Moreland Food Gardens Network

Sunday 23rd June: Enjoy some West Brunswick Food Forest Permablitz Goodness

2013-06-10T17:37:00.001+10:00

A week to go until the fabulous Moreland Community Gardening June Garden-&-Gather-slash-Permablitz-Working-Bee down at the West Brunswick Food Forest & Community Garden

When: Sunday 23rd June 9.30am - 4.30pm
Where: Dunstan Reserve, West Brunswick - enter from Everett St through the car park beside Moreland Child Care Centre, 51 Everett St.
RSVP to grow.eat.moreland@gmail.com so we can cater lunch for everyone

You may not know about this amazing food forest, right on your doorstep with 30+ mature productive food trees. A terrific companion to the community garden next door, it provides a stable, long term perennial counterpart to the garden's mostly seasonal, transient, plant-harvest-replant cycle. This unique place will only get better as it becomes more established and we locals invest some love and attention. You can also read a bit more about it here.

"The Plan'

So what are we doing on 23rd June?
Our project to rejuvenate the food forest has been underway for a year now. For a bit of a boost at the end of this rebuilding phase and to spread the word about whats happening down at Dunstan Reserve, we're teaming up with the incredible Permablitz crew (if you haven't come across their work, check it out).

We're inviting lots of friends to help give us a push over the line and prepare the food forest for a soon-to-be-established band of dedicated food forest rangers (more on this soon).

It'll be an extended day (9.30am-4.30pm) 'cos we've got lots to do and plenty of fun to be had. Amongst other things we'll:

prune anything that needs it
plant out understorey plants and maybe some trees
mulch and weed
work on the pergola for the climbing vines
help in the community garden if there are enough volunteers

At various points during the day there'll be some short workshops on:

pruning
planting
food forest design
edible plants
composting

There'll be lots of us there, come and be a part of it.

We'll provide a great lunch for everyone who comes to help (RSVP to grow.eat.moreland@gmail.com so we can cater).

All you need to bring are your gardening gloves, secateurs, hand tools for planting, sensible footwear and clothing, and a readiness to get stuck in.

Free presentations by sustainable living advocate Tanya Ha (Coburg Library, 12th June)

2013-06-04T20:27:00.003+10:00

Moreland City Libraries is hosting two free talks by best-selling author and sustainable living advocate, Tanya Ha.

Tanya has appeared on ABC TV's science show Catalyst, is the environmental presenter for the ABC show Can We Help? and was the echo coach for the SBS series Eco house challenge. She is an articulate, entertaining and inspirational speaker who empowers her audience to take action in their own lives.

The presentations will be at Coburg Library on Wednesday 12 June.

The first talk, called Mama green, will be at 1 pm and will offer practical, relevant advice for parents.

The second, called Future ready, will be at 7 pm when Tanya will offer advice to people who are renovating a house.

If you ain't a gardener, you ain't gangsta: Ron Finley - A guerilla gardener in South Central LA [video]

2013-05-28T09:00:00.000+10:00

"Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA -- in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where "the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.""

TED

A different perspective: Michael Pollan - A Plant's-eye view [video]

2013-05-27T08:00:00.000+10:00

"What if human consciousness isn't the end-all be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant's-eye view."

TED Talk by Michael Pollan.

Go on, try not to smile: First Taste [video]

2013-05-26T10:00:00.000+10:00

Tasty video bit at #TEDxSydney 2013.
Video by Saatchi & Heckler

"Every year TEDxSydney invites the creative industry to contribute by submitting video content which runs as interstitial content between speakers and performers. In the spirit of TED, these videos help celebrate the pioneering ideas we see on the stage. In 2013, fourteen remarkable videos blew us away with their creativity, smarts and passion...In particular, the "First Taste" video has surpassed all previous records, already amassing almost 2 million views and climbing. It documents, in stunningly evocative slow motion, a range of kids experiencing their very first tastes of various and distinctive foods."

From TEDxSydney

A little inspiration: A Year in the Garden [video]

2013-05-25T08:00:00.000+10:00

A Year in the Garden from Brad Hiebert on Vimeo.

Coburg Farmer's Market goes off and it's on again this Saturday!

2013-05-23T15:55:00.002+10:00

A few weeks back I saw yet another inspiring example of people in Moreland doing something simple but awesome - the Coburg Farmer's Market.

