Melbourne Farmers Market
Website: https://mfm.com.au/our-markets/
Contact: info@mfm.com.au
Who we are: A member of the Melbourne Farmers’ Market (MFM) accredited group of markets. MFM is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to Victorian food and producers, regional food cultures, seasonal produce, biodiversity, sustainable farming practices and the strengthening of relationships between the consumer and the producer.
What we do: Alphington Farmers Markets are held every Sunday from 9am – 1pm and include a wide range of stall holders from across Victoria. Entry is a gold coin donation.
Where: Melbourne Food Hub, 2 Wingrove Street, Alphington
CERES Community Environment Park
Website: www.ceres.org.au
Contact: Reception Ph: (03) 3989 0100 E-mail: ceres@ceres.org.au
Who we are: CERES is an environmental education centre, urban farm and social enterprise hub located on Wurundjeri land alongside the Merri Creek in Melbourne. Set on 4.5 acres is Australia’s largest deliverer of environmental education and recognised as an international leader in community and environmental practice. We grow food, minds and community through an integrated systems approach. Our activities span environmental, social, economic, spiritual and cultural dimensions. Our vision is for people to fall in love with the Earth again.
What we do: CERES runs extensive environmental education and training programs, urban agriculture projects, green technology demonstrations and a number of social enterprises including a market, grocery, café, organic online supermarket (Fair Food) and a permaculture nursery. There are community garden plots onsite but have a long waiting list.
Where: Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East
Deep Green Permaculture
Website: http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/
Contact: Angelo Eliades Ph: (0411) 087 257 E-mail: deep_green@optusnet.com.au
Who we are: Deep Green Permaculture is about promoting sustainable food production techniques, with the aim of building community food security and self-reliance. We teach people how to maximise the productivity of their backyard gardens using natural organic methods.
What we do:
- Educational website with sustainable gardening resources, information, articles, DIY instructions, projects and reference material.
- Educational workshops / training, presentations, seminars, tours of demonstration garden sites.
- Sustainable food production consultancy and advisory services, including voluntary work for community groups and community gardens.
- Food forest / forest gardening advocacy.
- Propagation and distribution of edible plants / trees to the general public.
DIVRS Urban Food Program – Darebin Fruit Squad
Contact: Urban Food Coordinator Vanessa call: (03)9480 8207 (available Tuesday & Wednesday) Email: urbanfood@divrs.org.au Web: www.divrs.org.au
Who we are: The DIVRS Urban Food Program supports a vision of local food systems which are secure, sustainable and equitable, to develop healthy communities. We are a community volunteer led program that sources and grows nutritious fresh food for redistribution to people experiencing food insecurity in the city of Darebin.
What we do : Our projects and initiatives engage community through promoting sustainable home, community and school garden programs focused on urban food production.
We continue to develop new opportunities through partnerships and networks with Darebin Council, Schools, organisations and local food systems such as Melbourne Food Hub Alphington. Together we aim to improve sustainable gardening practices, reduce waste and enhance community wellbeing.
Volunteers propagate seedlings on site for sale and to support our garden related projects.
Current projects include:
- Darebin Fruit Squad – Harvesting excess produce from public and private fruit trees reducing waste.
- Darebin Veg Squad – households & schools growing and donating fresh produce for emergency relief.
- Back Yard Basics – showcasing sustainable gardening in action on site at DIVRS.
- East Preston Community Garden – 9 Newton St East Preston engaging local community.
All food grown and harvested is redistributed through our emergency relief program to Darebin families experiencing food insecurity.
DIVRS Emergency Relief program operates Monday to Thursday 9.30am – 12.30.
Darebin residents experiencing food insecurity can access food parcels plus fresh fruit and vegetables.
Where: based at DIVRS, 285-287 High St, Preston
East Reservoir Community Garden
Contact: Ph: 0423 088 722 E-mail: eastreservoirgarden@gmail.com
Who we are: East Reservoir Community Garden has been established to help the community prepare for a healthy secure and sustainable future by supporting homegrown low cost healthy food. This access friendly and culturally diverse garden encourages social connections with other gardeners to swap produce and gardening tips and pool resources such as compost, organic fertilizer, mulch and seeds.
