Tasmanian Community Gardening Network

Newsletter No. 3 December 2005

The Tasmanian Community Gardening Network held its first Statewide gathering on Saturday the 19th November 2005.

About 45 Community Gardeners from all around the State gathered at the Ravenswood Community Garden to share in an
informative, practical and fun day. Workshops offered participants the opportunity to learn about different aspects of community
gardening from local and interstate presenters, as well as share their experiences with others.

Panels of presenters described different models of community gardens, how to establish a community garden and their learnings
along the way.
Panel members included:
• Tamara Johnston from Ravenswood Community Garden
• Keith Williams from Punchbowl Community Garden
• Cameron McKinnon from TAFE Horticulture in Hobart
• Ann Rayner from Ulverstone Community Garden
• Sandy Tiffin from Deloraine Community Garden
• David Stephen from Creek Road Community Garden

There was plenty of time for networking and sharing experiences. A number of organisations and groups also put up displays
about their gardens and related topics.

Morag Gambles from the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network gave an inspiring presentation during the lunch
hour. Morag’s presentation demonstrated different models of community gardens in many countries around the world.

During the afternoon, participants were treated to an array of local expertise covering the following topics:
• School gardens and enterprise learning
• Group processes
• Creating no-dig gardens and garden design
• Getting the soil right

Workshop facilitators included: Denise Delphin, Tamara Johnston, Leigh Tesch, Cameron McKinnon, Sandy Tiffin, Marieke van
Dijke and David Stephen.

The open forum at the end of the day attracted numerous comments, suggestions and enthusiasm for the continuation of the
Network and future gatherings of this nature. Turn the page for some of the ideas that came up on the day.

If you have a story to

share with the
Tasmanian
Community
Gardening
Network, Contact Us!
Send your story to:
Eat Well Tasmania
GPO Box 1624
HOBART TAS 7001
Email:
mherzfeld@cancertas.org.au
Telephone:
(03) 6233 2923
Fax:
(03) 6233 2123
You can send your
article at any time.
Pictures are always
appreciated too.

We wish
you a very
Merry
Christmas &
Happy New Year!
Below are some of the ideas, suggestions and comments that came out of the open forum and discussions at the
Tasmanian Community Gardening Network Workshop in November 2005

Signage Recycled artwork,

Map of Tassie useful junk
Gardens
Marketing

Food regulations - do we need

commercial kitchens in

Regular workshops
on current issues of
Set up induction procedure
importance
for new people at the
garden eg pack up tools at
Big Noisy Events
the end of a job or day

Composting -
sourcing
materials
Green Gym & physical
activity in the garden :
weeding, turning compost
Advocacy
heaps, harvesting

Create a large jobs board in

your garden which
Open days - everyone can see, add &
Promote all sizes and types prioritise with a ranking
of gardens & produce system

Develop a Tassie
Sponsorship &
Community Gardens
Funding website

Take advantage of volunteers and working Outreach

bee potential with the new Green Gym
program from Conservation Volunteers
Australia being trialed in Westbury Community
‘green’ harvest &
Coops

Compost tumblers with During meetings,

acrobats spinning them integrate food sharing, Develop broader
meals and talking about network
life in general to allow
people to really connect

Worm tractors Incorporate gardens

with nursing students
for their study

Nominate
someone for
Create a public meeting space Edible street trees, eg in
people to go to if
and invite speakers and Barcelona
any problems or
musicians (eg string quartet, (www.bcn.es/agenda21/crbs)
grievance
Irish band)
 Food Safety in the Garden
One of the issues that came up at the Tasmanian Community Gardening Network
Workshop in November was to do with food safety requirements in community gardens.

Food Safety Standards have been developed to ensure that food sold in Australia is safe and suitable to eat. The Standards apply
to food businesses, which are defined as any business or activity that involves the handling of any type of food for sale, or the sale
of food in Australia. This includes activities undertaken for charitable or community reasons, as well as commercial ventures and
'once-only' projects that involve the handling and sale of food. However, charity and community groups, temporary events and
home-based businesses are exempt from some of the requirements in the Standards. Further information about the Standards is
available at the following website: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodsafetystandardsaustraliaonly

In the case of community gardens, if people are picking produce that they have grown on their plot and want to prepare it for
themselves and their friends, this is no different to having a picnic or BBQ in the park. Basic food safety principles should be
applied (visit the above website for further information) but complying with the Food Safety Standards shouldn't be necessary in
this situation. Advice from the Department of Health & Human Services on this issue is that if the food grown in community
gardens is not for sale, it is really a private matter.

