RetroSuburbia : Action, resilience & future visions

Come and join us for an engaging conversation with permaculture co-originator, David Holmgren.

At this event, Holmgren will advance permaculture ideas as a creative framework for applying vital retrofits to our homes, gardens and, most fundamentally, our behaviours. In particular, he will highlight the importance of household food growing and shared neighbourhood activity in our everyday lives.

Holmgren will participate in an open panel discussion with special quest Kat Laver, local permaculturist. There will also be a Q & A session with the audience.

Sunday 21 October 2018
10:30am - 12:30pm

Cost: $20 Full/$15 CERES Member or concession

Bookings essential. Grab yourself a ticket here:

Location: 
CERES Community Environment Park
Van Raay Meeting Room 1
Cnr Roberts and Stewart Street, East Brunswick, VIC 3057

This event is proudly supported by CERES and Moreland City Council.

Workshops at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

Composting in Public Spaces- Discussion Forum

An opportunity to discuss challenges and innovative solutions to composting and worm farming in public spaces 

This workshop/facilitated discussion/ forum is aimed at people who are managing/working in composting in public spaces, including Community Gardens, Schools and Early Learning Centres. It is an opportunity to share knowledge, resources and look at ways we might improve our approaches, the public image of composting and potentially increase the number of community composting hubs. 

 

Example Topics for discussion are;

What are the challenges/lessons learnt from you public composting project?

Where are the opportunities?

What are the key messages we would like to send to policy makers?

The workshop will be facilitated/organised by Serena Everill and Richard Brown (not composting experts). Serena works in Early Learning Centres with young children growing food, learning about sustainability, worm farming and composting, and Richard manages the composting hub at West Brunswick Community Garden.

Please register with Serena at severill(at)optusnet.com.au ,with some information about your involvement or interest in public composting/worm farming. 

 

NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSTING.

When: 2 - 4.30 pm, Sunday 14th October.

Where: West Brunswick Community Garden (Behind Moreland Child Care Centre, 49 Everett St, Brunswick West)

We’ll provide afternoon tea. 

Cost: a small donation on the day to West Brunswick Community Garden. 

Grow Your Own Way: Veggie Gardening for Beginners Course

Get ready for spring and hone your gardening skills.  

In Grow Your Own Way, horticulturalist Elspeth Brock will take participants though organic gardening methods with hands on experience in a community garden plot at Pentridge Community Garden.

Grow Your Own Way is a low cost gardening basics course for beginners.
In 8 classes from September to December 2018, you will learn how to grow your own vegetables - from soil preparation and propagation to harvest. All sessions will be held on Sundays for 2 hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Gardening beds at Pentridge Community Garden will be set aside for this course and all tools, materials and equipment will be available on-site.
The following topics will be covered over the 8 weeks:
02/09/18: Preparing good soil, design & planting seedlings
16/09/18: Raising seeds and propagating
30/09/18: Companion planting to deter pests and to attract pollinators
14/10/18: Watering, weeding, mulching, & feeding
28/10/18: Keep good soil - so good! Compost and the like
11/11/18: Pest control and management
25/11/18: Harvesting and cooking
9/12/18: Rejuvenating beds and crop rotation

Book your place now on Eventbrite.

Vote for your favourite Moreland Local Food Project to help them secure funding!

Moreland is fortunate to have a number of fabulous local food projects shortlisted for the Victorian Governments Pick My Project funding initiative.

These projects need your votes to secure funding. The voting is location based - to vote for the project you must either live or work within 5 kilometres of the community where the project is located.

Voting is easy!

1. Go to pickmyproject.vic.gov.au
2. Sign up and Register your address
3. Browse / search for the projects in your area and shortlist them
4. Vote for your top 3
5. Spread the word and let your friends know about your favourite projects and encourage them to vote too!