What we do: We offer small and large garden beds to rent for planting and growing your own produce. There are also opportunities to take part in gardening workshops, cooking classes and demonstrations, as well as volunteer for events and make new friends. The garden holds regular community events such as open days, festivals, produce swap and market days.
Where: TW Andrews Reserve, Strathmerton Street, Reservoir
Fairfield Community Garden
Contact: Katrina Everingham Ph: 9490 1601 E-mail: keveringham@interactaustralia.com.au
Who we are: Fairfield Community Garden provides the community with both a space to garden as well as to celebrate food and gardening achievements, share project ideas, workshops and local community food events.
What we do: We hold regular working bees and gardening workshops and issue a newsletter with the latest gardening news, events and information
Where: 1 Hamilton Street, Fairfield
Northcote Community Gardens
Website: www.northcotecommunitygardens.blogspot.com
Contact: E-mail: northcotecommunitygardens@yahoo.com.au
Who we are: The Northcote Community Gardens provide a productive growing space for members of the Darebin community to grow food and learn about sustainable gardening practices, including how to grow indigenous / local plants in an urban environment.
What we do: We supply individual garden beds for planting and harvesting, and have a monthly working bee for planting and harvesting, followed by a scrumptious afternoon teas. We also share gardening tips and advice, food recipes and events, hold seed saving and mosaics workshops.
Where: Hartington Street, Northcote (next to Northcote train station)
Northcote Library Food Garden
Website: www.northcotelibraryfoodgarden.blogspot.com
Contact: Allison Wedding Ph: (0431) 646 565 or Ivor Otley (0407) 680 822 E-mail: northcotelibraryfoodgarden@gmail.com
Who we are: The Northcote Library Food Garden provides a communal space for the community to grow their own food as well as a place for gathering, education and demonstration of sustainable gardening practices.
What we do: We provide large communal growing beds for shared growing and harvesting, as well as a food forest and bed for “bush” food and natives (in development). We hold monthly community gardening days, where the community comes together to plant, harvest and maintain the garden as well as share the produce. We also hold workshops on sustaianble gardening practices
Where: 32-38 Separation Street, Northcote, Victoria (adjacent to the Northcote Library).
SPAN Community House
Website: www.spanhouse.org
Contact: Colleen Duggan Ph: (03) 9480 1364 E-mail: manager@spanhouse.org
Who we are: SPAN Community House provides the community with access to dynamic and innovative resources through community development activities. This is done through the provision of educational, social and recreational opportunities including well-being, personal development, IT, creative, food and gardening and pre-vocational courses and activities.
What we do: SPAN Community House’s food related activities include; monthly community lunches where participants can come along and join in a healthy lunch and meet others; cooking classes including ‘mystery box’ cooks, cooking and food gardening workshops, a community food garden and we are also a SecondBite recipient of fruit and vegetables.
Where: 64 Clyde St, Thornbury
Transition Darebin
Website: www.transitiondarebin.org
Contact: transitiondarebin@gmail.com
Who we are: Transition Darebin are about helping the Darebin community prepare for peak oil and climate change through practical solutions like local food growing, promoting energy efficient homes and buildings, fossil-fuel-free transport, local production of goods and services and reuse / recycling. The objective is to transition Darebin towards and relocalised and resilient community.
What we do: Transtion Darebin have a number of projects underway around food, transport and reskilling Darebin for a future without cheap energy and fuel. Examples include:
- Food Swaps in Northcote (second Saturday of the month, Reservoir (third Saturday of the month). Fairfield (third Saturday of the month), and South Preston (fourth Saturday of the month). See Regular Food Swaps and Farmers Markets for further details
- Transition in the Pub – a monthly gathering to discuss a topical issue, recent discussions have been on topics such as Repair Cafes and ethical shopping.
- Convivial Kitchen – a group that meets to share favourite recipes, demonstrate them, then eat them!
- Convivial Garden – runs events related to gardens such as making a bee hotel and curing olives.
- Boomerang Bags – we have started a local Boomerang Bag group to replace plastic shopping bags.
- Repair Café – our first event will be in May 2018 where a group of fixers will voluntarily fix peoples’ broken items to keep them out of landfill.
Take a look at our website for further details on all of the above, and more.