Food Safety Standards are relevant if the food that is prepared is for sale. What does ‘sell’ mean? Sell means:
(a) barter, offer or attempt to sell, or
(b) receive for sale, or
(c) have in possession for sale, or
(d) display for sale, or
(e) cause or permit to be sold or offered for sale, or
(f) send, forward or deliver for sale, or
(g) dispose of by any method for valuable consideration, or
(h) dispose of to an agent for sale on consignment, or
(i) provide under a contract of service, or
(j) supply food as a meal or part of a meal to an employee, in accordance with a term of an award governing the employment of
the employee or a term of the employee' s contract of service, for consumption by the employee at the employee' s place of work,
or
(k) dispose of by way of raffle, lottery or other game of chance, or
(l) offer as a prize or reward, or
(m) give away for the purpose of advertisement or in furtherance of trade or business, or
(n) supply food under a contract (whether or not the
contract is made with the consumer of the food),
together with accommodation, service or entertainment,
in consideration of an inclusive charge for the food
supplied and the accommodation, service or
entertainment, or
(o) supply food (whether or not for consideration) in the
course of providing services to patients or inmates in
public institutions, where 'public institution' means 'public
institution' as defined in the Act, if it is so
defined; or
(p) sell for the purpose of resale. (Standard 3.1.1)

For further information visit:

http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/services/view.php?id=781

Remember: Food safety is important but it shouldn’t stop

you from preparing, cooking and enjoying that
delicious garden produce!

Australian Community Gardens Network Listserver

The purpose of the Australian Community Gardens Network listserver is to enable direct communications among community
gardeners as well as those interested in the activity. The types of information that the listserver provides includes the posting of:
• dates and details about events such as workshops, courses, conferences, meetings and the like
• questions and answers to problems and enquiries
• news about community gardening and allied activities
• discussion about things of interest, issues and ideas to do with community gardening.

For further information and to subscribe visit: http://lists.cat.org.au/cgi-bin/m/listinfo/community-gardens

OATLANDS PARTERRE GARDEN
This garden is privately owned and also available to all members of the public.
Thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it is considered a community
garden.

The garden was designed by Lucy Gregg in 1997 to show examples of the flowering
bulbs being sold in the adjacent shop. The pattern of the beds is best seen from
Callington Mill, the 5 storey stone mill tower, usually open to the public, next door.

For several years community members kept the garden tidy, maintained, extended
and improved and a lease was discussed but never eventuated. Early this year the
lease idea resurfaced because the property changed hands but was rejected by the
new owners, who said, “We want to be part of what’s happening!”

In lieu of a lease a MOU has been agreed to involving 4 parties – the local Council,
the Owners, the Parterre Gardeners and a local incorporated community group which
provides the public liability insurance cover for the project. The purpose of the MOU is
“….for the development and use of the Oatlands Parterre Garden, located in Mill Lane
Oatlands, for community use and enjoyment, enhancement of the Oatlands visitor
experience and as an adjunct to the Callington Mill historic site.”

Duration of the MOU is 2 years. Renewal, subject to review and agreement by all par-
ties will be for subsequent 2 year periods.

A Management Committee has been identified. The public will have access to the gar-
den 7 days a week during normal business hours (unless special circumstances exist)
. The owners will pay normal Council rates and charges. In recognition of the commu-
nity benefits provided by the Garden, Council undertakes to grant the
Parterre Garden Group an annual amount equivalent to the rates and charges paid by
the owners, less; The Fire service levy, being a charge collected by the State Fire
Commission, and Water consumption charges. The Parterre Garden Group
undertakes to spend the above-mentioned funds on maintenance and improvements
within the garden.

In recognition of the primary importance of Callington Mill, the Management

Committee will ensure that the view of Callington Mill from High Street and Mill Lane
is not adversely affected by development and plantings within the Garden (for exam-
ple by excessively high trees).

