CERES Workshop Program

For those that know of CERES, their upcoming workshops are below, if anyone interested yell out we might be able to make a day of it.

April Workshops
MEET YOUR GARDEN (ORGANIC PEST CONTROL) WITH VEG (very edible gardens)Saturday 10 April 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES Member/Concession Be introduced to the many creatures that inhabit your garden, from wondrous soil microbes to problem and beneficial insects and beyond. How do we invite in the good insects and other natural predators so we can garden without sprays?

DROUGHT PROOF YOUR GARDEN WITH VEG (VERY EDIBLE GARDENS)Sunday 11 April 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES Member/Concession Drought is no longer the exception, it's the rule. But in the city, we can still grow much of our own food through water-efficient planning and gardening. Covers the basics of everything you need to know to grow abundant, healthy food despite water restrictions.

THE CONSCIOUS COOK WITH GISELLESunday 11 April 2010 4.00PM—6.00PM Included with CERES Harvest Festival EntryHow can we live more sustainably, changing our behaviour in ways that work for ourselves and for the world? Giselle Wilkinson, author of The Conscious Cook will take you on a journey into the breadth of food-associated issues, help join the dots connecting the issues and demonstrate the complexity of sustainability and the simplicity of many of the actions involved in achieving it.

MEET YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WITH TREVOR PLUMRIDGEWednesday 14 April 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will measure your own carbon footprint and you will also learn tips to reduce it! Along the way, you will gain a greater understanding of ‘Carbon Footprint’, ‘Carbon Neutral’ and ‘Carbon Offsets’. Bring your questions, leave with answers …COOKING FOR KIDS WITH KEMI NEVAKAPIL (AGES 7 –12)Friday 9 April 2010 10.00AM—2.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession This workshop empowers children by teaching them to prepare a variety of dishes by themselves including simple sushi, yummy salads, easy dinners and fresh deserts. We will also look at general safety in the kitchen.

MOSAICS FOR BEGINNERS WITH GORDAN MANDICHSaturday/Sunday 17 and 18 April 2010 or 10.00AM—4.00PM Saturday/Sunday 19 and 20 June 2010 $190/$180 CERES Member/Concession Join master mosaic artist, Gordan Mandich and discover the colourful world of mosaic art. Over two days you will learn about a variety of mosaic techniques and design methods. The course includes all materials and tools and you will create your own piece to take home.

SEED SAVING AND PROPAGATION WITH MATT DANIELESaturday 17 April 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession Propagation by seed is one of the most commonly known methods of producing new plants. Take away the mystery of creating new plants from cuttings—it is much easier than you think! Complete the cycle by saving your own seed for propagation next season.

CHOOK CARE FOR KIDS WITH LOUISE KAY (AGES 5 –10)Sunday 18 April 2010 10.00AM—12.30PM$30/$20 CERES Member/Concession Chooks are great for the garden; they deal with weeds, eat bugs, are great fertilisers and provide the best tasting eggs you’ll ever eat. And they make great pets for kids. Whether you already have chooks or are looking to start a new backyard flock, this workshop will teach your kids all about basic chook needs and how to become an expert egg collector!

SOUR DOUGH BREAD WITH JOHN DOWNESSunday 25 April 2010 10.00AM—3.00PMorSunday 20 June 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$120/$110 CERES Member/Concession Take a workshop with master baker, John. You will learn about all the techniques which govern how to make good sourdough bread as a crusty and a sandwich loaf. Come bake bread and a few special treats in the CERES wood-fired oven and share the still warm spoils for afternoon tea.
May Workshops

UNDERSTANDING SOILS WITH ANNIE RAISER-ROWLANDSunday 2 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession Fall in love with good soil as you work through an understanding of basic soil properties and functions followed by principles for repairing, building and maintaining your own patch of earth. You will never see the ground in the same way again.

HOME BREWING WITH PAUL RIGBYSunday 2 May 2010 $88/$77 CERES Member/Concession 10.00AM—4.00PM The workshop will be a practical demonstration of full grain brewing covering ingredients, equipment, brewing theory and most importantly, the brewing process including mashing, lautering, boiling, sanitation, fermentation and packaging. Samples will be made available for tasting.

GUIDE TO SMALL SCALE WIND POWER WITH DEMIAN NATEKHANWednesday 5 May 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Is a wind turbine a viable energy option for your home, farm or business? In this workshop you will gain an understanding of what is required to run a small scale wind power system.

ROMANO CHEESE MAKINGSunday 9 May 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$150/$130 CERES Member/Concession In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to make your own small hard romano style cheese and yoghurt. Workshops are hands-on and include light lunch, detailed class notes and of course taste sampling!!

KNOW YOUR SOLAR RESOURCE WITH BRYCE GATONWednesday 12 May 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Find out if it is worth installing solar hot water or solar electric systems at your home. This workshop covers the basics of solar energy and explains how to understand if a solar hot water service or solar electric system is positioned for best efficiency.

