See you there, 3-5pm Sunday!

Melton CSA is looking for people to get involved and become members and supporters of this local-to- Melbourne farm.

Our newly leased 30 acre farm has chickens, almonds, olives, and bees, with potential for more vegetables, and for grazing animals. The farm is also an excellent resource for education, with a series of great courses running throughout the year, but also for members, and community groups to make use of and enjoy.

We run on a Community Supported Agriculture model, which directly connects producers to their community. This is better for both people and the land, giving farmers a fair go and rewarding good land management. We all know that supermarkets crunch farmers with raw deals, and how this flows on by limiting farmers’ ability to care for the land. By being part of the global CSA movement, we can circumvent this, and rediscover how healthy soil, plants and animals can sustain a vibrant community – yours.

Traditional Community Supported Agriculture models ask members to invest at the start of the season in the resources necessary for that season’s produce. That’s a big outlay for you, and above what we can presently offer. Here’s an option that not only reduces risk, but has distinct advantages for both parties. If we can share the load a little, we come a big step closer to realising the dream, and putting food on your table.

Currently we pay $400/month rent, and we would like to raise the rent money through weekly memberships. We are aiming for 40 memberships at $2.50 per week. Any memberships above this amount would be put back towards improving the land with more food plants, infrastructure, resources for soil care, and native plants as shelter and habitat for wild birds and other animals.

Membership of our Melton CSA includes: ? ? ? ? ? 20% off eggs (from $5 to $4 per dozen) 20% off other farm produce e.g. almonds, vegetables, olives, meat 25% off farm courses, such as pruning, irrigation and animal care members only events a chance to be involved in decisions about farm activities

Membership can be paid weekly, monthly or annually. With this overview, we invite expressions of interest, from you as individuals, households, groups or businesses; does this sound like a worthwhile investment, and is the price right for what you get in return? These things and more, we invite you to comment on, and with your feedback we can develop our own unique CSA model – one that works for you, and us.

For more information contact Carey on 0423 554 398 / 9746 7031 or email careypriest@yahoo.com.au. Or try the websites www.meltoncsa.org or http://www.organicfoodcoop.org.au/farm/

Thursday 24 November
7pm – 8.30pm
Yarraville Senior Citizens Centre
48 Fehon Street
Yarraville (Melway 41 K9)

Come along and hear about:
• Beaton Reserve – new plans
• Stony Creek Park – new plans
• Yarraville Goods Yards
• Truck traffic and Regional Rail Link update

Please come along and discuss any other local issues or projects.

If you are unable to attend, please feel free to call Cr Martin Zakharov on 0432 139 613, or email cr.zakharov@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au .

If you wish to be notified of future meeting dates please subscribe to this page. ]]> http://www.pow.org.au/2011/11/14/sheoak-ward-meeting/feed/ 0 http://www.pow.org.au/2011/11/10/footscray-cbd-masterplan-workshop/ http://www.pow.org.au/2011/11/10/footscray-cbd-masterplan-workshop/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:58:12 +0000 Kat http://www.pow.org.au/?p=2651 Don’t forget this month, instead of EmPOWering Community Drinks, POW will be joining with the newly formed Future Footscray Group to conduct a public workshop around Maribyrnong Council’s Draft Masterplan for the Footscray CBD.

Future Footscray is a community group of people living in and around Footscray who choose to see the earmarked redevelopment of Footscray as an opportunity to create a vibrant, sustainable and people focused place to live – one that sets benchmarks in urban design and planning around Australia and even the world.

They have come together to make this opportunity a reality whilst at the same time preserving the things they currently love about the inner west of Melbourne – its diversity, its character and its sense of community.

If you would like to find out more about Future Footscray or would like to explore ideas about the future development of Footscray, please join us at the Dancing Dog Cafe, corner Albert and Raleigh Streets, Footscray from 3-5pm on Sunday 20th November.

Copies of the Draft Masterplan will be available at the event, but we recommend having a look beforehand if you can.  A copy of the plan and details of public consultation times can be found here.

A copy of the plan and details of public consultation times can be found here.

Instead of EmPOWering Community Drinks this month POW will be joining with the newly formed Future Footscray Group to conduct a public workshop around the Masterplan.

Your input will be used to develop Future Footscray’s written response to the Masterplan, which will be submitted to Council.

This event will be held at the Dancing Dog Cafe, corner Albert and Raleigh Streets, Footscray from 3-5pm on Sunday 20th November.

For more information about the event or Future Footscray, please email Katerina: keasli@gmail.com

We are in the process of developing a new Safe Travel Plan that will ensure all road users are as safe as possible, especially these vulnerable road users.

We would like your input. What would help make your journey safer, easier and more relaxed?

Please complete our Safe Travel Survey online by the 28 October.

For more information, click here.

The ‘Forty K Farm‘ is a 30 acre property about 40 kms west of Melbourne’s CBD. It has 5 acres planted out with established apple, pear, almond and olive trees. There’s also 40 chooks who provide good eggs each week, and bees. It has great potential for vegetables, livestock and more.

The vision for the farm includes, in time, operating on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model to grow produce that may serve some of the needs of the various organic food coops operating in the west of Melbourne (more). The farm is a opportunity for many groups and individuals to take a step closer to the source of our food and reconnect with the systems that sustain us.
For more information, visit http://www.organicfoodcoop.org.au/farm/

Cars are an important part of our lives. They’ve enabled us to do things that would otherwise be impossible. They’ve given us previously unknown freedoms, but are they always the best option? And what has dependence on cars done to our community?

Have you ever tried to go places without a car and have you noticed what that does to your relationship with the world and people around you?

Would you like to drive less, but don’t know where to start?

This month’s EmPOWering Community Drinks will address these questions and more under the theme “Living Outside the Box – Getting Around Without A Car.”

Directing our conversation around this topic will be Janet Rice. You may know of Janet as the former mayor of Maribyrnong, but she has many hats and a wealth of knowledge about smart urban design and sustainable transport. She is also an experienced bike rider with lots of tips to share.

If you haven’t been to one of our drinks yet they are lots of fun – as well as exploring our theme with a drink (or cuppa) in hand, you have lots of opportunities to meet other members of the west and even make new friends!

So come along:

Sunday 18th September, 3-5pm at the Dancing Dog cafe, corner Albert and Raleigh Streets, Footscray!