Daylesford Community Food Garden

More organisation at Albert St

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:43:00 +0000

Thanks Pete O'Mara for the organisation and the artwork.

If you wish to go on the watering roster please contact us here.

Autonomous Art at Albert Street

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:04:00 +0000

Thanks this week to artist-essayist Jeff Stewart for his beautiful stencil work and to tattooist-illustrator Heath Todd for his handy sign-writing.

Jeff has lived in Daylesford for over 20 years and has contributed significantly to the cultural life of the town. Heath is a visitor from NZ and is in Daylesford to learn more about permaculture and community food systems. Both your crafts are much appreciated and welcomed within the gift economy of DCFG. Thank you Jeff and Heath!

January working bee, picnic and Boite Singers' Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:48:00 +0000

We had a day of diverse activities in our little town today including our regular monthly working bee and Harvest Swapmeet, a community picnic and a forum on permaculture. But first, the working bee and harvest swapmeet:

As part of the 22nd Boite Singers' Festival, Timor Leste singer-songwriter and permaculturalist Ego Lemos performed with his band before joining a local panel, including permaculture co-originator David Holmgren and community gardener Patrick Jones, to discuss permaculture activism, community gardens and global crises ordained by late industrialism:

Patrick presented his take on the communal establishment of Daylesford Community Food Gardens, guerilla style, by giving a live read to his film Gardens of Love.

Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Meg) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:14:00 +0000

The generous crew at Perfect Drop Wine and Food Lounge are hosting a fundraising event for the Community Food Garden. Here's hoping you can come along.

A HUGE thank you to Ian Robertson for the poster.

Our first nine months

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:30:00 +0000

The story of Daylesford Community Food Gardeners first nine months demonstrating how a guerilla action at one garden developed into three community gardens throughout the town.

A fleeting visit

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:05:00 +0000

We had Helena Norberg-Hodge, the writer-director of the brilliant film The Economics of Happiness, at the Albert Street community garden today.

From L to R: Helena Norberg-Hodge, Meg Ulman (DCFG & HRN), Laurel Freeland (SHARE, HSC) and Elizabeth Hak (ESAC)

November working bee (Albert Street)

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:36:00 +0000

In honour of spring, we are hosting a party at Rea Lands Park and we'd love it if you could join us.

A HUGE shout out to the extraordinary Ian Robertson for the poster, and to the utterly delightful Jasper, for the use of his photo.

How it all began

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 07:12:00 +0000

Patrick wrote a short piece on our beginnings for Trouble magazine and then submitted an excerpt of it as an abstract for a global symposium on guerilla gardening in New York, forthcoming. Today it was accepted and instead of flying over to deliver his paper he'll make a video. Stay tuned, in the meantime here's the bones of that paper/video to be:

(click for bigger).

September double bee

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 06:51:00 +0000

This month's working bee began at Albert St and ended at Rea Lands Park. As we have two gardens now we have decided to extend the monthly working bee sessions to four hours, two hours at both gardens more or less, but come for as much or as little as you wish...

So monthly working bees will continue on as usual starting at 10am on the second Saturday of the month starting at Albert St then heading to Rea Lands park for lunch and some more work until about 2pm. Here's some pics from this month's first double bee.

Jeremy and Tia weed the potato patch at Albert St.

Lena and Mara exchange notes at Albert St.

Fiona works while the rest lounge at Rea Lands.

New community garden brewing at DNC

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:56:00 +0000

Patrick was asked to draw up a design for a safety fence that is to be included in the community garden at Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre. DNC has been working away on establishing another community garden with an emphasis on sustainable food production. DNC run a certificate program in horticulture, and many other related courses and workshops from edible wild plants to cooking. Many of us can see all of Daylesford's community gardens being networked not only as a community food system, but doubling as educational resources.

Click for bigger

Two stories in this week's Advocate

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:15:00 +0000

Oh, joyous day

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:07:00 +0000

Daylesford Community Food Gardeners' first planting day at Rea Lands Park. Film by Artist as Family, music by Souls on Board.

