Sustainable eating inspiration on the Bass Coast

PASSION and a willingness to share knowledge were evident at the second Bass Coast Edible Gardens weekend as people explored up to 15 gardens across the shire.

The same welcoming atmosphere greeted you whether visiting small home gardens or vast community ones.

While the weather didn’t live up to summer expectations, people were happy to venture outdoors learning techniques for growing, preparing and preserving their own food.

That may have involved seeing wicking beds, or a modern hothouse in action at The Cape Community Farm in Cape Paterson, and learning how they operate and promote efficiency.

Or perhaps it was hearing about Jane Bari’s unique approach to determining if soil temperature is right for planting, checking if it is comfortable to sit on with a bare backside.

Such is the Wonthaggi gardener’s passion for sustainable and affordable living, she has written a book on the subject, with ideas on how to budget, recipes, and the need to understand the microclimate in which your garden operates.

In her case, the wind plays a major part with many of her plants needing to be supported.

Wonthaggi is also home to a couple of community initiatives for growing fresh produce, with the Harvest Centre and Wonthaggi Community Garden both inviting people for a look and chat over the weekend.

Sharon Willcox, the volunteer who coordinates the Edible Gardens event said it is all about encouraging more people to grow food.

That’s something community gardens are brilliant at, providing space, companionship and valuable guidance.

Volunteer Caylie exemplified the effectiveness of the Edible Gardens weekend, having attended as a patron last year, and now an enthusiastic member of the crew at the Harvest Centre.

While she already had strong growing knowledge, Caylie is relishing the community atmosphere of gardening with others.

“It’s good for mental and physical health,” she said of the shared work.

Caylie said the Harvest Centre also welcomes refugees, with members from Myanmar enjoying seeing what grows in Wonthaggi while expanding their social network.

Linda Gordon is one of the motivated volunteers at Wonthaggi Community Garden, with the keen gardener enjoying the social element there and the chance to share produce with others.

Glenda’s Gourmet Garden was an excellent spot to check out a range of ways in which you can preserve produce.

Kohlrabi was among the crops she is currently growing, being the most vitamin-rich vegetable and able to be used in soups and casseroles, roasted, or grated raw as a cabbage substitute in coleslaw.

On a spectacular community scale, The Cape Community Farm has already attracted 70 household members in its months of operation, with 60 of those living in the Cape Eco Village and 10 from the wider Cape Paterson community.

As with the other community gardens involved in the Edible Gardens event, organisers will be delighted to welcome more members from the local area.

The Cape Community Farm is already producing a large volume of fresh food, benefiting members, the broader community and charities.

People can draw on the knowledge of the farmer, but many members also bring their valuable ideas and techniques.

Graeme McAlpine is one of those knowledgeable volunteers, with his expertise proving critical in setting up a high quality hothouse that will eventually incorporate heat beds.

He was happy to answer questions over the weekend on how it operates and outline its value in enabling seedlings to be nurtured for the farm and beyond.

Bass Coast Edible Gardens weekend drew people from all around, with many venturing from Melbourne, and even those with tiny home gardens would have learned ways to use their limited space effectively to grow food.

Such was the reach of the event, it had a presence in several Phillip Island towns, Glen Forbes, and Coronet Bay.

With supermarket prices on the rise and people’s desire to minimise food miles and know how their food has been grown, the Edible Gardens weekend is sure to continue long into the future.