Permaculture Out West

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Free screening of visionary documentary ‘HOME’ the movie as part of the Transition Film Festival; connecting likeminded non-profit community groups and environmentally conscious organisations across the State. This event is being organised by local ES groups as a simultaneous satellite event as part of the State of Sustainability program, developed by the Sustainable Living Festival. It’s being organised to assist groups in bringing together their community to spark discussion on the challenges of sustainability.

Date: Saturday 18th February 2012
Time: 7.00pm
Location: Yarraville Community Centre (Hall), 59 Francis Street, Yarraville.

All welcome. Come along and enjoy the movie. Have coffee and a chat afterwards. Meet your local ES groups. Please BYO a plate of food to share and your own cup.
Hosted by: MOLM, MAWFREG, Permaculture Out West (POW), Newport Organic Collective (NOC) and many other local community groups. (Please contact me if you would like to be there representing your group).

This is a free event but your donation at the door to help cover our costs would be most welcome.
This event is very kindly supported by Yarraville Community Centre and Colleen Hartland MLC.
If possible, RSVPs please to: mawfreg@live.com.au or SMS 0432 857 266.

For more information on this unique cinematic masterpiece, please visit the official ‘HOME’ website.

Here’s the upcoming February and March workshops presented by the My Smart Garden program; a joint initiative between the Hobsons Bay and Moonee Valley City Councils

Design your edible oasis

Saturday 11 February, 10am – 12pm
Seabrook Community Centre
15 Truganina Ave, Seabrook

Using the principles of permaculture, we’ll show you how to design a food garden to give it the best chance of thriving to become an abundant oasis. In this workshop you’ll get a bit of hands-on practice to help you consider sun, shade, water, microclimates and more when planning your garden.

Keep your cool with trees and vines

Tuesday 21 February, 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cooper Street Community Centre
Cnr Cooper and Spencer Sts, Essendon (next to Buckley Park)

The right trees in the right places can make such a difference to the comfort and beauty of your home. And it’s a long term investment so you want to get it right! We’ll help you design your garden to protect your home from winds and summer heat and to make the most of winter sun. We’ll discuss integrating trees with vegie growing, suitable trees and tree care.

Seed saving

Sunday 4 March, 11am – 1pm
Wingate Avenue Community Centre
13A Wingate Ave, Ascot Vale

Come learn how to select and harvest seeds from your vegie garden then how to clean and store the seeds for next season. Feel free to bring along seeds for swapping too.

Winter vegie gardening

Saturday 31 March, 10am – 12 noon
Spotswood Primary School
600 Melbourne Rd (cnr Reed St), Spotswood

Rather than abandoning the garden after your summer vegie harvest, it’s now time to thinking about all the wonderful winter crops you could enjoy. This workshop will guide you through preparing vegie beds, green manure crops and choosing the right crops for the cooler time of year.

All workshops are FREE, register by emailing contactus@mysmartgarden.org.au

Want more free events, gardening advice, prizes and discounts from local nurseries? Join the My Smart Garden program at www.mysmartgarden.org.au

Maribyrnong City Council has committed funding to expand the Braybrook Community Garden. The garden will be a safe and inclusive place to grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, learn new skills and meet people. The garden will be designed and built over the next six months. You are invited to attend community meetings to discuss how the garden should be designed and developed.

There are three dates, and all will be held at Braybrook Community Centre.

Place:
Braybrook Community Centre
107-139 Churchill Ave, Braybrook

Meeting times:
Tuesday 24 January, 2-4pm
Thursday 2 February, 6-8pm
Saturday 11 February, 10.30am-12.30pm

Contact:
Jennifer Witheridge
Growing Food Growing Maribyrnong Coordinator
03 9688 0169
jennifer.witheridge@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

RSVP:
Tuesday 24 January, 12noon

Although the meetings are open to all, it would be great if people interested professionally could come to the session on Tuesday 24.

Wonderful, responsible tenant wanted for house in Maidstone/West Footscray.

Includes:

• 3 bedroom (or 2 plus study). Californian Bungalow style house. Eat in kitchen. Separate lounge. Sunroom + rear verandah.
• Gas heater and gas hot water.
• 2 A/C-heater units in two bedrooms.
• Tasmanian oak floorboards throughout.
• North facing.
• Vibrant native garden out front. Recently landscaped and planted native garden at back.
• Would prefer a person who is into gardens and plants. Some seasonal garden maintenance will be arranged.
• Near all amenities.

Price on inquiry ($350 p/w range)

Contact 0418 227 963

AVAILABLE MID JANUARY 2012 (earlier negotiable).

The Ethical Consumer Group is currently working on a new project called Local Harvest. It’s a new national initiative aiming to help people find local sources of food and grow their own.

A word from Nick Ray from the Ethical Consumer Group:

“It’s a one-stop -stop website resource for finding ‘good’ food close to you. It will make it easier to find great alternatives outside the supermarket that support growers and encourage more connection with the systems behind our food. I’m passionate about this project because so much of our food is controlled by a small number of large multinational companies, and it doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve set up a page about the project at www.localharvest.org.au.

We’re trying to raise awareness about the project and also raise some funds using the Pozible crowd-sourcing initiative. It means that lots of people contribute a little to projects they believe in and together there’s enough to get them rolling. We’ve just 25 days left to reach our goal of $8,500, and have 12% so far.”

Check out the Local Harvest website for more details. To donate to the project, click here.

Hello peri-urban farming friends!

