Permaculture Out West

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

View or listen at your leisure

Costa’s Garden Odyssey http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/costa

ABC gardening videos online http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/video/

Also radio online http://www.abc.net.au/radio/listenlive.htm

Add your favorites in the comments section below

It is the time of year to preserve the produce.

Now that I’ve a stockpot with no holes in the bottom I’ll be making Blackberry Jelly.
My favourite books are an ancient book using imperial measurments ‘Preserves and Pickles’ by Alison Burt (which I assume is out of print) as well as ‘A year in a bottle’ by Sally Wise.

Australian preserving forum link http://www.home-cheesemaking.com.au/

Stockists

Fowlers Valola (website pending)
(03) 9329 7799
23-25 Racecourse Rd North Melbourne

Source of Bottles and Lids – Plasdene – get together with a friend as it’s a min $100 purchase

This shop has a mind boggling range in such a space, I got my jam funnel here http://www.costanteimports.com.au/

1. Feel free to add your stockists in the comments section
2. If you have a receipe for zucchini I’d be grateful

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.

Due to the Big West Festival, our usual booking at the Dancing Dog has been changed. Please note, if you are planning to come to the POW/Future Footscray Masterplan workshop, it will now be held at West Footscray Neighbourhood House, 539 Barkly St, West Footscray.

See you there, 3-5pm Sunday!

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

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/