Permaculture Out West

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.

Indigenous Grass Display at the Newport Lakes Native Nursery

It is often almost impossible to identify native vs. exotic grasses unless they are in seed. This is a great time to view native grasses such as wallaby and kangaroo grasses etc. etc. as they are currently setting seed.

Dates: 15 December 2011 until 29th February 2012

Location: Newport Lakes Native Nursery

Address: 2 Lakes Drive (formerly Margaret Street), Newport

Time: 11am – 4pm daily

Ph: (03) 9391 0044

Need to escape the Christmas rush?

An amazing permablitz happening at Ascot Vale Special School has just been announced! This school started its food garden earlier this year and the kids absolutely adore it! Now it is time for chickens! So get your gardening gear ready for this day as we build a chicken coop and run so the kids at the school can enjoy their lovely hens when they come back from holidays! We will also gear up this garden for the upcoming summer holidays by transforming some corrugated iron beds into wicking beds! And of course, they’ll be plenty of opportunities to get down and rip some weeds off the ground, take home cuttings from the established ornamental garden and enjoy lovely food prepared by our lovely kitchen specialist! Just email me to reserve your spot michellelab@hotmail.com or 0422567807

Sunday, 11 December 2011, 10:00am - 04:30pm

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

Request for help -
Propagation effort for the Kororoit Creek

There is a special event happening on Thursday 8 December during the morning and we are looking for a number of volunteers to help.

Its a project the Friends group is involved in with City West Water and we need people to help propagate indigenous plants by pricking out seedlings to tubes. These plants will form a stock of plants that will be put in the ground next year along the creek.

No previous knowledge is required, just a pair of hands and some enthusiasm to help improve our natural environment.

I know that a Thursday may be a difficult time for some, however, if you know of others who may not be on this list, but would be interested, please pass on this message.

Please contact me if you wish further information or if you can let me know if you are available to help.

Regards

Tony
Secretary
THE FRIENDS OF KOROROIT CREEK INC
WEBSITE – www.fokc.org.au