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to innovative local food projects which connect communities and support a sustainable, just and vibrant local food system. Here are just a selection, but there are many worthy food and non food projects you can choose from:

The Community Grocer
Community Market Champions

Fawkner Food Bowls / 3000acres
The Hothouse - A food hub for fawkner

Open Table
Open Table Community Connection

Coburg High School
VegiePonic Eggsellence

CERES
Growing our Community Gardening Future 

Brunswick Secondary College
Wellbeing and Food Produce Garden

Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek / The Practical Beekeeper
Urban Honey Bee Hub

3000acres
Spring Fling Festival at the Veggie Spot

Brunswick Neighbourhood House
Brunswick Food Forest Growing Strong Communities

Moreland Primary School
Learning for the Future: Children and the Merri Creek

Seed Swap- Brunswick Library

Permaculture Design Course

The CERES PDC covers the whole design course curriculum with extra time for urban issues and reading the landscapes of cool temperate south-eastern Australia. This course is a mix of classroom presentations, workshops, design exercises, practical exercises and visits to properties to see Permaculture in action as well as a catered weekend away. 

Wednesday 1st August 2018

Course Length: 15 Wednesday evenings 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Some Saturdays and Sundays 9.30am – 5pm

 

The course content and approaches to teaching and learning is directed by a group of leading PDC teachers and practitioners. This 100 hour course is delivered by a range of professional, practicing permaculturists including David Holmgren, Joel Meadows and Earthcare Permaculture’s Graeme George.

https://ceres.org.au/education/courses/permaculture-design-course/

Cost: $1895 Full fee  | $1775 CERES member/concession 

Location: CERES Community Environment Park

 

Urban Farmer wanted!

Are you passionate about urban farming and community? Want to be a farmer with land to make your own while educating and inspiring others with your passion for sustainable food systems?

CERES is seeking an Urban Farmer to manage two micro enterprises – Honey Lane market garden and Honey Lane eggs. Working with volunteers and students you will engage and educate the wider community about the benefits of urban food production and community food systems.

This opportunity is a dream job for the right person giving you an acre of land to manage for sustainable food production.

About CERES

CERES Community Environment Park is an award‐winning, not-for‐profit, environment park and urban farm located by the Merri Creek in East Brunswick, Melbourne. Once a landfill site and wasteland, today CERES is a thriving, vibrant community.  With over 450,000 visitors a year, CERES is the most visited environmental centre in Australia.

Apply now!

Please visit our website at http://ceres.org.au/about/careers to view the full position description. Applications must be submitted via our website.

Applications must be received by 9am on Monday 16^th July to be considered.

We're looking for someone special to fill some muddy boots!! See job opportunity below:

Community Garden Coordinator – PepperTree Place

·         Part-time (.6 EFT) Maximum Term role until 30/11/2018

·         Based in Coburg

·         Applications Close: Tuesday 10 July 2018, 12pm

https://www.jobseeker.org.au/job/51218-community-garden-coordinator-%E2%80%93-peppertree-place

Free Winter Planting Workshop at BNH Community Garden

Get ready for Winter in your garden with this awesome, free workshop!

Saturday 7th July

Brunswick Neighbourhood House Community Garden

All welcome but please book!

phone: 9386 9418  
email: info@bnhc.vic.edu.au 

www.bnhc.vic.edu.au

Many thanks to Bunnings Brunswick for sponsoring this workshop

Peppertree Open Gate in June

Peppertree Place Open Gate Saturdays in June from 1oam

23rd June: Winter Soup Solstice from 10am

Celebrate the midwinter and revel in the knowledge that the planet begins its trek back towards warmth and longer days. 

Solstice signifies a unique annual cycle for many cultures around the world - in the garden world it means the garlic should have been planted by this date; the last succession of peas and broadbeans may have gone in the ground and around this time we get to start thinking about the beginnings of spring - start sorting your tomato seeds out!!

What ever your leaning, its a great time of year for reflecting in the winter dark and shining our rays of internal light, warmth and kindness towards the earth and others.

Ukulele Ewie - 7th July Open Gate from 10am

Catch this fine musician here at Peppertree Place again - we love hearing Uke Ewie, he's one of our favourites.

Thanks to our Amazing Volunteers...

We'd like to acknowledge all the amazing dedication from our many Volunteers who pledge their time to help keep Peppertree alive and thriving! We have trialed opening our gates - Cafe and Nursery every Saturday in June - holding the hands of our newest neighbours the Coburg Farmers Market relocated next door. It's been a big ask of our volunteers and we face a huge challenge to sustain this kind of business - stay tuned...

Sustainable Food Practices In Business Event

This is a special invitation to Moreland food businesses, cafes, restaurants, pubs, food manufacturers and producers.

