
Moruya’s new community garden is now in business! At the launch last week, Veggies for All coordinator Kathryn Maxwell thanked Lachlan McDonald, Manager of the IMB Bank Branch in Moruya for the IMB Bank Community Foundation’s generous grant of $20,000, and the Anglican Parish for their generous contribution of land, room in the garden shed, assistance from the caretaker Michael and the strong support and encouragement of Linda Chapman.
Kathryn also thanked the wonderful team of volunteers who worked tirelessly during October and November including Dana Rote, Mark Rote, Collette, Greg Wheatley, David Morris, Julie Klugman, Todd Jeffery, Steve Smith, Wendy Jones, Perla, Terry McGee, Thomas Schild, Mark Barraclough and the SAGE old duffers, Ahmed Lozi, and Elizabeth.
The new community garden has 14 wicking beds. A wicking bed is a garden bed with a waterproof lining that holds a reservoir of water at the bottom from which water is drawn upwards like a wick to the surface of the bed via natural soil osmosis or through the roots of plants in the bed. It works like large self-watering pot. Wicking beds will ensure the garden is productive despite the very dry conditions forecast for summer.
The veggie beds have been leased out to individuals and Meals on Wheels Out and About, the Disability Trust, Hammond Care at Home, Parent Care, Tenant Participation and Community Engagement – Mission Australia and the Anglican Parish.
SAGE will provide seedling vouchers, sugarcane mulch and access to a range of garden tools, and leaseholders are invited to attend a 3 hour basic veggie growing workshop on 16 December 2019.
SAGE member Lindsay Gates - coordinator of the SAGE food shares, pens her thoughts and journey to food shares with a beautiful open letter to the community, and an invitation to get to excited about food by attending, Read Lindsay's letter.
It’s been a fabulous growing season!
After a very dry spring, January started with rain, and it has continued to be a pretty perfect summer for veggies.
Concern is mounting that new food safety regulations could put local vegetable growers out of business and bring about the end of the iconic SAGE Farmers Market in Moruya.
The NSW Food Authority recently released a draft of its new food regulations which will impact all vegetable growers, dairies, and egg, meat and seafood producers from February 2025.