For more information:

www.mile.org.au
MILE Inc PO Box 70
Oatlands Tas 7120

Bits & Pieces Australian City Farms and Community Gardens

$$$$ Funding Opportunities $$$$
Tess Tilbury, Women's Development Program, Women Tasmania
(Department of Premier & Cabinet), sends out regular information about fund-
ing opportunities. To receive these notifications, send an email to Tess at
Tess.Tilbury@dpac.tas.gov.au and ask to be added to the distribution list.
Tasmanian Community Gardening
Network Working Group
The Working Group is looking for keen and active community
gardening enthusiasts to help drive the activity of the
Tasmanian Community Gardening Network. If you have some
time, passion, commitment and are keen to work as part of a
team, contact us to get involved.
Telephone: Eat Well Tasmania on (03) 6233 2923 or email:
mherzfeld@cancertas.org.au
Network Annual Conference in Adelaide 2006
Monday 6th to Thursday 9th March 2006
There are links to various pages from the middle column on the home
page: http://www.communitygarden.org.au
School Gardening Websites
Gardening Launchpad www.gardeninglaunchpad.com/kids.html
Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning
http://www.greenteacher.com/gsg.html
The Edible Schoolyard www.edibleschoolyard.org
The Case For More High School Gardens
http://www.cityfarmer.org/highschool77.html
School and Community Cooperative Landcare Projects: Best practice guide
www.affa.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/nrm/landcare/school_landc
are.pdf
School and Community Cooperative Landcare Projects: Best practice guide
www.affa.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/nrm/landcare/school_landc
are.pdf
 TASMANIAN COMMUNITY GARDENING NETWORK – WORKSHOP 19 November 2005
NOTES – BREAKOUT SESSION WORKSHOP
Group processes, working together, achieving outcomes, staying motivated
(Leigh Tesch & Cameron Mckinnon)

Leigh Tesch presented a great one hour session on Working in (and with) Groups. We worked through what made a group work
and how groups may sometimes fail to achieve their aims. Participants in the workshop shared real life anecdotes, ideas and
suggestions to offer new ways of making groups work even better. The workshop participants then suggested a range of ways to
create and deliver the best experiences for our Community Garden members. Finally the workshop group compiled a list of tasks,
policies and issues to work on to make our Community Gardens succeed. These items are up for discussion within each
Community Garden and may also be considered by the Tasmanian Community Garden Network for development.

WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT A GROUP? WHAT’S DIFFICULT ABOUT MY / A GROUP?

The laughing! Decisions cannot be made – locked.
Being happy! Getting people together for working bees.
Fun working together! Always – growling and grumbling.
Fun to be there! Undermining grumbles.
Look forward to happy, smiling faces. Sniping comments.
People saying positive things to each other. Low attendance.
Praise. A struggle – no fun going alone.
Fellowship. No talking.
People contributing to discussions. Timelines – deadlines.
Decisions easy to make Long hours.
Great! Clear communication. Unsure of direction of project.
Communication – lots of talking. Challenges of group dynamics, personalities and effective facilitation.
Work is actually done – not just talked about. Not enough people.
Harmony – no arguments. Arguments.
Work together. Not great – interpersonal conflict / unspoken tension.
Delegation of tasks – working well. Resolving differences of opinion.
Generous contribution – of volunteers and sense of Procrastination – all talk and no action.
contribution. Motivation – loses momentum if lack of action / coordination.
Running out of time because of too much chat.
HOW TO GET THE BEST EXPERIENCES FOR Baggage from past decisions.
OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN MEMBERS
Meeting – for other reasons than just the community garden – have a meal together
People’s Names – acknowledge everyone by their name each time you work with them
Engage/Encourage – ideas / communication in meetings
Praise – for comments / suggestions
Courtesy/Conversation – more than a ‘Hello’- engage in deep conversations
Relationships – Develop real friendships through genuine interest and care
Acknowledge – effort / support / interest shown by participants
Breakdown Structure – collaborative ‘rosters’ / white board used for listing job tasks; garden members then ‘self select’ work
tasks
Welcoming Committee – rostered system to induct new garden members