Many thanks to the community, the neighbours, Hepburn Shire Council and especially sustainability officer Jill Berry

Access and Inclusion Plan (and a little something else)

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Patrick worked on a couple of drawings today. The first being an Inclusion and Accessibility draft plan for Rea Lands Park showing a proposed all access path and picnic table, and an all access composting toilet (with water tank) and parking. This drawing is in preparation for our meeting on Friday to discuss possible funding potentials for such dreaming...

Click for bigger.

The second drawing, well, it speaks for itself really...

Click for bigger.

Thanks so much to Kim, Kevin, Digby and Morgan at Designscope, who scanned the drawings.

Sow What When (Daylesford)

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Ian Robertson has produced a beautiful year round guide to sowing vegetables in Daylesford.

Click here to see what's ready to go in now. You might be amazed how many things can be planted in the colder months.

Access, generosity, planning and planting

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:11:00 +0000

We've been pretty busy getting ready for the first big community planting day this Saturday. People have been so generous, offering time, money and labour. Kevin Slattery donated $100 towards fruit trees, Hepburn Shire Council has donated $1000, and many others have been giving their time to get Rea Lands Park ready for this coming day. Jill Berry, such an apt surname for a sustainability officer, has been remarkable in her efforts to assist this project. Thanks Jill!

Paul Dempsey, our community gardener extraordinaire, has been busy collecting leaf mulch from around the shire, either on bicycle or on foot, and planting berries and fig runners from various local permaculture gardens. Thanks Su, David, Maureen and Steven.

Today a small group of us met at the garden to discuss accessibility to the site. It was agreed a design for an access path will be drawn up and a staged plan of requirements to make the space more inclusive.

Jim Hammerly, Bev Watson and Fiona Porter

Council backs a second garden

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:34:00 +0000

Last Tuesday, at the monthly ordinary meeting of council, Hepburn Shire Councillors unanimously voted to go against the recommendation to sell the Albert Street site, and to support the continuation of a community food garden there.

Big thanks to councillor Sebastian Klein, who put the motion forward, and councillor Don Henderson, for speaking so passionately on behalf of our endeavours.

Preparing the potato patch at the last working bee at the Albert Street garden.

Garden blooms, 'decision looms'

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:35:00 +0000

More empathetic press in the The Advocate this week.

Please let our councillors know how much the Albert Street community food garden means to us, and how it is fast becoming a hive for social warming and just free food, open to all.

Picture: Daniel Hartley-Allen (courtesy of The Advocate)

Write your support of the garden to the following councillors:

Jon Barrell – jbarrell@hepburn.vic.gov.au
Janine Booth – jbooth@hepburn.vic.gov.au
Sebastian Klein – sklein@hepburn.vic.gov.au
Rod May – rmay@hepburn.vic.gov.au
Bill McClenaghan – bmcclenaghan@hepburn.vic.gov.au
Don Henderson – dhenderson@hepburn.vic.gov.au

July bee

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:02:00 +0000

A great crowd rocked up to the Albert Street garden yesterday to plant more leaf vegetables and to rotary hoe two new potato beds – thanks Adrian! We were given a small donation by a passerby – thanks Darma – so we walked up to Harvest and bought some organic Bullarto spuds to plant.

We took the rocks we dug up from the ground and began to make a cairn with them at the front of the garden.

We lit a fire to defrost our hands, and shared thermoses of tea and a delicious cake – thanks Alison!

We meet for working bees on the second Saturday of each month from 10am-12. Hope to see you for the next one on August 13.

More warm commentary from Costa

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:02:00 +0000

SBS gardening guru Costa opened the Albert Street garden back in early March. After hearing our news of securing Rea Lands Park as a permanent community food garden, and that it looks likely that Albert Street is going to become a permanent site for community food, Costa wrote this:

Yay DCFG. What a fantastic result. Congratulations on your efforts, initiative and vision to bring the issue of local food production/ security to the heart of your town. It is way way bigger than Daylesford now and sets a wonderful benchmark from which others across the nation can now build leverage and action in their respective local patches. I will be using your garden as a wonderful example of local action with global ramifications in my travels and talks. And it all began with a circular garden bed made from some hay bales in a vacant lt of land next to the library, the local school kids, some seedlings and the love and vision of your active locals.....All powers to you...I love it

Costa Georgiadis

Neighbourly relations

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:58:00 +0000

In Gaza, organic agriculture has grown out of a concern for safe supplies of food. When Hamas took control in 2007, Israel imposed a crippling food blockade and insecurity among Gaza's 1.6 million people rose. Not only were a number of foods blocked from entering, but stocks of pesticides and fertilisers also dried up. 80% of people became reliant on food aid.

