Posts Tagged ‘urban agriculture’
Food Sensitive Planning and Urban Design (FSPUD): Report
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on April 7th, 2011
Food sensitive planning and urban design (FSPUD) recognises that access to healthy, sustainable and equitable food is an essential part of achieving liveable communities.
VEIL and David Locke Associates were commissioned by the National Heart Foundation of Australia (Victorian Division) to develop a resource further articulating the idea of ‘Food Sensitive Planning and Urban Design’ (first articulated by VEIL in 2008 as Food Sensitive Urban Design). This new resource – Food Sensitive Planning and Urban Design: A conceptual framework for achieving a sustainable and just food system – is intended to raise the awareness of planners, architects, urban designers, engineers, policy makers, community members and elected representatives of the need to integrate food considerations into urban land use and development.
It outlines: key areas in planning legislation, policy and processes to realise this outcomes; how meeting people’s food needs contributes to the broader objectives of planning and urban design, including: health and fairness; sustainability and resilience; livelihoods and opportunity; and community and amenity; and a challenge to professionals and the broader community to take on a stronger role in ensuring that healthy, sustainable and equitable food is available for all Australians into the future.
The summary and the conceptual framework are available from the VEIL website: www.ecoinnovationlab.com
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Cuba, the Accidental Revolution: Appetite for Insight Film Night
Posted in Events by paula on April 5th, 2011
| 11 April , 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
‘Appetite for Insight’ foodie film nights* present our April screening: Cuba – the Accidental Revolution.
Oil and food supplies are intrinsically linked in our modern, global food system. What can happen to our food supply when oil is hard to come by? Find out how one nation confronted this dilemma head on. ‘Cuba, the Accidental Revolution’, screening on Monday 11 in St Kilda, examines how Cuba found itself unable to feed its population during a time of economic meltdown, but managed to turn matters around by growing food in the cities where it’s consumed.
“Anyone interested in ecologically sustainable development..will find this documentary thought provoking.”- Gregory Biniowsky, Canadian Development and Environment Consultant living in Cuba. This monthly film night event features guest speaker Pamela Morgan; a permaculturalist with first hand experience of Cuba and City of Maribyrnong Project Officer. Pamela will introduce the film and take Q&A session afterwards. Nibbles and beverage from the kitchens of eco-tucker host venue SlowDown!@Harley court are included in modest ticket price – $10 pre-booked on web (see link below) or $11 on the door (subject to availability).
‘Appetite for Insight’ foodie film nights* are presented by SlowDown!@Harley Court, in partnership with Transition Town Port Phillip and Port Phillip Urban Fresh Food Network.
7pm for 7.30pm (sharp) screening, Monday 11 April. SlowDown!@Harley Court, 56 Acland Street, St Kilda (opp McDonalds)
Web tickets: http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=9336
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Merri Corner: Harvest Hoedown
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on March 21st, 2011
| 27 March , 2011 | ||
| 11:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
www.merricorner.org
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Making Seed Bombs with Gardening Australia
Posted in Models, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on March 17th, 2011
Image: urbanfoodie33 via flickr CC
“Seed bombs are a set and forget planting method that’s been used for centuries and they’re easy to make.”
This Saturday night on Gardening Australia, Jerry Coleby-Williams demonstrates how to make them. (If you don’t want to watch it, there’s a fact sheet here on their website.)
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/
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Turn Kitchen Waste into Garden Gold
Posted in Events by Moloney on March 7th, 2011
| 20 March , 2011 | ||
| 2:30 pm | to | 3:30 pm |
Compost your Food Waste with Worms!
Cultivating Community and the City of Yarra present a workshop on the benefits and joys of home composting.
Sunday 20th March
2:30 – 3:30
Laneway Garden
21 Gordon St, Clifton Hill
Contact Hannah Moloney
9429 3084
hannah@cultivatingcommunity.org.au
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Landshare Australia: Connecting Growers to People with Land to Share
Posted in Models, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on February 14th, 2011
Landshare Australia brings together people who have a passion for home-grown food, connecting those who have land to share with those who need land for cultivating food. The concept of Landshare began in the UK, launched through the River Cottage television program in 2009, and has since grown into a thriving community of more than 57,000 growers, sharers and helpers across the country. Now that Landshare is here in Australia, we welcome you to come and take part in this fantastic initiative.
Landshare is for people who:
- Want to grow vegetables but don’t have anywhere to do it
- Have a spare bit of land they’re prepared to share
- Can help in some way – from sharing knowledge and lending tools to helping out on the plot itself
- Support the idea of freeing up more land for growing
- Are already growing and want to join in the community
It began with the tiny seed of an idea – and it’s growing and growing.
www.landshareaustralia.com.au
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Guide to Wicking Beds: SGA
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on November 25th, 2010
Source: cuttings, the Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) newsletter
From “Fully Wick Mate – Wicking Beds Explained“:
“What Is a Wicking Bed and Why Would I Want One?
