz | 30 people have indicated they’ll be coming along. Need to create a contact listNeed a card. Scott to print offStarts @ 11am
Leah will do make a dhal for lunch The Mail is sending out a photographer and an article will be written up Action: Put Monica’s permablitz photos on the website (Deb) Action: Create a guest sign up sheet for Permablitzes (useful for insurance purposes as well). Neesh suggested a hardcover book to keep in which to keep all the names |
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| Item 4 – Water & Energy Expo invite | Viv/Scott are doing Big Day Out 15/11/09 @ Braybrook Community CentreUrban Harvest will be presentNeed to roster 2 people on at a timeBoth Braybrook and Water expo sites are windy. Need to bring along something to weigh down pamphlets
Need a notice board to pin posters to for the stand Viv needs to be kept in the loop so she can talk on behalf of Maidstone Action: Add Water & Energy Expo to next meeting agenda (Deb) Action: Scott to get a notice board from Community Centre |
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| Item 5 – LETS system | Stands for Local Energy Trading SystemA type of barter systemNeed a treasurer to keep a record of transactionsNeed to agree on equivalent payment system
Can trade on the internet (see http://community-exchange.org) Shaun – questions whether there is energy in the group to do this Kat – need a list of future projects, like LETS Bryan – how many hours would it take to administer Group is in favour of LETS Action: Monica to get a presentation package together and present to the group Action: List of future projects |
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| Item 6 – Action items | Shaun – Presentation to council by Melbourne Sustainability group (MSG) for an Urban Sustainability Centre at the Trugo site. Shaun felt it was a mixed response and maybe wasn’t received very well.Scott felt that the council response was positiveCouncil wants a business plan, to be presented by early OctoberAction: Kat to provide a business plan template
MSG applied for the grant (Janet Rice submitted the application on their behalf). Mel – Need an auspices ie Chris McCall Yarraville Community Centre Mel – the group is supportive of the grant. Good idea for POW, for other food co-ops Shaun – Cr Michael Clarke supports MSG bid for Trugo site in principle Shaun – there is asbestos on the site Kat – need to be clear about what we want Action: Neesh, Shaun, Leah, Kat to convene separately to develop business plan Carbon Reduction grant Mel to contact Viv about this Maribyrnong Council is going carbon neutral and there is gossip that they’re not selling any more council land so community gardens etc can be developed in readiness for peak oil Media strategy – Deb to work on it Neesh – suggest an announcement when next permablitz occurs Action: Send an email out with announcement of next permablitz Bank account Needs to 2 signatures to take money out Certificate of Incorporation needed |
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| Item 7 – Other Business | Neesh – need someone to help at peak seed time. Willing to pay for thisSuggestion – email, advertise at Permaculture Institute, websiteAction: Neesh to provide address and timeUrban Harvest on Saturday 5th September | |
| Item 8 – Next meeting | 30/09/09 at Kat’s 7 Bellairs Avenue SeddonOctober meeting – at Luke’s in NewportAction: Google map of where everyone lives (Mel)Action: Decide when we’ll hold the Budding workshop | |
| Item 9 | Meeting close |
Next Meeting: Wednesday 30th September 6pm 2009
Venue: 7 Bellairs Avennue Seddon
POW meeting 30th September 2009
The next POW meeting is on Wednesday 30th September 2009. It’ll be held at 7 Bellairs Avenue Seddon. Starts at 6pm. Please bring along a plate and food if you can.
ATA Branch meeting: Batteries presentation
ATA Melbourne Branch Meeting: Batteries presentation and committee elections
When: Wednesday September 16
Time: 5.45pm. Please arrive at 5:45pm as the security doors are locked at 6pm. However, if you can’t avoid being late, we can get someone to come down to let you in if you phone on 0433 187 702.
Where: The offices of URS, Level 6, No 1 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank (for a map go to www.ata.org.au/branches/melbourne)
Michael Jacombs will convene the meeting.
The presentation on Batteries will be preceded by the Melbourne Branch General Meeting (a very short exercise) where we will elect the committee for the coming twelve months.
The speakers for the evening will be:
* Robert Brown, a scientist with a passion for batteries. Robert will cover the history of batteries and the various battery options available and under development, with a particular slant on their application in electric cars.