Even though I didn't have anything to do with getting this going, I must admit that I really want it to be a success and I was feeling a tad nervous as we walked to Coburg North Primary School on Saturday morning.

Would enough people show up?
Would there be enough producers?
Would there be a good mix of interestingness and everyday?

I needn't have been concerned. People came in their hundreds and even though I'm sure there were plenty just having a look, the traders/producers seemed happy enough with how things were going. There were seasoned stall holders who frequent other farmer's markets around Melbourne and others who hadn't done it before and a good mix of stuff.

I don't think I was the only local grateful that so many had showed up either. I saw looks of relief and happiness on lots of faces.

To those who worked hard to make this happen, to the growers and makers and to all the people of Moreland and elsewhere who came along - thanks. I'll be going back. Long may it continue.

Coburg Farmer's Market

When: 2nd & 4th Saturday every month
Where: Coburg North Primary School, 180 O’Hea Street, Coburg
Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm
Cost: gold coin donation for specific kids’ school projects would be appreciated

Come along to the SGA Ideas Harvest Chat + Panel: What are the possibilities when modern communities grow more of their own food? (17th June - Brunswick)

2013-05-23T10:16:00.003+10:00

Sustainable Gardening Australia invites you to join an informal gathering where participants will engage in discussion regarding:

“What are the possibilities when modern communities grow more of their own food?”

The evening will conclude with questions addressed by a panel including:

Natasha Kuperman (Founder of My Home Harvest)
Cam Walker (Friends of the Earth)
Peter Huff (Urban Agriculture Facilitator, City of Yarra)

Cost: FREE!! (but places are limited)

When: Monday June 17th 2013 from 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Function Room, The Courthouse Hotel, 615 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Transport: Tram, Train (Anstey Station), Car (Sydney Rd meter free after 6pm)

You can purchase meals and drinks at The Courthouse and there are lots of great eateries on Sydney Road.

To Register for this event go to: http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=50481

Places for this free event are limited so book early, and please let us know if you are then unable to attend so we can give someone else your place.

Connection to Country - Peppertree Place. Community Hub and Food Swap Saturday, 1st June, 2013

2013-05-17T11:15:00.000+10:00

Connection to Country: A day of Indigenous Culture Celebration in partnership with the Multicultural Women's Sewing Group.
When: Saturday 1st June 2013
Where: @ Peppertree Place, 512 Sydney Road, Coburg
Cost: Free!

Taranaki Farm Tour Review

2013-05-09T20:03:00.002+10:00

An icy wind and some very friendly animals welcomed us to Taranaki farm. Set in the rolling hills behind Woodend and with stunning views to Mt Macedon, Taranaki farm is impressive to begin with.

This is a fourth generation family farm, now run by Ben Fallon and inspired by the practices of the famous Joel Salatin from Virginia USA, who promotes poly face farming or regenerative agriculture. These are systems with a high diversity and are commercially viable. You can read more about Joel Salatin’s farm here.

Ben spoke a lot about letting animals express them selves – chickens should be able to express their chicken-ness and also how their nature can be utilised. The farm is possibly best known for the chicken tractor system which follow the movement of cattle. The cows are moved into a new area each day, this is know as cell grazing, and mimics their natural movement over grasslands, high density herds moving to fresh ground each day. This means grass has time to regenerate and the ground doesn’t become overly compacted. The grass certainly was thick and the earth spongy underfoot. Chickens follow 4 days behind the cows, scratching up any cow pats to get the insects underneath thereby spreading out nutrients and sanitising the ground from parasites. The also add their manure and so improve the quality of the pasture long term. An the by-product? Eggs!!

At Taranaki farm everything seems to move often. There are also meat chickens in moving shelters, a mobile dairy, a large A frame with chickens for intensive egg production and forest pigs. Even the fences aren’t static being made from star pickets and eclectic wires. Dams, swales and roads are built on contour in harmony with the existing shape of the land to maximise water infiltration. This is a managed ecological system. More information about Taranaki’s farming techniques are available on their web site.

Of particular interest to us city dwellers was that Ben mentioned the best type of eggs come from a chicken attached to a kitchen, eating kitchen scraps and without the pressure of productivity. Commercial chooks need to lay around 7 eggs every 10 days, backyard chooks are more easily forgiven for barren periods

While Taranaki farm is totally GE free, Ben said that sometimes he thinks local is more important than organic, he said he would rather buy local grain to feed the chooks than organic grain from Queensland

He also spoke about how its important to become reconnected with the land, that people in cities shouldn’t forget they are a biological entity- they are part of the earth’s ecosystem whether its acknowledged or not. To acknowledge this Ben recommends that we patronise local farmers, so we have a connection with our food, we know what’s in it and how it is grown and its impact on the earth.

