Are you overladen with lemons? Or coveting your neighbour’s rhubarb perhaps?
Too much worm tea or compost.  Chooks laying like crazy and you don’t know what to do with the eggs? You can get into the spirit of sharing and swapping your surplus produce with friends and neighbours at this local free food swap.

This is a FREE event.

WHEN    Saturday September 3, 2011.  9.30 am – 10.30 am.  NB The Swap is on the first Saturday of each month.

WHERE   Spotswood Community House, cnr Melbourne Rd & McLister St, Spotswood.
(Next to the Spotswood Primary School.  Melways ref 41 J12.
.
CONTACT      Julie on 9391 2613. E      coordinator@spotswood.com.au

The Monthly Spotswood Farmers Market is on next door at the Primary School, so you can swap with us and buy at the market.

An initiative of the Spotswood Community House & Newport Organic Collective Inc

Learn how to cure magical ORGANIC black olives in a fun, hands on and interactive workshop.  It’s a great opportunity to share stories, take home some produce and taste a small sample of already preserved black and or green olives.

Julie, our facilitator will introduce you to her family through three generations of olive curing recipes, and in an intimate group learn to make:

• LAZY, FRUGAL HOUSEWIFE OLIVES, (Olive in Salamoia)
• NONNA ANGELA’S VILLAGE OLIVES IN A JAR and
• MAMMA TERESA’S SALT DRIED OLIVES.

She will share her years of experience and knowledge on how to pick and sort olives, including selecting the best curing methods, with lots of tips and hints along the way!

The exciting part is that you will take home a small portion of olives from each method and you get to continue your hands experience at home with recipes to follow so that you can enjoy your olives in the weeks or months ahead when they are fully cured.

COMPULSORY BOOKING FEE $20   Full refund with 48 hours notice.

DATE Saturday June 4, 10.45 am to 12.45pm, includes olive tasting.

VENUE Spotswood Community House,

Cnr Melbourne Rd & McLister St

BOOKINGS Contact Julie on 9391 2613  or email

coordinator@spotswood.com.au

An initiative of the Newport Organic Collective Inc & Spotswood Community House.

Kindly supported by Hobsons Bay City Council.

Spotswood Community House. Corner of McLister St and Melbourne Rd.

Drop by for a chat, a swap and a laugh.  Meet new people with similar interest.

Bring your excess garden produce, compost, worm tea, seedlings, cuttings, jams & preserves, eggs or even chickens to “swap”. Bake some goodies to share on the morning or swap for fresh produce.

Be creative – swap an IOU to do a small task, a knitted scarf or some home crafts.

Everything is put on the “sharing” table and you take what you want or need..  Some of the best sharing comes from chats with other folks, with advice on everything from gardening to cooking and preserving.

Find us at the Spotswood Community House, Cnr McLister St & Melbourne Rd.

Melways ref 41 J12.(Next to the Spotswood Primary School).

Contact Julie on 9391 2613 or email coordinator@spotswood.com.au for more information

An initiative of The Newport Organic Collective Inc & Spotswood Community House

mmmm....sugo!

Learn to make the mother of all tomato sauces – Sugo – with LouLou.  LouLou has channelled generations of Nonna’s to perfect this super intense recipe.  She will also demonstrate how to make Nonna’s home made gnocchi using a foolproof recipe.

It’s a small group, hands on, and everyone will get a jar of freshly made ORGANIC sugo to take home.  We finish off with a bowl of freshly made gnocchi smothered in fresh, rich sugo, parsley and parmesan cheese.  It doesn’t get any better.

COMPULSORY BOOKING FEE $20

Full refund with 48 hours notice.

DATE Saturday March 5, 10 am to 1 pm, includes light lunch.

VENUE Spotswood Community House,

Cnr Melbourne Rd & McLister Ave

BOOKINGS Contact Julie on 9391 2613  or email

coordinator@spotswood.com.au

An initiative of the Newport Organic Collective Inc & Spotswood Community House

Harvest Swap

Are you overladen with lemons? Or coveting your neighbour’s rhubarb perhaps? Too much worm tea or compost.  Chooks laying like crazy and you don’t know what to do with the eggs? You can get into the spirit of sharing and swapping your surplus produce with friends and neighbours at this summer food swap.

First Saturday of each month –  the Spotswood Farmers Market is just next door.

9.30 am to 10.30 am. 5 March – 2 April – 7 May – 4 June

Find us at the Spotswood Community House, cnr Melbourne Rd & McLister St, Spotswood.

Melways ref 41 J12..    (Next to the Spotswood Primary School).

Contact Madeleine on 0409 712 003 or Julie on 9391 2613.

Email   noc_3015@hotmail.com

An initiative of The Newport Organic Collective Inc & Spotswood Community House

Wanted for SedFest on 5 March: thanks to cool initiatives by our friends at City West Water, we need 4 to 8 volunteers for ‘Wash Against Waste’, 2 to 4 Bike Valets on rotation as well as a some ‘waste educators’.

More info or offers, email Susan Lengyel at susan.lengyel@gmail.com

February 22: A Beginners Guide to Solar

Baptist Church hall – 26 Mason St, Newport (Next to Sammy’s bake house)

7pm – 8.30pm

For bookings: 03  9391 2970  or noc_3015@hotmail.com

Click here to see a flyer about the event.

A Solar Coat of Arms

Money for Jam.

If you think you are a good jam maker, sauce maker, or know how to preserve fruits etc then why not share your skills and be paid for it. The Spotswood Community House (SHC) has a small grant to demonstrate jam making, sauce making, preserving etc.  Share your skills in a small group, community setting – no stress – very informal.

OR if you have a friend, sister, nana or grand dad who can do this please contact Madeleine on 0409 712 003 or mellis2@ozemail.com.au

Jam!

Work with a Kitchen Garden Program School!

Three of our fantastic Kitchen Garden Schools in Melbourne are currently looking for passionate gardeners to join their teams. As a Garden Specialist, you will help children learn about the magic of growing and harvesting seasonal fruits, herbs and veggies in their very own school gardens – opening their eyes to the possibilities of fresh, home-grown food. It’s a fabulously rewarding position.

Collingwood College needs a Garden Specialist for three days per week, from Tuesday to Thursday. Phone Principal Dale Perichon on (03) 9417 6681.

Elwood Primary needs a Garden Specialist for three days per week, from Tuesday to Thursday. Phone Principal Rob Csoti on (03) 9531 2762.

East Bentleigh Primary needs a Garden Specialist for two days per week, Tuesday and Thursday. Phone Principal Maria Shearn on (03) 9570 3525.

Applications close soon. Please contact the schools quickly for further details!

View an example  of a Garden Specialist Position Description.

Stephanie Alexander KItchen Garden Foundation

Darebin is currently advertising for a Sustainable Food Officer on a casual basis.  There is around 4 days a week work until 30 June 2011.  We are hoping that the position will then be extended on a part time basis (pending Council’s budget process).

The position description is available at www.darebin.vic.gov.au/jobs  and applications close on Friday 4 February.   Please  forward on to anyone you know who may be interested and circulate through your networks.  Apologies for any cross postings.