Reducing C02 in Food Establishments in Moreland.

You may be surprised to learn that Australia's food production, preparation and delivery system is the second largest emitter of greenhouses gases. Australian businesses generate over 12.5 million tonnes of waste each year, almost half of which ends in landfill. Food waste is one of the largest types of commercial waste and more food businesses are helping to combat this environmental issue.

As a community with strong sustainability goals, Moreland City Council have been working together with Moreland Energy Foundation (MEFL) to improve ways in which waste material is managed.

This meet up is free and open to all food establishment owners and employees in Moreland. This is a great opportunity to meet other food business owners, share new ideas, hear from other Moreland businesses and learn about opportunities that work for change and make a difference in building a sustainable Moreland business community.

Hear from Reground a small but fast growing, start-up company that has spent the past couple of years developing and building a recycling collection service for spent coffee grounds. Reground will also talk about their project with Moreland City Council and Moreland cafes: Moreland Ground Coffee Recycling.

Please share this event with your networks.

Light refreshments and drinks will be served.

Inner North Brewing Co., our venue for the event, is a local brewery in Brunswick that is dedicated to helping out the SEEDS communal garden at Malprinka with their spent grain, which is a valuable ingredient for their compost.

Thursday 14 June
6pm - 8pm

Inner North Brewing Co.
10A Russell Street Brunswick

 To register your attendance please click here.

 Places are limited as to venue capacity.

 Limited street parking is available. We encourage all attendees to take public transport or car pool.
 (Brunswick Station is only a 4 minute walk from Inner North Brewing Co.)

Open Gate This Saturday June 2nd

Open Gate - Saturday, 2nd June

From 8am...

The usual popup Pavilion Cafe will be serving sweet and savoury treats accompanied by great coffee and a range of teas. The People Powered Plant Nursery is brimming with Autumn seasons' seedlings and huge range of plants. Don't forget our fresh food swap is a local hub for our community to meet, greet and swap garden excess, recipes, preserves, flowers and seeds. Family friendly urban oasis in the heart of Coburg! Gates open @ 8am.

North Coburg PS school band take the stage this Saturday!

Live Music from 10.30am

Coburg North Primary School is proud of it's vibrant and inclusive music program. Every student has the opportunity to sing, play and create music in a variety of ways. Students use a wide range of instruments as well as the latest digital technologies. There are multiple bands, choirs and student ensembles which regularly perform at school functions and in the local community. 

Workshops on this Weekend...

Grow your own Berries with Diana Cotter - @11am

Come and learn how to plant, prune and maintain all sorts of berries to maximise harvests.

Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries- grow in the ground , raised beds or pots.

Why pay high prices for hard and tasteless fruit-when  it’s so easy to grow your own

Bamboo for the Backyard with Munir - @12pm

Giant Grass specialize in creating bamboo products and structures. Their interest in bamboo is grounded with the intention to foster the use of this structurally high-performing, low cost and ecologically sustainable material in small-scale building industry. To achieve this vision we not only engage in design and building of bamboo structures but also conduct hands-on construction workshops imparting awareness about the possibilities with bamboo. 

CERES Winter Solstice 2018 – Beautiful Darkness

 

Celebrating the Beautiful Darkness, Winter Solstice at CERES honors the longest night of the year. Come warm your hands by the fire, sip on some mulled wine and feast on locally made, winter warming food.  Enjoy fire performances, live music, lantern making for kids, all culminating in a spectacular fire finale.

 

Saturday 23rd June 2018

4.30pm - 8.30pm

@ CERES

Tickets available now

Adult - $20.00

Child (3-12) - $5 (under 3s free)

Family (2 adults 2 kids) - $45

To make a booking please visit https://www.trybooking.com/374704

Chai, mulled wine, other drinks and food will be available for purchase.

Bring your whole family along to the Winter Solstice celebrations. 

CERES Community Environment Park

Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East.

Join like-minded local foodies at the 'Eat Your Greens' network event!

You are invited to the Moreland Local Food Network Event 

EAT YOUR GREENS!

The Moreland Food System Strategy was launched last September, and we’d like to invite you to the Fawkner Bowling Club to celebrate the achievements of our amazing local food community!

It is also the site of ‘Fawkner Food Bowls’, an exciting new family-friendly gathering place and food growing hub.