While here in Central Victoria things are not as extreme, we still have so much to learn from people who are living in other parts of the world. With energy descent, a challenge that no country will be exempt from, pesticide and fertiliser supplies will also dry up, making organic food production the norm, rather than the exception.

Recently, a contingent from DCFG bussed over to Trentham to visit their community garden.

Although Daylesford and Trentham are separated by 20km of Wombat Forest, we are united by organic gardening, and transitioning to this as the norm.

For those who live out that way, the Trentham Community Garden is located next to the train station. And for those who like to do their travelling more virtually, you can find them on Facebook here.

A tremendous win for community, local government and transitioning communities

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:48:00 +0000

Last night at the not so ordinary council meeting representatives of DCFG spoke against the contentious sale of two public sites (Rea Lands Park and 33 Albert St), and for these two spaces to be long term homes for community food production.

Representatives of DCFG presented questions for council. Here's Brett Adamson delivering his.

The outcome was unanimous from councillors to support the Rea Lands Park site as a community food forest pledging to work with us and cover our insurance, and, despite a deferment on making a decision for the site at 33 Albert St (next to the library), it looks like all councillors are principally in agreement not to sell the land and allow the continuation of community food being grown there too.

This support from council is just what we've been looking for. Thank you to councillors, supportive council officers and the community for all your parts in working towards an inclusive, healthy, peak oil resilient future. Last night was truly a joyous occasion and DCFG now really feel supported by our local government.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

Albert Street Community Garden to be sold off?

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight is an 'ordinary council meeting' to discuss the potential sale of the Albert Street community garden land, and to discuss the proposed Rea Lands Park community garden.

Many in the community have been working tirelessly to convince council to fully support local action to take responsibility for our food resources, and make these resources accessible, organic and free.

Brett, Pia and Fyfe did more work at the Albert Street garden last week and here is Zephyr adding his bit of carpentry know-how to their work.

Many of us believe that just because council is in debt, this doesn't justify the sale of community assets, assets that will be important for transitioning back to a local food economy. Most of the debt derives from paying bureaucrat's salaries.

Too many bureaucrats spoil the broth!

Draft design for Rea Lands Park

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:27:00 +0000

Click for bigger.

The Daylesford Community Food Gardeners (DCFG) met on the 27th May and agreed in-principle that the type of food system that would be most suitable for Rea Lands Park is a tree crop garden, or food forest.

It was also agreed that Patrick Jones prepare a draft design for the site, taking on the ideas from the first design session that was led by David Holmgren, in which over thirty participants were involved (see below topographical map with notes).

Working with sustainability officer, Jill Berry, it was then agreed that this draft design be prepared for the council meeting on June 21.

The proposed garden has several main points:

1. This is a long-term food garden for the purposes of community enrichment and food security.
2. The garden constitutes heavily mulched tree crop beds to suppress weeds and conserve water. Thus it is designed to be low maintenance.
3. A large open space remains for play and other community activities.
4. Mowing is reduced and it will be requested that herbicides and any other pesticides not be used in the garden. In-kind mowing is all that is asked of council, in terms of garden maintenance.
5. No existing flora or infrastructure is to be removed.
6. No earthworks or built infrastructure is required.
7. Donations will be sought for some trees and organic materials.
8. Grants will be sought for some trees and organic materials.
9. Access to the site for people with disabilities is possible by car from the access lane.
10. Monthly working bees at the site will continue indefinitely, as they currently are at the Albert St garden.
11. We do not seek money from council, however we ask that all community gardeners be covered by council’s public liability insurance.
12. The food grown at the garden is for the purposes of feeding local families. It is not to be capitalised upon, except for the purposes of fund raising for the garden’s development.

Yemaya shares her thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Permapoesis) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:38:00 +0000

We have been learning about our community in social harmony. The community garden is a place that offers free food. You are welcome to go there and feed yourself. I like going there with my class. It was very fun jumping on the hay stacks and looking over the fence. I also liked creating it with Costa. Going there makes me feel so happy and joyous.