September 11, 2009
· Filed under Community, Food, Updates
Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market
After a great start last Sunday, Grey Lynn Farmers Market will take place again this Sunday, 13th September at the slightly earlier start time of 8am and run until 12 noon at the Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road.
Please remember to bring cash, bring a bag and walk, skip or bike to the market as parking will be limited.
Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market need your help
As a community owned and operated market, the market organisation requires the following volunteers;
- Secretary. A volunteer position currently requiring 3 to 4 hours per week. This will decrease to 2 to 3 hours in coming months. The job involves co-ordinating meetings, minuting the GLFM management committee’s weekly meetings, and conducting its official communication. Contact Dion here.
- Membership Administrator. We require someone to help Anthea on the enquiries desk for 2 to 3 hours on Sunday mornings. This person will deal with membership administration and will preferably have some experience with Excel. A Laptop would also be a bonus. Contact Anthea here.
- Food Hygiene Certificate. In order to raise funds and increase the amount of hot food available, we are looking for someone with a current food hygiene certificate to assist in setting up a regular hot food stall. Contact Paul here.
- Hall decoration. Bunting flags are hung each week at 07:00am. and taken down at 01:00pm. It’s a 20min job, requiring two volunteers. A rotation system could be set up, and the people setting up don’t necessarily need to pack down. Contact Kiri here.
Further information is available on the website: www.glfm.co.nz under the heading ‘volunteer vacancies’.
I
September 3, 2009
· Filed under Community, Food, Gardening
Square Foot Gardening, with Ken Clark from Waiheke
Learn from one of New Zealand’s most successful square foot gardeners, Ken Clark. Ken is coming to Auckland from Waiheke Island for a workshop to share his knowledge. Square foot gardening is a perfect solution for city gardens. It produces 70% more food than conventional gardens with less work.
About Ken Clark and Square foot gardening
Ken first learnt about square foot gardening about 20 yrs ago. He proceeded to do it his own way for 17 yrs, 3 yrs ago he retired to Waiheke Island & started SFG in earnest. Ken lives on a small size section and produces an abundance of fruit and veges using the Square foot gardening method. SFG advocates growing only what you need on a weekly basis. It is a fantastic system for busy people who wish to have a more sustainable life and great home grown food with the minimum fuss and effort.
What to expect:
The workshops cover everything from seeds to eating and building a square foot garden. Kit sets will be available on the day for purchase.
A flyer will be given out outlining the workshop.
Sunday , October 4, 2009. There are two courses on offer, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Please select one of them:
Course 1
10.30 till 11.30/12
Course 2
1pm till 2/ 2.30pm
Duration: 1-1.30hours
Cost: $20.00,
Where: in Mt Eden
Please rsvp to Judith Holtebrinck – pohutukawa08@gmail.com
The Mount Eden Village People: and we will send you the address details.
Maximum of 20 people in each group
What to bring:
Notebook and pen
July 28, 2009
· Filed under Events, Food, Grey Lynn, Grey Lynn 2030
Grey Lynn Farmers Market
With less than 5 weeks to g
o until the opening of Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market, it’s time to sign up for membership and receive 10% off purchases and go into the member prize draw.Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market is offering membership at the discounted rate of only $20 until 31st August.
Prizes drawn every hour for members on opening day -Sunday 6th September, include:
- Spade & fork set from Mitre 10 Ponsonby
- Breakfast for two at Ripe Delicatessen
- 2 x $25 voucher from Il Buco, Ponsonby
- Jacqui Brown’s delicious homemade vegan chocolate cake
- Lunch with Auckland MP Nikki Kaye at a local cafe
- Subscription to NZ Gardener Magazine
- 2 bottles of wine from Fenton Estate, Waiheke Island
- Naturopathic /nutritional consultation at the Herbal Health Centre
- An Organic Cotton Hei Tiki Bodysuit & Beanie from Nature Baby- More prizes to be announced on the day…
July 3, 2009
· Filed under Community, Food, Grey Lynn, Grey Lynn 2030, Kids, Traffic, Transport, Waste, Water
As some of you may or may not be aware – Enviroschools are going to be loosing their funding this year as the government has decided to cut and focus on core education such as reading, writing and maths.
Many parents are very saddened by this news as we know what a great programme Enviroschools is.
A quarter of New Zealand schools are Enviroschools, reaching 212,870 New Zealand children. The programme is positive, practical, and wildly successful – another 210 schools are on the waiting list to become Enviroschools, including early childhood centres.