Featuring locals blues musician Ian Collard, special guest MC Paul West - host of 'River Cottage Australia' on SBS, delicious food , conversations about local food projects and initiatives happening around Moreland and the launch of the Moreland Food System Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

Date: Wednesday 30 May

Time: 6-9pm

Place: Fawkner Bowling Club, 1 Creedon Street Fawkner

FREE event but registrations are essential - please register here 

Delicious vegetarian dinner by Sabores De Timor will be provided

Drinks available to purchase from the Bowling Club Bar

Children welcome

Please let us know any access or dietary requirements so you can participate in this event, contact Lee 9384 9206 or ltozzi@moreland.vic.gov.au

Fawkner Food Bowls is Launching Sunday May 20!

Come along and celebrate the amazing things that have been achieved so far at the amazing Fawkner Food Bowls food growing site and social gathering place. Enjoy children's activities, get useful gardening advice, play Barefoot Bowls, live Gypsy music by Vardos and local food.

You will also hear about what is being planned for the site in the future and how you can be involved.

Where: 2 Creedon Street, Fawkner

When: Sunday 20 May, 2018 2-5pm

Cost: FREE family friendly event

More info: www.facebook.com/fawknerfoodbowls

Open Gate May 5th

Open Gate  Saturday 5th May  10am-4pm

An Art Exhibition will feature local artists Ann McGinley and Mel Lazarow paintings and printed cushions. Gates open 10am

http://www.annmcginley.net/

https://melanielazarowartist.com/

Viewing will be in the big main house - open all day.

Annual Scarecrow Making Competition 

Bring in your creation prior to Saturday and it will go into the running for some great Nursery Prizes!Judging and viewing from 11.30am

The Walter Boys

Playing live music from 11am - catch their sweet tunes and original melodies

Nature Playgroup at Peppertree Place Coburg

We are keen to start up an all outdoor playgroup for 3-5 year olds on Tuesdays starting mid May. If you are interested in attending then please contact Vicky: vicksgarden@gmail.com or come and meet Vicky and have chat on Saturday 5th May from 12pm

Peppertree Place is a volunteer powered, plant producing social enterprise that provides a platform for community groups, families and schools to connect with nature, fresh food and each other. Discover this magical place for your self and share the Peppertree love.

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am-4pm
Saturdays: From 11am
First Saturday Every Month: 10am-4pm

512 Sydney Road, Coburg, Victoria

Contact us: nvanvelzen@vt.uniting.org   0431 494 773

Peppertree Place Upcoming Open Gate Event

Upcoming Events

Well Swung

April 7th - this Saturday! 

Open Gate extends its opening hours from 10am-4pm.  

Well Swung - local Coburg jazz outfit will get you swinging and in the mood from 11.30am.

Tash will conduct a free composting and worm farming workshop for those of you keen to find out more about this garden resource free at your fingertips! So you've got the worms, the farm - but what now?! Get up close and personal with your soils best friends!! 

Workshop is free and starts at 11am.

Gemma is our Fresh Food Fermentation Fairy and is looking to run a series of workshops in April/May here at Peppertree Place. Come and find out why eating fermented food is so good for your second brain the gut and sign up to her workshops - from 1.00pm - 1.30pm

Coming Up in May and June:

The Walter Boys grace us with their musical presence at the May Open Gate

Giant Grass Design will run a workshop on 'Bamboo for the Backyard'. Munir and Mittul are our local bamboo experts who currently run workshops, build nature playgrounds, design and create amazing structures and sculptures with bamboo - not to be missed!

Diana Cotter - local garden design and school garden educator will be sharing her knowledge around the use of berries in the garden and doing the most for them so you get the fresh tasty goods in summer and autumn!

5th May Open Gate - Annual Scarecrow Competition - open to anyone, individuals, school groups, community groups. Entry is free - make your own scarecrow and enter to win prizes from our Plant Nursery!! For more information contact us via email: nvanvelzen@vt.uniting.org or drop in and see Mary in the Nursery.