So for the things you can’t produce yourself find a local farmer! Ideas for how this can be done at include farmers market, community supported agriculture, our local Eaterprises network or setting up your own co-op system.

Taranaki farm runs monthly tours, host’s interns and is well worth a visit.

Words and Photos By Elspeth Brock

Symposium: Edible Landscapes: Challenges and Opportunities for Growing Food in Cities (Melbourne, Thu 6th June 2013)

2013-04-29T09:58:00.001+10:00

Interest in urban agriculture, from home vegetable gardens to city farms, has increased rapidly in recent years. What are the next steps needed to make urban agriculture successful, both technically and socially? This symposium focuses on edible landscapes in parks, streets, schools and private gardens. Issues to be explored include: the role of local government in facilitating urban agriculture; design, management and maintenance of food growing spaces; and the work of entrepreneurs in private, school and corporate edible landscapes.

Speakers include Jodi Jackson (Lemon Tree project); Jason Summers (City of Hume); Mark Sanders (West Brunswick Community Garden/Moreland Food Gardens Network); Peter Huff (City of Yarra/Cultivating Community); Dr Peter May (May Horticulture Services); Karen Sutherland (Edible Eden Design); Fabian Capomolla (the Little Veggie Patch Co); Michelle Rayner (the Patch Primary School); and Dr Chris Williams (Burnley Campus, University of Melbourne).

A panel discussion on edible landscapes will be facilitated by Clear Horizon.

This symposia is suitable for:

Landscape designers, community activists, permaculturists, green space managers, architects, landscape architects, garden designers, horticulturists, urban ecologists, environmental managers, vegetation and tree managers, garden superintendents, community organisations, land use professionals, planners, community gardeners, food activists, public health planners, teachers, developers, local government councillors

Topics to be covered:

Relationship between local government and community activists in creating edible landscapes
Issues such as food plants for streetscapes, improving the aesthetic appeal of edible landscapes, and exploring the horticultural and maintenance skills required to make urban agriculture really work
Increasing the use of perennial food plants, multi-cultural edible plantings, designing food spaces for maximum yield, and food growing businesses
Case studies from organisations working in partnership across business, local government and the community for urban agriculture - such as the Lemon Tree project
Managing community gardens and orchards
Edible landscapes in schools: design, maintenance and management

Where: University of Melbourne's Burnley Campus

When: Thursday, 6 June 2013, 9.30am – 4.30pm

Cost: Full price $250, Concession $150

Flyer and Registration Form

Forging a Fair Food Future: getting energised by Melbourne's EcoCity Food Forum

2013-04-19T15:00:00.000+10:00

Although we call ourselves a "food gardens network" our subscribers, followers, members and supporters include all manner of people with much more on their minds than just food gardens including food growing, food security and access, distribution, consumption as well as adjacent fields like research, sustainability, community building, health, government, education and so on. For me at least, this network is a terrific source of ideas, inspiration, solutions and support.

Like many of you I know there's a groundswell of effort in and around greater Melbourne towards establishing a sustainable, resilient food system that helps to build healthy, engaged communities.

Until Friday 22nd March though I had no idea of the scale of this groundswell.

Announced barely two weeks before, all 150 places for the EcoCity Food Forum in Melbourne were snapped up in 3 days (with another 50 on the waiting list). Participants came from an impressively diverse range of interest groups and backgrounds including residents, designers, community health, community gardens, social enterprises, software developers, business, agriculture, local government, academia, fair food advocacy groups. Between us we lead and contributed to an inspiring array of nearly 36 sessions that covered topics like:

mapping community food assets -
fostering a new generation of farmers
open source software development
buying clubs
urban agriculture for resilient cities
the People's Food Plan
City of Melbourne's lean collaboration Citylab initiative
scaling up small scale community projects
changing attitudes to waste
backyard farmers co-op
threats to peri-urban agriculture resources
connecting farmers to the local food movement
food production in the City of Melbourne
the economics of urban farming

Have a squiz at this storify page which gives a bit of a flavour of it.