Enviroschools relies on the wonderful Education for Sustainability Advisers whose jobs have been cut, and Matauranga Taiao the tikanga Maori Enviroschools programme for kohanga reo and kura kaupapa has also been cut.
Our children learn to respect and value the natural environment, save energy and water, recycle and compost, grow their own food, and understand the connections between their actions and the future of the planet. These are essential skills for young people in today’s world, and to cut what should be core learning in the name of financial belt-tightening is spectacularly narrow and short-term thinking.
http://www.enviroschools.org.nz/
Ruth MacClure who is involved with Pt Chev Transition Town and Pt Chev Primary is looking for people who would be available should a journalist be interested in covering the story. Please leave a comment on this page on what you can offer.
Here is a short video clip made by a school in Dunedin.
Enviroschools
Not surprisingly the Greens are picking up on this issue ( it was a successful Green bid that secured funding for the programme initially) and are asking you to make the following actions:
Take action to save Enviroschools:
- Visit your local National MP, and express your disappointment that this successful programme is no longer supported. Keep it positive and personal – if you have a child at an Enviroschool, talk about what environmental education has meant for your child and your family. Ask that the funding be reinstated.
- Write a letter or email to your local National MP and cc John Key – we need to keep it on the Prime Minister’s radar.
- Write letters to the editor outlining the importance of environmental education in NZ schools and calling for Enviroschools funding to be continued.
Points you might like to include in letters / emails
- A quarter of our schools are Enviroschools, reaching 212,870 New Zealand children. This is a positive, successful and popular programme that it is achieving great things at a low cost to government.
- These days, knowledge and skills in sustainability is not a luxury ‘add on’; it needs to be an integral part of our children’s learning.
- Enviroschools are delivering on the government’s priorities:
- Economic growth and jobs: Sustainability is a major growth area and young people need to be eco-literate to survive in the global economy today.
- Science and innovation: Enviroschool programmes foster children’s interest in environmental science, technology and primary production
- Literacy and numeracy: Enviroschool programmes regularly utilise other learning skills, such as reporting, surveys, and analysis.
- Enviroschools enable children to become in the educator in the home, sharing their new found knowledge and skills with their family.
- Teachers need the curriculum support, professional development and resources to effectively teach environmental education. They cannot adequately deliver this programme without external support from the government.
June 25, 2009
· Filed under Events, Food, Gardening
NorthTec
Sustainable Rural Development Level 3
Rainbow Valley Farm, Matakana
Wednesdays 9am – 2:30pm, July 22, 2009 – June 29, 2010
Tutor: Dion Workman
Contact: dionworkman@fastmail.fm (09)4227432
Cost: Free
Course papers include
- Operating a Permaculture System
- Forest Gardening
- Wild Foods
- Practicum
This is a year long (part-time/one day per week) practical course aimed at developing skills related to the design and implementation of permaculture systems. The course will be held on the most well known permaculture farm in Aotearoa, Rainbow Valley Farm, where sustainable practices have been developed and taught for over 20 years.
Dion Workman is the farm manager at Rainbow Valley Farm and holds an International Permaculture Design Certificate from the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia. He has studied Terraquaculture/Dao Natural Farming at the Watershed Systems Research Centre in Twizel and is a founding member of the Brooklyn Permaculture Group, New York where he practised urban permaculture, roof-top and community gardening and inner-city wild food foraging.
As there are only 7 places remaining on this course prompt enrolment is strongly advised.
To enrol contact Dion Workman directly or fill out an enrolment form online at http://northland.ac.nz/Pages/Home.aspx
Qualification = Certificate in Sustainable Rural Development Level 3 Place of Study = Other, Rainbow Valley Farm, Matakana
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dion workman
dionworkman@fastmail.fm
April 22, 2009
· Filed under Community, Events, Food, Urban Food Production
ANZAC DAY, Saturday 25 April, the market will be open from 12 noon to 3pm
Open every other Saturday from 8am to 12noon!
While the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market is getting underway go along to the Parnell Farmers’ Market on Saturdays for a selection of fresh seasonal produce, brought to you by the producers themselves.
Parnell Farmers’ Market is an authentic growers market which is located in the Jubilee Building car park at 545 Parnell Road, Parnell.
Growers, farmers and producers sell a seasonal selection of fresh and organic fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, plants, baked goods, honey, eggs, flowers and plant-based products.
Parnell Farmers’ Market does not include craft, art or clothing.
