[MonashCommunityGarden] Fwd: some long term ideas for the garden

[Ali Majokah]

hey peoples,
we (meaning anybody who can make it!) will be meeting up around 2pm today at
the community garden to discuss future plans and ideas.

please come down if you can. there will be some food to share!

see you then,

ali

p.s. really sorry for the very late notice!!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ali Majokah <amaj6 at student.monash.edu.au>
Date: 2009/9/24
Subject: some long term ideas for the garden
To: timscott97 at gmail.com, Imogen Jackson <imogen.jackson at gmail.com>


hey tim & imogen,
thought i would share some longer term ideas on where the food-gardening
could lead to in the months and years to come:

     -

            As fruit trees and vegie gardens spread and start appearing all
            over the Clayton Campus, a possible long-term vision could
be as follows:
             -

               Build a mudbrick stove near every vegie garden at the Clayton
               campus.
               -

               Plant woodlots around the Clayton campus.
               -

               Cook lunch at the stove using vegies from the garden and wood
               from the woodlot- initially do this only once a week
but as the number of
               vegie gardens increase and the number of people who
become involved in the
               project grows, then eventually encourage people to cook
meals at the stove
               every day. Run cooking classes to help students and
staff learn how to cook
               simple and delicious foods.
               -

               The food is always free but in order to eat you must spend
               some time gardening as well as helping prepare the food
and/or help clean up
               afterwards.
               -

            Myself along with some other permaculturalists can help design
            the organic vegie/food gardens in accordance with
permaculture design
            principles before the gardens are planted out. This will
help ensure that
            the gardens are self-sufficient to the greatest extent
possible and require
            minimal or no human input to survive.


The gardens as we were discussing earlier today have a great potential to
act as community hubs on Campus, providing an opportunity for people from
all walks of life (and from all courses!) to get together, make friends,
grow/cook/share food and generally have a great time!

Also it can be a great social justice initiative- when people can grow and
cook their own food on campus then nobody would have to miss meals 'cos
they're out of money as they would no longer need money to be able to buy
food (for the most part). Instead the food would always be free but in order
to eat they must spend some time gardening as well as helping prepare the
food and/or help clean up afterwards.

I believe the garden could also present a good opportunity to bring staff
and students together (yep, that's right! i think we should also try and
persuade Monash staff to volunteer in the garden too! as i'm sure you are
well aware, there are heaps of greenies among the 'staff population' as
well). Help the vice-chancellor green up his act- one vegie garden at a
time!

get the hall kids involved! help them set up gardens at their halls (and
also to contribute to the gardens on the main campus)!

get everyone into it, make vegie gardens and fruit tress 'the monash thing'
and through this (& other ways) help spread the awesomeness of vegie gardens
and fruit trees all over the world!



hope the above ideas are useful and helpful in helping the gardens grow,
let me what you think!

ali

ali




-- 
Ali Majokah
Freelance Journalist
Phone: 0411 025 358
Email:  amajokah at gmail.com

'Live simply, so that others may simply live'

'There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed'

'Be the change you want to see in the world'



-- 
Ali Majokah
Freelance Journalist
Phone: 0411 025 358
Email:  amajokah at gmail.com

'Live simply, so that others may simply live'

'There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed'

'Be the change you want to see in the world'
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