EARTHSHIP BUILDING TECHNIQUES WITH CERES EARTHSHIP GROUPSaturday/Sunday 15 and 16 May 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM $160/$150 CERES Member/Concession A two day hands-on workshop and information session for anyone wishing to learn more about the process of building Earthships in Victoria or would like to find out about Earthship Australia. You will get your hands dirty and be involved in building an Earthship style tyre wall here at CERES.LIVING

FOOD TREATS WITH KEMI NEVAKAPILSunday 16 May 2010 10.00AM—1.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Chop and blend your way to guiltless sweets that are high in nutrition. Whether for kid’s lunch boxes, your lunch, post workout or a dinner party, you will be amazed at what is available. Chocolate truffles for breakfast anyone? All recipes are gluten, egg, dairy, wheat, sugar, soy and junk free! This workshop is not for nut allergy suffers.

ORGANIC GARDENING FOR KIDS WITH POPPY (AGES 5 –10)Sunday 16 May 2010 $88/$77 CERES Member/Concession 10.00AM—3.00PMGet your kids engaged in the world of growing their own vegetables and herbs. We will help them discover the wonder of planting a seed and watching it grow and getting ready for harvesting. Through hands-on activities, your children will uncover the sense of pride associated with growing it yourself.

SAVING WATER, SAVING GARDENS, SAVING THE PLANET WITH TIKI SWAINWednesday 19 May 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Feeling drained about your storm water running away to sea? Is your garden washed up but your laundry water going down the sink? Wanting that flush of success when your cistern fills with water you’ve collected? Come to this informative workshop to learn how to save, collect and reuse all types of your household water.

WATERWISE GARDENING WITH JUSTIN CAVERLEYSaturday 22 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will learn how to create a luscious oasis that is water-efficient, pleasing to the eye and a welcome haven for native birds and insects. You can expect to learn about soil preparation, water catchment and use, indigenous plants and bushfoods.

COMPOSTING AND WORM FARMS WITH JAMES SPRUNTSunday 23 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession You will learn the fundamentals of composting, turning green waste into useful fertiliser for your garden as well as the benefits of having worm farms in your garden system.

SPROUTS AND SEEDS WITH CAROLINA Sunday 23 May 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will learn how to grow your own sprouts and baby greens. There will be samples to taste and you will receive a pack of seeds to get you started.

POTTED GARDENING WITH JUSTIN CAVERLEYSaturday 29 May 2010 or Saturday 26 June 2010$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession 10.00AM—3.00PMFeel that you are missing out on growing your own veggies and herbs due to lack of space? In this workshop you will learn how to maximise your small space to create an abundant food growing area, provide shade and privacy as well as an area that is pleasing to the eye.

EDIBLE WEEDS WITH ANNIE RAISER-ROWLANDSunday 30 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will learn how to use edible weeds to create delicious dishes in the kitchen. You will also learn how to enhance your organic gardening techniques

Dear friends of Seed Savers

The best vegetable seeds are those given by one friend or family member to another. “Here, try these seeds, they grow well around here!” This simple gesture is the modus operandi of our eighty Local Seed Networks (LSNs) around Australia. Jude and Michel at The Seed Savers’ Network hope that you will join a seed group or create one around you. This may help you to grow from local seeds and eat more diversely = nutritionally. Find out how more about Local Seed Networks

Local Food Anyone?

Local Seed Networks circulate locally adapted varieties. These varieties are the basis of local food. They have been circulated in the local community for donkeys’ years and grow well in the area. They don’t necessarily have names.

Hardiness

Local varieties generally grow pesticide-free because they are attuned to local climates and regions. Some rainfed varieties bred by farmers manage to give a crop without irrigation and even tolerate insect damage and salinity.

Real Social Networks

At LSN garden visits and meetings, everyone learns from one another; everyone gets lots of unusual seeds and cuttings and makes new garden friends. Seeds are sometimes pushed deep into your pocket, so watch out. None if this is a commercial enterprise by any stretch of the imagination. When you grow vegetables and fruit, what do you do with the excess?? LSNs exchange produce as well. None of this is calculated in the GDP!

Go Perennial

Local Seed Networks are the perfect source of vegetative propagules: artichoke slips, asparagus crowns, mulitiplying onions, potato tubers. Then there are the fascinating unusual tubers such as:
• the super profilic oca (Oxalis tuberosa);
• the trendy health food, maca (Lepidium meyennii);
• achira (Canna edulis) to make arrowroot;
• arracacha, the Andean parsnip, a tuber for delicious soups;
• nashua, the tuberous sister of nasturtiums;
• yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia) the “pear of the earth”, sweet only when stored.

Michel and Jude Fanton Report
We have just returned from two months in Rajasthan, India, and one month in Malaysia so we have colourful news and videos on seedsavers.net. There is even an environmental video made by Channel 10 where we are speechless.
Recent media coverage:-
• “Our Seeds” on Manhattan cable TV
• Japanese Asahi TV – early March
• The Age Epicure 9/3/10
• OK Magazine 20/3/10
• Reader’s Digest, Health Smart - soon

We are giving workshops in Victoria 10th and 11th April. See our website for details. www.seedsavers.net

SEED SAVING WORKSHOPS

Join Jude and Michel Fanton, founders of the Seed Savers Network
Learn from these world renowned teachers how to teach others to
select, harvest, process and store seeds from their food gardens.
Suitable for teachers / leaders / volunteers from
school / kitchen gardens, community gardens, gardening clubs,
local food / seedsaving and permaculture groups
Sunday April 11, 9:00am-3pm

Morning and afternoon teas provided.
Bring home grown produce or lunch to share.
Plants and Seedsaving books for sale.