* Mick Harris from The Environment Shop (www.environmentshop.com.au)
Mick has been involved with ATA for many years and through the Environment Shop he has had a good deal of contact with the use of batteries in off grid and remote power supply systems. Mick will cover the maintenance aspects of batteries and some pitfalls for the unwary.
* Chris Phyland is the Principal Electronics Engineer for the CSIRO Clayton Engineering Facility. Chris has a long association with the CSIRO battery research programs and is presently working on designing energy storage systems for renewable energy applications.
Chris will cover several mini topics:
- The CSIRO UltraBattery
- Research into using the UltraBattery in an energy storage system for the electricity grid to smooth power fluctuations from wind farms
- The Vehicle to Grid (V2G) study underway in the CSIRO to investigate the use of HEV battery packs for energy storage in a domestic home.
This will be followed by our usual interactive discussion over coffee.
Please note: We will record this meeting by putting the speakers’ PowerPoint presentations on the Melbourne branch webpages as well as including notes taken at the meeting (again thanks to Paul Fritze).
For the minutes of the last meeting and the agenda of this meeting please see the Melbourne Branch Web Pages at www.ata.org.au/branches/melbourne
Green Pages – Green Razor 97 – 13 Recycling Facts
1. GREEN NEWS
Thirteen recycling facts that will get you thinking
Recycled condoms? Cardboard coffins? Upcycled teeth? From the helpful to the downright bizarre, here are thirteen recycling facts to get you thinking about your waste.
Read more
2. WHATS ON: EVENTS
5th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change & Business Conference
The 2009 conference will closely examine three themes: Policy developments in the lead-up to Copenhagen; prospering in the low carbon economy; financing the transition to reduced emissions including insights into the carbon markets. Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities remain available.
Read more
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Also coming up:
Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2009 – Eco Live Fashion Expose – 2 September
ELFE in partnership with 5th Avenue Events and Alumbra is an official Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2009 event. It will display an eclectic selection of the very best in eco-luxe brands, with designer market stalls, catwalk parades and live entertainment.
Read more and reserve your tickets
Visit our Events page to find out more including locations.
3. PRODUCT FEATURE
Hook & Go – the best thing since reusable shopping bags
Now you can make short trips to the store without the car – saving you time and helping our planet. The Hook and Go is designed to be a part of the shared farmers’ market community with easy-to-use and compact mechanism that can hook up to eight shopping bags over its loading arm for easy maneuverability. Lighten your environmental load.
Read more
4. BUSINESS
Renewable Energy Target passed – 20 percent by 2020
The Renewable Energy Target has passed through the Senate this week after its recent split from the Government’s failed bid to pass the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The industry applauded the bipartisan support for the target which will become the “foundation of clean energy policy in Australia for the next decade,” says Matthew Warren, Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council.
What this means for industry
5. COMMUNITY
What is the best and worst produce when it comes to pesticides?
For those who can’t afford or can’t source organic produce all the time, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in the US has produced a handy shopper’s guide to pesticides naming its “Dirty Dozen” that usually have the most pesticide levels and should be sourced organic. Meanwhile the “clean 15″ have the lowest levels of pesticides even in traditional farming.
Find out who made the cut
6. TECHNOLOGY
Paper Jam? Make toilet paper
Blog sites are all abuzz with the newest wacky gadget from Japan. This gizmo can turn office waste paper into toilet paper right between the printer and water cooler!
Read more
7. MEDIA
COMING SOON: Green Pages Business Directory
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Reserve your copy today.
8. LIFE & STYLE
Beer’s water footprint not so bad (we’ll drink to that!)
A new study shows that the water footprint of your favourite brew isn’t so big after all! (We’ll drink to that!) In comparison with other beverages, beer’s water footprint is relatively small; an independent report has estimated that coffee, wine and apple juice all have water footprints more than three times that of beer.
Read more
9. HOUSE
Saving money and energy: an update on rebates
In recent months the Federal Government has made some changes to the incentives it offers to householders who make environmentally friendly improvements to their homes. Here is the latest information on what you can claim back when you invest in energy- and water-saving measures.In recent months the Federal Government has made some changes to the incentives it offers to householders who make environmentally friendly improvements to their homes. Here is the latest information on what you can claim back when you invest in energy- and water-saving measures.