Avoiding a traditional conference model in favour of an 'unconference' that used Open Space Technology we shared our stories, explained our visions, sought answers, proposed and promoted projects, challenged preconceptions, gathered support, stimulated debate and more.

We were hosted by the fantastic folks at Doing Something Good with sustenance prepared by social Kinfolk using food donated for the event. An amazing show of volunteer power and goodwill.
enterprise cafe

All this in the name of forging a fair food future for our society.

Seeing this many people in one place vigorously connecting (or reconnecting), engaging with each others ideas and building upon each others' enthusiasm was energising and inspiring. I can't wait to see the efforts that emerge from all the committed people who attended.

Let's do it again! SOON.

The VicHealth Seed Challenge - Up to $100,000 available for the brightest ideas

2013-04-18T13:58:00.003+10:00

In an exciting and new approach, VicHealth is sowing the seed for innovation by calling for people from across the nutrition sector, fruit and vegetable industries, researchers, social innovators/entrepreneurs and the digital world to collaborate and seek solutions to a wicked problem.

"How do we improve fruit and vegetable supply and access, as well as develop and promote a culture of healthy eating in Victoria?"

The VicHealth Seed Challenge is about innovation, developing new ways of working together, and prototyping the brightest ideas, using digital technology to make it happen.

At the heart of the challenge is cultivating fresh ways to improve local fresh food production and distribution so that nutritious food is sustainable, available and affordable for all Victorians to enjoy.

We need to revive the value once placed on fruit and vegetables, so that the healthy choice is the easiest – and the most desirable choice.

So we’re calling on your support to seek solutions — where no idea is considered too small for action.

VicHealth, with support from The Australian Centre for Social Innovation, will initially select and fund the most promising ideas with a one-off investment to further refine and develop a business case. From here, the two most promising ideas that demonstrate a fresh way of thinking will be selected to receive ongoing mentoring, coaching, business development and financial support of up to $100,000 as a means to propel these inspiring proposals off the ground.

VicHealth in conjunction with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation will be conducting Sowing the Seed: information exchange to provide further information about the challenge and to facilitate collaboration between interested parties:

Event Details
Date: Wednesday 1 May
Time: 9.30am to 1.15pm
Venue:
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Level 2, Meeting Room 219
1 Convention Centre Place
South Wharf

Morning tea and light lunch provided

RSVP essential by Tuesday 23 April. RSVP at rsvp@vichealth.vic.gov.au

You are in a unique position to help make healthy and sustainable food choices the easy choice, now and into the future.

For more information about the VicHealth Seed Challenge, visit www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/seedchallenge

Merri Corner Community Garden - Veg In Veg Out Native Propagation Workshop

2013-04-09T11:00:00.000+10:00

Come down to the next Veg In Veg Out on Sunday 14 April. We'll have a workshop on how to propagate local native plants with special guest Ann McGregor from Friends of Merri Creek.

We'll also sow seeds for autumn crops to share - peas, coriander, lettuces and broccoli just to name a few. Seeds, cuttings and seed-raising mix provided, just bring your curiosity!

Veg In Veg Out is a free monthly event at the Merri Corner Community Garden on the second Sunday of each month and all are welcome!

Sunday 14 April, 2013
11am - 12pm
Merri Corner Community Garden, cnr Donald & Harrison Streets, Brunswick East

The Growing Food Project: a short documentary

2013-04-08T23:40:00.000+10:00

There is a thriving energy of empowered local communities responding to food access & sustainability issues that aim to strengthen the way we produce & distribute local food. Community food projects improve the way we eat, reconnect us with nature, build relationships between neighbours & enhance our food culture.

Growing Food Project from The Growing Food Project on Vimeo.

The Growing Food Project is a documentary exploring some of Melbourne’s urban agriculture practices & alternative food systems, particularly those existing in the city’s inner north. By documenting & telling these amazing stories, this short film will capture the possibilities and practical solutions that lie in people’s hands & strengthen our local food system.

The story so far...

This project has been a labour of love by a team of committed volunteers who spent the summer filming at various community gardens and local food initiatives. Now, a big job of editing awaits! So... a Pozible crowd funding campaign has launched to bring this film to life.

Money raised from this campaign will go towards post-production & help pay someone do a brilliant job at it. Costs include: a professional editor, grading, sound design, sound mixing & other costs associated with entries to film festivals etc.

Please support this project & help bring this film to life. It would also be awesome if you could circulate this to your family & friends!

