TIME TO GROW AGAIN

What influences the Melbourne community’s ability to garden for self sufficiency in a sustainable manner?

Growing environmental awareness in the community has led more people to make the connection to growing their own food, however, drought is having a strong impact. Self sufficiency and food gardeners across Melbourne need support in keeping their productive gardens producing in a drying and changing climate.

Community food security is neccessary. Growing the food where we are living reduces embodied carbon emissions (food miles) and water in food production. A redefinition of edible gardens as waterwise and carbon friendly is needed. With climate change, heirloom seed preservation becomes more urgent….

To see the summary of the research findings go to this link http://growingourown.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/narrative-of-research/

The Report & educational weblinks are on the right. New posts continue to explore the topic. To contact the report and blog  author, email danielchristophermoss@gmail.com

Which way to the garden for disconnected communities?

We are on the crossroads where each path leads to consequences and salvations. Looks like a lot more people ‘may’ have went down the self sufficiency garden path for a whole lot of reasons.

To understand the history of the garden will also lead to the history and herstory of humanity. We have progressed to the point where a garden, originally defined as a fencing from nature, is now our very link to it.

Sadly, as ignoring the earth garden continues, the ‘natural garden’ or ‘world we live in’ has had an extreme reduction in natural ecosystems to the point of massive environmental collapse. This includes the depletion of geology and the biosphere, and disruption of the climatic atmosphere.

Saving seeds has many reasons…

Sunflower seeds taste good and are good for you….

back from the garden

Sorry, been out in the garden

life can get in the way of blogging sometimes.

and what of the world we are living in? Sure is changing.

All the more reason for seed saving and sharing…..

Permaculture Melbourne – Find your local group

According to Permaculture Melbourne:

“Local groups are the lifeblood of how Permaculture Melbourne carries out it’s activities and provides services to the members. Without your local group in becomes hard to be involved beyond reading your bi-monthly slice of PIE

Local groups are all different, reflecting the difference between locations and peoples. Some hold interesting and challenging monthly meetings. Others get together less frequently, but for larger events. One has even established a very successful farmers market. Often they appear at events such as Petty’s Orchard’s fair, Ceres Kingfisher festival or the Rare Breeds Trust.”

to find your closest groups go to this link
http://www.permaculturemelbourne.org.au/group.html

Its raining, its pouring

Hooray, it has been raining strong at my place for half an hour. (its now just after 9pm). Let’s hope it hits the bushfires that have been raging for three weeks in nearby bush communities…..the winds are still very wild with the cool change…

Wind now playing havoc

More ‘unprecedented’ weather conditions face us as wild weather hits  again, including winds up to 125kms an hour, which are causing havoc across Melbourne and further afield.

Also unprecedented are the warnings that have been given across Victoria on fire dangers today. Still four major fires are burning across the state. Not currently threatening communities, a wind change to come in the next few hours are still causing much concern.

for more info check

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/03/2506475.htm?site=melbourne

what hope we have to grow vegie patches successfully is failing with the weather conditions and the current water restrictions regimes.

Surely people can be educated to water wisely when needed, rather than the current two hour timeslots than may or may not suit the environmental conditions?

Sustainable Living & Gardening @ Port Phillip EcoCentre

Port Phillip EcoCentre, located at the St. Kilda Botanical Gardens has a great functional edible garden surrounding it, replete with a great composting set-up.

The centre is a hub for local environmental action and education, and also shares lunch with locals and those who wish to turn up and visit. The centre also has an eco-house, built  to show people an example of  a sustainable home.

This is a link to the food garden page on their website:

http://www.ecocentre.com/res_advice&services_gardens_foodgarden.html

the compost boxes @ Port Phillip Eco-Centre, St. Kilda

Riding Bikes, Picking Fruit – Fruit Peddlars Project links another Community Food Security possibility

Again from the Sustainable Melbourne website

{ http://www.sustainablemelbourne.com/ }

a presentation on the Fruit Peddlars Project, an idea pleasantly described as people riding bikes in Moreland picking fruit from trees in people’s yards and along the street, and sharing the fruit with the community by distributing it to local neighbourhood houses. Michael Chew conducted a feasibility research project into this great local concept on behalf of Environment Victoria.

http://www.sustainablemelbourne.com/visions/resource-michael-chew-presents-on-peddling-fruit-pickers-sustainable-cities-round-table-28-may/

To download the whole report on the Fruit Peddlars

http://www.sustainablemelbourne.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/environment.pdf

Art by Zenzo Siemendo - lady fruit seller on a bike

Plants for a Future- Great Edible and Medicinal Herb Resource

A useful website for useful plants in our lives….

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/edible_uses.php

When will the rains come again?

It has barely rained all year. We got a little rain last night, but not enough for an impact on the garden. After a cooler and slightly wetter Spring, the rain has vanished over Melbourne in 2009….

Flemington Community Garden’s new lease of life

Flemington Community Garden, one of the many inner city community gardens providing garden plots near high rise public housing,  was relocated due to a new freeway extension. It is now growing on in its new space, with the help of Cultivating Community and Garden of Eden project workers. Art work by gardeners is also a strong feature of the new gardens.

more @ Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network:

“A new community garden in Flemington, Melbourne, features around 130 allotments, a chook shed designed in an organic architectual style, a rustic shelter, raised garden beds for less-mobile gardeners and hand-finished seats and tables.”

http://www.communitygarden.org.au/experience/gardens/flemington.html