Read the rebate update brought to you by the ACF
10. GIVEAWAY
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Voluntary Simplicity August newsletter
The Simple Living Newsletter – A User Supported Service
Table of Contents – July-August 2009 – Issue #71
READ IT ON-LINE AT: www.simpleliving.net
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Dear Subscribers & Supporters,
Thanks for taking the time to visit our web site and read this edition at: www.simpleliving.net
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THE CANINE GOURMET: A Guide To Home Cooking For Fido — Fran Jablway
Fran explains what she learned about commercial dog food, and the connection between healthier food and lower vet bills. She shows how she’s able to easily make dog food that keeps her beloved pooch happy and healthy.
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THE HAPPY MINIMALIST: Finding Health & Happiness — Peter Lawrence
Peter Lawrence, author of the new eBook, The Happy Minimalist, discusses why “more is better” may not be all it’s cracked up to be. He shares some interesting facts and personal insights about financial independence, happiness, pleasure and more.
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PATIENT (patient) GARDENING: The Frugal Girl — Kristen Krause
Kristen shows how she grew to appreciate the virtue of patience in gardening frugally and landscaping her yard. She explains the connection she discovered between living frugally and accepting delayed gratification.
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HOW I BECAME A BICYCLE SUPERHERO — Madeline Ostrander
In this “Bike To Work Month” blog, Madeline gives us her own take on commuting to work by bike. She also provides plenty of helpful information for others interested in making the same transition.
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Complete articles on-line: www.simpleliving.net
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CREDIT CARD DEBT: The Simple Dollar Podcast — Trent Hamm
In the first of a new series of weekly podcasts, Trent talks about his personal experience with credit card debt, and how he became debt-free within a few years. This podcast is entertaining and informative, with a great sense of humor mixed in throughout!
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GEMS OF THE DISCUSSION FORUM: The Pleasures Of Going Without — Ann Haebig
Ann shares links to the latest hot topics on The Simple Living Network Discussion Forums — watching TV, how to avoid eating out, going comfortably without air conditioning, unreasonable demands in the workplace and much more. Join in the fun!
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HOW DO YOU MEASURE WEALTH? My Year Without Spending — Angela Barton
Angela discusses her experiences in being a member of The Compact, committing to buy nothing new for one year. She talks about how her expectations of deprivation evolved to become appreciation of her true wealth in life.
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FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE: More Attainable Than Ever — Fred Ecks
Newsletter Editor Fred Ecks wrote this article to dispel the myth that Financial Independence is less achievable than it was in the past.
Using government census data and statistics, he explains that our ability to save money is now better than it has ever been in history, because wages have consistently grown faster than expenses for consumer goods or housing. Becoming completely free is an option for more people now than ever before!
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+ NEW RESOURCES
Browse our collection of new resources to for simple living, green living, cooking, gardening and country living. Plus, new posters, banners and pennants!
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Complete articles on-line: www.simpleliving.net
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Your Money Or Your Life OnLine Study Groups
Registration Now In Progress — Next Class Begins September 22, 2009 – www.simpleliving.net/olsg
On-Line Study Groups were created by The Simple Living Network in cooperation with The New Road Map Foundation. Our purpose is to provide hosted, interactive, on-line classes for those following the nine-step program in the best selling book *Your Money Or Your Life* by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. Our on-line classrooms have now been updated to match the new, 3rd edition of *Your Money Or Your Life.*
*Your Money Or Your Life* presents a simple, nine-step plan that will transform the way you think about, earn and spend money. This plan, a whole systems approach based on simple record-keeping and your own unique life situation, works for anyone who earns or spends money. Singles and couples (with and without children), retirees and students, big earners and those below the poverty line have all been successful in doing the program.
We have created this OnLine Study Group venue because we recognize that group study is very helpful for those following the nine-steps. However, we also recognize that there are many folks out there who…
* do not have access to a local Study Group,
* find it difficult to attend face-to-face meetings on a regular basis, or
* wish to maintain the anonymity provided by the Internet.
To learn more about how you can participate in an OnLine Study Guide Group, visit: www.simpleliving.net/olsg
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