Cheers to a fair, sustainable & resilient food system! Let's make this happen!

For more info, visit the film's website http://www.growingfoodproject.org/

Warm n Fuzzy it up in Coburg this Saturday morning 6th April!

2013-04-04T15:34:00.000+11:00

The sun will be shining, the coffee and tea will be brewing, the kids will be frolicking, the Bollywood dance workshop will be cranking and the tomatoes will be crushing and bottling... what more incentive do you need?

Come along to our monthly Home grown edibles swap and community gathering this Saturday 6th of April from 10am 12pm at 512 Sydney Road Coburg at...

Barter and admire the last cherished harvests of Summer at the swap table
Come along and help out and learn some skills in the art of tomato preserving in the community kitchen (this will run between 11am and 2.30pm) You can also take a peek at our a whiz bang new tomatoe crusher which will soon be available for hire in the Community Kitchen.
Snack on delicious baked goods from around the world at the Cafe Co-operative
Browse the edible, bright and colourful plant selection of the Community Nursery including our range of winter veggie seedlings and bags of sheep poo!
Be inspired by unique handmade crafts at the visiting Craft Co-operative and find out how you can join.
Explore the diversity of our local community by celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours. This event is brought to you in collaboration with the Multicultural womens Sewing Group as part of 'Food, Faith & Fabric Fun' a series of events which showcase the fun activities, foods and stories of how different people live life and practice their faith... by fun activities we mean Bollywood dance workshop, colourful weaving and mural painting and drinking pommegranite Juice.

All proceeds from Swap Saturdays support the growth of people-plant projects at PepperTree Place. Please help spread the word by forwarding this email to friends and family.

Contact

PepperTree Place, 512 Sydney Road, Coburg, VIC 3058 Phone 0414 507 311 Email info@kildonan.org.au

Can't find us? Have a look on the Local Treasures of Coburg North map c/o Victoria Walks

Coburg will host new farmers' markets from Saturday 27th April

2013-04-03T19:32:00.000+11:00

For anyone who loves buying fresh food from the people who make or grow it, some very exciting and welcome news arrived a little while back. In addition to the farmers' market held every 3rd Sunday at Pascoe Vale Primary School, Moreland will soon host farmers' markets on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month!

The market will be hosted by Coburg North Primary School and is organised by Melbourne Farmers' Markets, the same crew behind Veg Out (St Kilda), Slow Food Market (Abbotsford Convent), Collingwood Children's Farm, Gasworks (South Melbourne). The market is accredited by the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association so you can be sure the person selling the produce either grew it or made it.

Starting date: Saturday 27th April
Where: Coburg North Primary School, 180 O'Hea St, Coburg, 3058
When: 8am-1pm, 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month
Entry cost: Gold coin (for school projects)

Spread the word, BYO shopping bags and we'll see you there!

Urban Agriculture in Action! Moreland's Edible Batman Streetscape Tour

2013-03-27T15:44:00.000+11:00

Discover the edible landscape in the inner north, what's happening around the traps in Yarra, Darebin & Moreland! From street planter boxes, edible fruits trees, curb gardens, community gardens and more...

Join us for a fabulous food & gardens adventure;
When: 1:30pm - 4pm Saturday 6th April 2013

We will be meeting at 1:15pm at the Eastern end of Goleen St, Nth Coburg for a 1:30pm start & finishing 3pm at PepperTree Place for a cuppa, cake & catch ups! We will be hanging around til 4pm with the cafe co-op in full swing with delicious treats.

Elspeth Brock, Mulberry Gardens
Photo by: Rasha Tayeh

RSVP (preferable but not essential) by email to permacultureinnernorth[at]gmail.com

Thanks for organising this Charlie Si

This event is supported by;
Moreland Food Gardens Network
Yarra Community Food Systems Network
Darebin Food Harvest Network
Permaculture Inner North

Permaculture Inner North Gathering (Wed 27th March)

2013-03-26T06:46:00.001+11:00

Permaculture Inner North Gathering
Guest Speaker: Rasha Tayeh - Mulberry Gardens and the Moreland Food Gardens Network

Rasha Tayeh is a Public Health Nutritionist currently working as a Health Promotion Officer at Merri Community Health Services. Rasha has been involved in a number of research and community food projects, including community gardens, food swaps and sustainability initiatives. She is a founding member of the Moreland Food Gardens Network (MFGN).

