New events
Compost workshop at Carmone Community Garden
What: Home and community gardeners alike are invited to join a hands-on composting session guided by CERES Environment Park. You will better understand the principles of effective composting, and how to collectively manage the heap to reap its rewards.
When: Saturday, 11th April, 10am-midday.
Where: Community Garden at Carome Homestead.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Fiona, by phone (0407 138396) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Preserving your summer fruits and vegetables
What: Learn how to transform the humble tomato into a variety of delicious preserves, such as ketchup, relishes, pickles and pasta sauces. Discover how different preserving techniques make it possible to enjoy your harvest safely for months to come usin.
When: Saturday, 18th April, 1-4pm.
Where: Whittlesea Community Activity Centre.
Cost: $5 for non-members. Members are free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Megan, by phone (0407 699755) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Seed saving with Maria Ciavarella
What: Complete the cycle in your garden as you learn how to save seeds from your own vegies to grow again. We cover some of the easier seeds as well as look at the vegies with more complex seed saving needs. Timing, techniques and hands-on activities are all part of the workshop..
When: Friday, 1st May, 7-9pm.
Where: Whittlesea Community House.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Megan, by phone (0407 699755) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
‘Small Blocks, Big Ideas’ Forum
What: Farming on small acreage is not without its challenges but it can be an exciting career and fantastic lifestyle. Rod May (Captain Creek Organics), Ben Falloon (Taranaki Farm), Tammi Jonas (Jonai Farms) and Kirsten Larsen (The Open Food Network) will tell their stories and answer your questions about how to get started and be successful in your own farming business.
When: Sunday, 3rd May, 9am-3pm.
Where: Whittlesea Showgrounds.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Annemaree Docking, by phone (9217 2593) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Hurstbridge Garden Club
What: Maurice Kellet on bromeliads.
When: Tuesday, 5th May, 7.15-9.15pm.
Where: Hurstbridge Community and Family Centre.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Cheryl Lowe, by phone (9438 1563) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Eltham Farmers’ Market first birthday on Sunday, 12th April
As you will know from the last newsletter, the market is celebrating its first year of operation on 12th April. Highlights will include:
There will be a free competition, with a hamper as first prize and four other prizes of local produce.
At 9am, again at 10am, and again at 12.15, Pablo Naranjo will play guitar.
At 9.30, and again at 10.30, David Paul will perform magic tricks, juggle and play the trumpet.
At 11am, Bek McMillan will show how to prepare a simple, healthy birthday dish using fresh produce on offer at the market, including an opportunity for market goers to taste the results.
At 11.30, the competition will close.
At 11.45, Local Food Connect will present a certificate to a local retailer in recognition of their promotion of local produce.
At around midday, the results of the competition will be announced, and the prizes will be presented by Vicki Ward.
At around 12.15, Vicki will cut our birthday cake and pieces will be offered to market goers.
There will be two new sellers at our community market stall: Elodie/Tash (limes and figs) and Colin (honey).
Nillumbik Health will have a ‘eat well for health’ information stall.
If you know of any event newsletters that we should be subscribing to in order to get notification of events, please email us. The newsletters that we currently subscribe to include:
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance.
Eltham POD.
Transition 3081.
Transition Banyule.
Whittlesea sustainable planning.
If you know of any events that should be included in the newsletter and website, email us. If you have a flyer, we can also include that. Just one request: please make sure that the details are in a form that we can copy/paste (i.e. not just a jpg).
Upcoming events from previous LFC News
Over the next week
Compost workshop at Carmone Community Garden: Saturday, 11th April, 10am-midday.
Open day at Outback Farm: Saturday, 11th April, 10am-2pm.
Over the next month
Launch of the Food and Beverage Growth Plan: Friday, 17th April, 10-11.30am.
Preserving your summer fruits and vegetables: Saturday, 18th April, 1-4pm.
An evening with Joel Salatin: Sunday, 19th April, 5.30-9pm.
Mariam Issa – refugee and community gardener: Tuesday, 21st April, 11.30am-12.30pm.
Seed saving with Maria Ciavarella: Friday, 1st May, 7-9pm.
International Permaculture Day: 3rd May.
‘Small Blocks, Big Ideas’ Forum: Sunday, 3rd May, 9am-3pm.
Hurstbridge Garden Club: Tuesday, 5th May, 7.15-9.15pm.
Edendale workshops: over the next few months.
Click here for the complete calendar of upcoming events.
Survey results
A further 100 people have now responded to the one-question survey, making 220 in total:
60% live in Nillumbik, 25% live in Banyule, 5% live in Manningham and 10% live elsewhere.
Of those who live in Nillumbik, half (30% of the total) live in Eltham and the other half live elsewhere in Nillumbik.
After Eltham, the suburbs with the most respondents were (in order): Hurstbridge, Montmorency, Diamond Creek and Greensborough, each with 5-6% of the total respondents.
Click here to see a detailed map of where people live.
Any more responses would be more than welcome. Please email us.