Permaculture Out West

Budding Day at Werribee Orchard – Sunday

Ann — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:21:54 +0000

Date Sunday 12 February 2012
Time 10am until 2pm
Where Werribee Park Heritage Orchard

Come along to Werribee Park to see how to propagate your own stone fruit trees or add another variety to an existing tree to extend the fruiting season.

Purchase newly budded trees, or scion wood separately

The orchard is on facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/wph.orchard/

Website http://www.werribeeparkheritageorchard.org.au/

Have a look at this article about budding techniques http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/propagation/budding/budding.html

Geelong PDC Course April 2012 – Permaculture Design Certificate course

Luke — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:51:03 +0000

The next Permaculture Design Certificate course in Freshwater Creek near Geelong, Victoria is being held in April from the 1st to the 15th.

Rick Coleman from Southern Cross Permaculture Institute will be the main tutor and if numbers exceed 15 we will also have Kat Lavers and we will also have 2 very skilled local guest tutors who will be doing a session each.

Bookings are now open and the deposit needs to be paid by the 15th February.

Email Monica on goldenalight@yahoo.com.au or phone 03 5241 7086 or 0439 390 557 for more information. Or visit the Geelong Sustainability website and click on Events.

Free screening of visionary documentary ‘HOME’

Luke — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:41:02 +0000

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.

MEET THE FUTURE

Kat — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:43:08 +0000

How can we meet our future energy needs, maintain living standards, safeguard our economy and combat climate change?

Award-winning research group, Beyond Zero Emissions, shows how the latest commercially available technology can move us towards a zero carbon Australia.

For those new to BZE’s work, this talk will present important information for all Australians. For those familiar with BZE’s work, it will update you on its latest findings and activities.

Thursday, 16^th February. 6:15 pm – 8 pm

Altona Library - Environment Resource Centre, 123 Queen St, Altona

My Smart Garden – Free Workshops

Luke — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:33:09 +0000

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

Preserving Workshop – Register your interest

Ann — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:46:17 +0000

Anyone up for bottling / preserving the summer harvest workshop?

Time, date and address to be arranged.

POW is also on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/232421223455251/

Online – Videos, Radio

Ann — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:26:01 +0000

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

Preserve Time

Ann — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:06:07 +0000

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

Your local neighborhood house

Ann — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:21:58 +0000

It’s the new year and all the neighborhood houses and community centres have released their calender of events.

Including such gems as

Jams and preserves at Kensington

- http://kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com/component/docman/cat_view/50-publications?orderby=dmdate_published

Kensington is part of the city of Moonee Valley here are the other centres http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/experience-moonee-valley/community-centres-and-halls/neighbourhood-houses.aspx

City of Maribyrnong Centres are here

http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/page/page.asp?page_id=533 Check out the yoga and community cooking at Maidstone

Safe Food Handling

at Sussex Street only $30- for volunteers http://www.sussexnh.org.au/

Find a neighborhood house near you

http://www.anhlc.asn.au/find/networkwest

Braybrook Community Garden Expansion Meeting

Luke — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:37:51 +0000

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.