So, what in the world is a wicking bed? Well, as I explained to a colleague of mine, it’s essentially a giant “self watering pot” in the form of a garden bed. Okay, there is a fair bit more to it then that, but the idea is a garden bed designed to draw water up from a reservoir below, hence “wicking” through the soil directly to the roots. A system devised by Australian engineer Colin Austin, wicking garden beds (and wicking worm beds) are gaining popularity as a wonderfully water wise garden bed alternative.
Drawing water from a reservoir below the growing medium, wicking beds operate on the concept of capillary action, with the soil and plant roots drawing this water upwards as required. Essentially, this means that a properly constructed and maintained wicking bed should have nice, moist soil most of the time, with the roots accessing the water as they require it.
Wicking beds have a number of benefits, both environmentally and horticulturally. Firstly, it’s a fab set up for thirsty gardens (like vegie patches) in areas that have lower rainfall, or are affected by water restrictions. Wicking beds also deliver the water were it’s needed (the plant roots), which minimises water wastage, and can also help to reduce the risk of funky fungal foliage issues. Also, wicking beds are said to be more effective at sequestering atmospheric carbon then many other traditional types of garden bed set ups, meaning it’s a win for us, and the planet.”
Read the full article from the SGA to find out more – including diagrams and feedback in the comments section. Also check out Sustainable Cities Net for container & vertical gardening in Mexico City.
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Aboriginal community recreates hunter-gatherer culture to solve food shortage
Posted in Models, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on October 21st, 2010
Source: Permablitz Designers Guild
Image: john tann via flickr CC
A Victorian Aboriginal community has returned to traditional hunter-gatherer methods to solve food shortages and improve healthy eating. Victoria University has been working with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative in Geelong to reignite passion for traditional cooking methods, improve access to healthy foods and help close the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The project, funded by VicHealth, has led to the development of an Aboriginal television cooking series planned to be aired on community TV, the publication of a specialised cookbook and the distribution of children’s plates depicting healthy food portions. The 5000-strong Wathaurong Aboriginal community, which spreads from near Anglesea to south of Ballarat, is also developing a food bank and holding regular social cooking events.
Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the average Indigenous household income is $460 a week, compared to $740 for non-Indigenous families. VU Senior Research Fellow Dr Karen Adams said the rise in the cost of healthy foods had put pressure on Aboriginal families, with many running out of food before their next pay. Encouraging the development of community gardens, food shares and the hunting and gathering of traditional foods was vital to healthy eating and food security in the community, she said. “There has been a real focus on how you can recreate your culture in a modern colonised world. It’s about increasing people’s knowledge by planting native foods in community gardens and demonstrating cooking methods that include fish in clay wraps and paperbark, kangaroo, native spinach, native mint and even witchetty grubs. “All of this reinforces cooking as cultural, healthy, social and fun. We want to move away from diets high in sugar and salt content.’’
World Food Day at Port Phillip EcoCentre
Posted in Events, Movements by paula on October 12th, 2010
| 16 October , 2010 | ||
| 11:00 am | to | 3:00 pm |
Every food has a story. And Melbourne cooks, growers and food advocates will be bringing theirs to the table at the Port Phillip Urban Fresh Food Network’s World Food Day event on Saturday 16 October. This festival style event at the Port Phillip EcoCentre, St Kilda, will feature back to back cooking demonstrations, tastings, edible gardening fun, live music, food talks on topics such as GM, ethical eating and local approaches to food security, topical food screenings, fundraising raffle prizes (in support of CARE Australia) and yummy vegetarian food for sale. Action in full swing from 11am. Visit the event web page for more info.
Date: Saturday 16 October
Time: 11am-3pm
Venue: Port Phillip EcoCentre, Cnr. Blessington and Herbert Streets, St Kilda.
Enquiries: gardeners@ecocentre.com / 0417 501 383
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Growing Food for your Home: Darebin Workshop
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on September 27th, 2010
| 19 October , 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Expert presenter, Wendy Mather from The Food Farm will present a demonstration workshop on composting, worm farming and growing vegetables for big and small gardens (including apartments without yards).
When: Tuesday 19 October from 7–9pm
Where: Preston City Hall, 284 Gower Street, Preston (Melway 18 G12)
Cost: Free – A light supper is provided
RSVP and advise of any support needs/requirements, to Veronica Rustica by Monday 18 October on 8470-8392 or email veronica.rustica@darebin.vic.gov.au
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