Supercharge your diaries for a special event at 40k farm! We’re overdue to rock the front paddock with summer vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, herbs and beans.
And we’re very lucky to have special guest Kirsten Larsen to report back after her extensive visitation of CSA‘s in North America recently. A great opportunity to learn more about Community Supported Agriculture, and the various models employed overseas. Naturally we’ll be discussing how that applies to both you, and us.

We’re also toasting summer rains, our wonderful supporters (you), the ever amazing basalt plains, and our two new moo cows, Bobby and Stella!

40k Farm Planting and Christmas Party
Sunday December 18
10.30am – 4pm
178 Highett Road, Melton
Ph 9746 7031

So whether you’re up for some relaxing farm time, learning more about CSA’s, or putting some veggies in the ground, we do hope you’ll come along; there’ll be plenty happening on the day. BYO hat/gumboots as suiting weather on the day. A small contribution to a shared lunch also most welcome, but not obligatory.

But don’t fret if you can’t make it – we’re now opening the farm every Sunday, and inviting our members to come any (or every!) Sunday that suits them. Open to prospective members too. We’ll try and keep the website updated so you can see what’s on, week by week.
This way, something will always be happening, that will happen faster with your help. And if you ever feel like a trip to the farm, now you can, without waiting for open days, exclusive visits from The Queen, and the like.

For directions to the farm check out MeltonCSA (its true, the site hasn’t been updated lately..!)

Hope to see you there!

Carey, Nick, Ellen and Dan.

Urban gardeners bring your excess home grown goodies & homemade produce to swap and share. Meet other locals, have a cup of tea, share gardening tips & recipes or just have a good old chat….

What’s in season?
Broad beans, lemons, limes, grapefruit, lettuce, rhubarb, strawberries, Warrigal greens, lettuce, carrots, spinach, silverbeet, garlic, herbs (small bunches) … basil mmm, spring onions, leeks….& more!
Other goodies to swap & share…
Fresh eggs, something you’ve baked (bread, cake, biscuits), preserves (jam, chutney, pickles, olives), cordial, ginger beer. Don’t forget worm juice, compost, coffee grounds, seeds, seedlings, cuttings & flowers.

Western Urban Harvest Swap Meet
Saturday 3rd December, 10:00am to 11:30am
Bristow Reserve, Pilgrim St, Seddon (Cnr of John St)
walk from middle Footscray or Seddon station | Map

All Welcome!

Helen
From The Good Seeds Gardening Group Inc.

Volunteers needed on Saturday 17th December 2011, 11am-2pm at Maidstone Community Centre to help launch the Incredible, Edible, Movable Maribyrnong project. Volunteers are needed to plant and decorate fruit boxes with basil and tomatoes as part of a take home activity. Other fun, free activities on the day for the whole family include soccer and sports clinics, pizza making, face painting, jumping castle, music and entertainment, giveaways and much more.

Maribyrnong City Council successful received a grant of $703,006 as part of the Australian Governments National Partnership Agreement on Preventative Health.

Incredible, Edible, Movable Maribyrnong aims to reduce the prevalence and incidence of chronic disease by building the skills and knowledge of the community and enhancing access and opportunities for eating well and being active.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact

Jennifer Witheridge

Maribyrnong City Council
Growing Food, Growing Maribyrnong Project Coordinator
Tel: (03) 9688 0169
Email: jennifer.witheridge@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

Party! Party! Yehar!

To celebrate an amazing year for POW and to get everyone excited for what’s going to be a thrilling year of growth for us all, come along to our end of year party! We’re holding it in the Braybrook Community Garden so you can come see all the great things the Braybrook Sprouts Permaplaygroup have been up to. And of course to make use of the pizza oven!

BYO pizza toppings from your garden, and a salad if you’re able to make one. We’ll also have homemade lemonade and tea from the garden. And all you brewing clubs better bring us all some samples so we can see who’s making the top brew!

Kids bring a small (pre-loved) toy, one per child, wrapped for a sharing swap!

This Saturday, 26th November, 3pm onwards
Braybrook Community Garden
Churchill Avenue
Braybrook
(behind the aeroplane playground)
Google map link

Public transport – 410 bus runs from Footscray to Sunshine and runs down Churchill Ave, but not every time so check before you get on or you can walk the extra four blocks from Ballarat Rd. Ask the driver Or use the journey planner aiming for the Braybrook Shops.
If you get lost call Rayna: 0416 620 221

Lots of love
Permaculture Out West

Two free upcoming workshops run by the My Smart Garden program.

Gardening in small spaces
Thursday 17 November, 6.30 – 8.30pm
Newport Community Education Centre, 43 Mason St, Newport
With a bit of creativity you can grow a feast in your courtyard or balcony – come along and be surprised at just how abundant these spaces can be.

Potted herb gift making workshop
Saturday 26 November, 1.30-3pm
Bowes Avenue Community Centre, 27-31 Bowes Ave, Airport West
Why not give your loved ones a living, edible gift this Christmas? You might also reap the benefits of tasty summer herbs at their barbecues! Join the My Smart Garden program and come to our free gift making workshop. You’ll create a beautiful easy-to-grow potted herb and learn how to care for them.

To register email: contactus@mysmartgarden.org.au or call 9932 1142.

The My Smart Garden program, run by Moonee Valley and Hobsons Bay City Councils helps residents use their gardens to adapt to climate change by growing food, sheltering the home from heat and wind and using water wisely. More information at: www.mysmartgarden.org.au