During this session, Rasha will discuss her work establishing and evaluating Mulberry Gardens and share stories from her work with MFGN.

When: Wednesday 27th March - 6.30pm -8.30pm

Where: Northcote Library meeting room 28- 32 Separation St, Northcote

Moreland Community Grants program for 2013–2014 now open!

2013-03-23T11:44:00.000+11:00

Every year Moreland City Council runs a grants program and in recent years several groups in our network have benefited from grants. This year's program is now open.

Expressions of Interest for Capital Works Partnership Grants close on Friday 12 April 2013.

Applications for Project Grants close on Friday 26 April 2013.

For further details, grant guidelines and application forms, visit this web page

You can contact Council’s Grants Administrator on 9240 1111 or email grants@moreland.vic.gov.au

Information sessions are being held on:

Tuesday 2 April at 10 am and 6 pm – Council Chambers, Moreland Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg
Wednesday 3 April at 10 am – Merri Community Health, 79 Jukes Road Fawkner
Wednesday 3 April at 2 pm – Building at rear of Oak Park Aquatic Centre, Corner Main Street and Pascoe Vale Road, Oak Park
Thursday 4 April at 10 am – Clarrie Wohler Senior Citizen Centre, 51 Albert Street Brunswick

Please register your interest to attend an information session on 9240 1111 or email grants@moreland.vic.gov.au

Garden & Gather at West Brunswick Community Garden (this Sunday 24th March 11am-3pm)

2013-03-22T21:35:00.003+11:00

Ryan, Isa and Nathan demonstrating
their innovative raised garden bed shaped seat.

Hopefully I don't need to remind you (you've added it to your calendar right? 4th Sunday of every month?) that this Sunday from 11am-3pm is our March Garden & Gather event, your opportunity to come and lend a hand around the West Brunswick Community Garden, to help us move closer to finishing our build. We've come a long way but still have much to do.

It hardly seems like a month ago that we were frantically running around preparing for our big Sustainable Living Festival event. If you didn't make it, we had a great time despite the heat, got heaps of work done and met some new friends. All round it was very successful.

The communal crew are getting organised to do some work this Sunday and there are plenty of other jobs to do. It'll also be a good chance to catch up with people and see what's been happening.

It's a beautiful time of year, temperatures are much more conducive to an enjoyable session than they have been over recent months. Remember your hat and something to drink and eat. If you have any fruit, veg, seeds etc to swap bring them along and we'll have our swap table set up.

Also, this weekend an inspiring local edible garden is open for you to view. Well worth a look. Some of the gate proceeds will be donated to our garden and we'll be volunteering over both days. Come and say hello.
See you on the weekend!

CERES Harvest Festival - 23rd March

2013-03-18T09:24:00.001+11:00

The annual CERES Harvest Festival is on again and we are having a big dinner to celebrate.

We invite you to come along and share in the season's bounty at our Harvest Twilight Community Dinner. Listen to some live acoustic tunes as you enjoy a 3 course organic feast prepared by our 7 Stars team.

Cost: $40

When: Saturday 23rd March 2013
Time: From 7pm
Where: CERES Cafe

There will also be delicious organic drinks available from the bar.
Bookings are essential and places are limited.

http://www.trybooking.com/44387

For more information you can contact the Merri on 9389 0166 or emailthemerri@ceres.org.au

Please forward amongst your family and friends.

See you at the Feast,

Jess

Food and the Urban Environment: save the date – 3rd April 2013, 2-4pm

2013-03-11T11:01:00.000+11:00

The Heart Foundation and VicHealth have arranged for Dr Susan Parham, Head of Urbanism, Centre for Sustainable Communities, University of Hertfordshire to visit Melbourne following her presentation at the Planning Institute of Australia National Congress.

Dr Parham has a long-term background and international profile in planning, urbanism and urban design for low carbon place making, with particular expertise in food and sustainable city design – and she is currently directing two food-centred ‘retrofitting’ research projects in the UK.

Since the early 1990s, she has produced significant original research and publications on sustainable, low carbon cities – and her book Market Place: How the Rise of Food Quarters in London is Transforming Spaces and Changing Lives, is due out in early 2013 while a second book The Convivial City: Food, Urbanism and a Sustainable Future will be published later the same year.

Further details to follow, but please pencil in your diary now.