Moreland Council is looking for an Urban Forestry Officer (ad)

Urban Forestry Officer

Closing Date: 23 Mar 2018
Location: VIC - Hadfield
Salary: $83,491.37 to $91,008.02
Work Type: Contract/Temp

• 2 Year Term 
• Key Strategic role
• Full Time / Monthly RDO

Moreland City Council is seeking an experienced professional to take on a key role in the Open Space Maintenance Unit, to grow the Urban Forest in the municipality and delivering on commitments of its Urban Forest Strategy 2017-2027.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an individual who has a good knowledge of trees and vegetation combined with sharp and innovative strategic nous, to deliver longer term and sustainable outcomes. The candidate will relish the opportunity to step into a brand new role, working with a dynamic team and enjoy contact with the community.

You are required to have a Degree or Advanced Diploma in Arboriculture (AQF Level 6) or equivalent. Experience in a similar role in local government and expertise in the management of an urban forest would be advantageous. 

Applicants need to address the key selection criteria from the position description to be successful in this role.

We are an equal opportunity and child safe employer, support inclusiveness and diversity, and are Values based.  Moreland - One Community Proudly Diverse.

Applicants may obtain a position description from our website at moreland.vic.gov.au.

Applicants for Council positions must be entitled to work in Australia.

[on behalf of City of Moreland]

Robninson Reserve Community Garden is underway!

There is exciting progress to share regarding the upcoming Robinson Reserve Community Garden!

Council has prepared the site and the construction of core infrastructure (i.e. 6 raised garden beds) has begun. This first stage will be carried out every Friday over the next few weeks. The current, staged garden design is included below.

Once this construction stage is complete, the garden will be handed over to the community for planting and nurturing.

You are all invited to attend a meeting to discuss and get involved in the next stage of the garden on Thursday, 15 March, at 7:30pm at the House.

This meeting will be to discuss the roll-out of stage 2 and beyond. RRNH will be available for support and coordination, however a community-led committee will need to be established to ensure the running of the garden.

We would appreciate you forwarding this to anyone in the area who you think may be interested. If you are interested in being involved please email admin@rrnh.org.au.

Thanks,
RRNH

March 3rd Open Gate Peppertree Place

Open Gate Saturday 3rd March 

10am - 2pm @Peppertree Place, Coburg

This month at Peppertree Place Open Gate we have workshops and live music!

Diana Cotter will run a garden workshop on Summer Pruning of your Fruit Trees - summer is an appropriate time to prune and maintain your fruit trees - things like apples, stone fruit and pears. Join Diana in our garden of delights and learn how to prune your trees so you'll maximise fruit production for next season. From 11am in the garden at Peppertree Place. Full $15 Concession $10 *Volunteers half price!

Treat yourself at our Cafe with sweet hand made treats by our volunteer chef Made by Jane or grab an affordable lunch of pastries and salad.

Peppertree Nursery is again back in full plant production so natives, edibles & herbs are ready to get into your garden!

Live Music with the Sanacori Ensemble from midday at Peppertree Place!!

We welcome back to the cafe stage Rosa and Vincenzo together create the Sanacori Ensemble. The duo interprets the repertoire of Southern Italian traditional music with a personal, raw and passionate touch.

Songs and stories of love, betrayal, work and resistance performed with guitar, frame drums, castanets, traditional flutes and the strong desire to share unknown, fascinating aspects of their homeland with the Australian audience.

Grow Your Own Way gardening course at West Brunswick Community Garden

You're invited to join a comprehensive gardening course at West Brunswick Community Garden!

Build confidence around growing your own food in a working community garden with others in your local community.

The course, starting in March, will run over 16 weeks, with 8 sessions of 2 hours. Each session will focus on a different part of creating good gardening practices. Our trainer Elspeth Brock is a well known educator, horticulturalist and permaculture practitioner who has run courses in Moreland at other gardens.

The sessions will cover:

• soil prep, good planting practices and planning
• seed raising and propagation
• companion planting and layering
• watering, weeding, layering, mulching, staking, liquid feeding and all the little things
• compost and creating ongoing good soil
• pest control and management
• harvesting
• cooking, rejuvenating beds, ongoing planting, rotation cropping 

Best of all as this is our introductory course we are offering the whole course, 8 sessions, for $80! Places are limited, we only have a few left and we want to fill them up to make the most of this.

Check out the details, dates and sign up here

Please share and spread the word with anyone you feel might be interested.

If you're on Facebook, here's the event which you can also share.

If you have any questions, please contact emailus@morelandcommunityhardening.org