TASKS / POLICIES TO WORK ON TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY GARDENS SUCCEED

Policies and Procedures – for the range of tasks and issues you may experience in your community garden
Induction Process – develop an induction policy that is simple, explanatory and inclusive
Help for the first time attempting tasks – explain the process for the next time
Create sense of ‘self help’ and responsibility
Membership Fee / System / Guidelines - sensible rules for
participating in your community garden
Rotating ‘meet and greet’ roster – spread the load and re-
sponsibility across all members
Dealing with conflict
– step back
- look at the issue
- collaborate and support to resolve issue
Conflict Policies and Procedures
– tie them back to the agency that the community garden
is connected to?
- incorporated bodies may have policies
- training may be needed for coordinators

For further information contact Cameron McKinnon on

(03) 6233 7576
 TASMANIAN COMMUNITY GARDENING NETWORK WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP: "GETTING THE SOIL RIGHT"
By David Stephen

This session quickly developed into a question and answer hour, so I put my prepared
speech away for another day.
The universal question that everyone asks is, “How can we treat green vegetable wastes
quickly and easily for conversion into a soil improver (compost)?” There is only one com-
mercial shredder (petrol or electric) on the market that can handle soft, sappy, wet
wastes without clogging up. This Recycler Chipper would be my choice for Creek Road
Community Garden because it would minimise the workload which is important due to
the limited voluntary labour available (call 1800 305 452 for free brochure about this
Australian made machine). Remember, a stockpile of green waste quickly turns to a slimy mess if it is not blended with hay, straw
or some other brown matter in the compost heap.
Q. Are animal manures the only source of soil/plant foods?
A. No. there are richer sources of nutriment to enhance yields and quality. Canola meal
(from Pet's Domain in Launceston and Hobart), is becoming very popular. In fact, any
pulverised grain, including layer mash, is rich in minerals, and can form the basis of a
garden slow release fertiliser.
Below is my recommended recipe for all gross feeding plants:
• Three parts canola meal
• One part blood and bone
• One part gypsum
• One part kelp meal
For more information, contact David Stephen on (03) 6227 8390

What you thought about the Workshop in November 2005 4. Overall did you enjoy today’s program?
Selected Comments Yes 100%
No 0
1. Overall today’s workshop was: 5. Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future work-
Very interesting and useful 93% shops or anything else you would like to say?
Moderately interesting and useful 7% • More focus on how to get local businesses and shops involved in developing
2. Was there anything in particular that stood out for you today? sponsorship. Using examples like ceres.org.au in Melbourne to develop
• Meeting others from around Tassie value-adding and sustainable economic opportunities.
• Sharing our stories and experiences. This created enthusiasm and inspira- • Funding sources and writing applications. Fun events/celebrations/artistic
tion for everyone. It also passed on many practical pieces of advice. events to plan for.
• Seeing what’s working around the world, positive and cooperative and con- • Maybe a list of good suppliers
structive action that enhances the living space of everyone. Meeting with • I hope you can do it every 6 months, it was wonderful!!! Thank you, fabu-
people who have similar values and appreciation of plants and community lous day and thanks to all. Would love more workshops throughout the year
was inspiring and encouraging.
• Great to meet people with a common goal to help out their community A BIG THANKYOU to everyone
• Discussion on conflict who helped organise the
• Group workshop was very useful – many good points raised and good workshop, to those who ran
ideas that could be easily implemented workshops and participated on
• Passion of speakers the panels, to all the volunteer
3. Was there anything in particular about today that you would like to helpers on the day, and to
change? everyone who came along to
• To be able to do a longer workshop or more than one would be great. share and learn.
• The school gardens and enterprising learning session We look forward to doing it all
• Like to hear some feedback from students and volunteers on how they feel again in 2006!
about their community garden
• Food for lunch to be identified as OK for vegetarians

School Gardens and Enterprise Learning About this newsletter

Some points from the school garden workshop that were This newsletter has been compiled on behalf of the Tasmanian
discussed at the Tasmanian Community Gardening Network Community Gardening Network.
Workshop in November 2005 included: For further information please contact Eat Well Tasmania
Telephone:
• Mentoring opportunities
(03) 6233 2923
• Funding opportunities
Email:
• Nutrition, health & wellbeing outcomes mherzfeld@cancertas.org.au
• Cooking programs with produce from garden post: GPO Box 1624 HOBART
• Market stalls - Farmer's markets, local markers TAS 7001
• The coming together of different groups with the school fax: (03) 6233 2123
garden - students and community
For further information contact Denise Delphin on (03) 6326 We welcome your comments,
5506 suggestions and contributions.