To register interest, please e-mail foodanddesign@vichealth.vic.gov.au

The Heart Foundation/Food Alliance ‘Planning for food: Towards a prosperous, resilient and healthy food system through Victoria's Metropolitan Planning Strategy’ report is now available on the Heart Foundation web site.

We hope you find it of interest: http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/driving-change/current-campaigns/local-campaigns/Pages/food-sensitive-planning.aspx

EcoCity Food Forum in Melbourne (22nd March)

2013-03-06T13:28:00.001+11:00

Healthy food systems are the foundation for healthy lives, communities, economies and ecosystems. In order to build a future for Melbourne in which we can all thrive, we need a food system that is sustainable, resilient and equitable.

Doing Something Good in partnership with City of Melbourne, are hosting a one day forum for those working toward a better food system. We're bringing together people and organisations from across the food industry, with health and environmental advocates, government representatives and community members to:

discover socially innovative and sustainable initiatives transforming food systems in Melbourne, across Australia and around the world
envision what a sustainable, resilient and equitable food system for Melbourne might look like
discuss what we can all do to create opportunities, enable success and accelerate change
learn how we can better cooperate, collaborate and coordinate our efforts
make plans for individual and collective action

The free-to-attend EcoCity Food Forum is perfectly timed to take place immediately after the National Sustainable Food Summit in Melbourne, and will give participants the chance to continue building valuable connections, knowledge, capability and opportunities.

At this point in time there are 111 places left but I can tell you that the event was only listed this morning and already 34 places have been snapped up. So get in while you can.

Based on the design of successful ‘Unconferences’, Gathering ‘11 and CoMConnect (also with the City of Melbourne), The EcoCity Food Forum will be a full day of participant led conversations, presentations, workshops and planning sessions with passionate change makers and thought leaders from all over the city, around the state and across the country.

The format:
Designed to maximise the exchange of knowledge and ideas, and to foster the development of relationships, the EcoCity Food Forum program will incorporate the World Café methodology and feature participant led sessions using Open Space Technologies.

The day will start with a blank timetable that we'll populate with the talks and discussions the participants (yes, that means you!) want to lead and initiate.
Our venue (TBC this week) will provide us with a multitude of adaptable spaces that can just as easily accommodate a plenary session for up to 150 people as well as a conversation between just a few.
Once the timetable is populated it's up to you to decide which sessions you would like to participate in.
For each session or discussion we ask that notes are kept and shared so all our creative and intellectual output is captured.

We see the event emerging as a bridge to facilitate cross-sector collaboration by attracting a dynamic mix of academics, government ofﬁcials, business people, and community leaders - coming together to shape Melbourne's sustainable future.

The EcoCity Food Forum is a community initiated event and will be hosted by local volunteers and produced by community partners. If you would like to volunteer on the day, or contribute as a community partner with catering, media or logistics please contact David Hood at david@doingsomethinggood.com.au

To join the conversation about the EcoCity Food Forum online, please join in on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @EcoCityForum and use the hashtag #EcoCityFood

CERES Harvest Festival

2013-02-27T08:31:00.000+11:00

Come celebrate and give thanks to the good earth, our farmers and the cycle of the seasons at the CERES 2013 Harvest Festival on Saturday 23rd March. Everyone is welcome! Entry is free.

Join in the heart-felt celebrations of our supply of wondrous food, learn more about the ‘seed to feed’ cycle and participate in a real country-fair in the city!

CERES Harvest Festival offers a range of entertainment with live music, performance, free workshops, free-range animal displays and kids activities. All this alongside craft and food stalls from our most loved local merchants.

Where else can you put your cooking skills to good use and take part in an annual community cake bake-off! All types of cakes are eligible so you are invited to get creative and bake to impress our judge, Betty Burgess from the Country Women’s Association. Enthusiast bakers will be rewarded!

A Harvest Festival would never be complete without an abundance of delicious food. CERES Café will be serving a variety of festival friendly, easy to eat surprises.
Harvest Happy Hours 4-6pm will see you through to dinner. And then to top it all off, share in a Harvest Twilight Community Dinner for all! Twilight dinner bookings are essential.

The CERES Harvest Festival 2013 will impress your taste buds with an extravaganza of tasty food stalls and wonderful experiences. Book now to be a part of the Harvest Twilight Community Dinner from 7pm by visiting ceres.org.au or calling 9389 0100.

Bring your whole family for the Harvest Festival celebrations Sat 23rd March from 10am-4pm, Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East.

For more information visit www.ceres.org.au.