The Growing Abundance Project

The Growing Abundance Project GA brings people together in the Mount Alexander Shire to create a viable local food system.
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Growing Abundance brings people together in the Mount Alexander Shire to create a viable local food system through:
• Harvesting backyard produce
• Sharing stories and skills about growing and preserving
food in our region
• Learning about what food security means in practice
• Encouraging a strong local food economy
• Promoting our local farmers
• Cooking and sharing healthy local food.

Join us for soup and lively discussion on Tuesday 1st Sept for the GA Winter Gathering!All are welcome, it's a free even...
11/08/2026

Join us for soup and lively discussion on Tuesday 1st Sept for the GA Winter Gathering!

All are welcome, it's a free event, please be sure to register for all who will attend via: https://events.humanitix.com/ga-winter-gathering-take2

Castlemaine Community House Castlemaine Seed Library

10/08/2026

🌱Grafting Workshop (with Free Fruit Tree!)🌱

🟢Date: Sunday, 16 Aug 2026
🟢Time: 10 am - 1 pm
🟢Venue: Harcourt Farming Coop, 69 Dann’s Road, Harcourt
🟢Bookings: https://signup.com/go/hfYghGD
🟢Cost:
🔹Free for all fire-affected people (house, garden, or other) + free fruit tree
🔹Suggested $30 donation for non-fire-affected people plus $12 donation for fruit trees (cash or card on the day)
🟢Presenter: Neil Barraclough from the Heritage & Rare Fruit Network

▶️Workshop summary
Join experienced grafter Neil Barraclough for a hands-on workshop where you'll learn to graft fruit trees and take home a free tree. Neil has spent decades teaching grafting and preserving heritage fruit varieties, and is now helping fire-affected communities rebuild their orchards.

▶️What’s provided:
Grafting theory
Rootstocks, grafting wood (scions), and all grafting materials
Grafting skills - chance to graft your own tree!
Free tree (or two) for all fire-affected people
Instant espalier apple trees available!
Cup of tea/coffee - please bring something to share for morning tea!

▶️What to bring:
Warm clothes (the workshop is in a shed)
A grafting knife (or other sharp knife) if you have one. (Some knives will be available on the day)
Secateurs if you have some (there will be some available on the day)

▶️FAQ
Q: How do I find the venue?
A: There’s a sign saying ‘Harcourt Farming Coop’ on Dann’s Road. Come slowly up the long driveway and park at the green shed. The workshop is in the shed.

Q: What if I can’t make it to the workshop - can I still have a fruit tree?
A: Yes, there are two other tree collection options:
🔹Drop into the Harcourt Farming Coop on Monday 17th between 10-2
🔹Pick up from Harcourt Valley Community House (email [email protected] to arrange)

Q: What if I don’t want to learn how to graft? Can I still have a fruit tree?
A: Yes! Neil from the Heritage and Rare Fruit Society is generously donating his time and trees so everyone who went through the bushfires this summer has at least one free fruit tree. Even if you don’t attend the workshop, you can pick up a tree at the end of the workshop, or at the other pick-up times (see above).

Q: What types of fruit trees will be available?
A: Apples, pears, apricots, plums, peaches, and nectarines.

01/08/2026

Seedy Swap!! Come on down!

At Castlemaine libary 10am until 1pm!

Castlemaine Seed Library

Lovely (frosty!) morning for a spot of pruning in Campbells Creek. Thanks for being a Growing Abundance supporter, Kirri...
31/07/2026

Lovely (frosty!) morning for a spot of pruning in Campbells Creek.

Thanks for being a Growing Abundance supporter, Kirrily, love your enthusiasm for learning about your fruit trees, their needs and how to enhance their productivity. Looking forward to returning for thinning in Spring and harvest in Summer.

And, again, thank you Len for leading the pruning. Your considered and gentle approach and expertise are greatly appreciated 💚

Out under the trees doing a little winter pruning yesterday. Lovely chats, gentle laughter, and very considered cuts mad...
20/07/2026

Out under the trees doing a little winter pruning yesterday.

Lovely chats, gentle laughter, and very considered cuts made (mostly, except by me, I'm a bit heavy handed 😬). And, a slightly blunt set of secateurs lodging themselves up high!

Time to get Seedy with the Castlemaine Seed Library! Get this into your calendar now, right now, to make sure you're at ...
22/06/2026

Time to get Seedy with the Castlemaine Seed Library!

Get this into your calendar now, right now, to make sure you're at the Seedy Saturday event on 1st August 2026, in the Castlemaine Library foyer.

The event includes:
- seed saving demo by seed saving guru Gregg Mulleer of Useful Seeds.
- seed swap
- resource sharing and discussion

Entry is by donation (gold coin or tap equivalent maybe?), with all going towards one of our community's most gentle, understated and truly grassroots movements for food security.

See you there!

Did you know that as part of the Castlemaine Community House food pantry we have a food reclamation program where partne...
15/06/2026

Did you know that as part of the Castlemaine Community House food pantry we have a food reclamation program where partner with local shops to collect bread and pantry items that would otherwise go to waste. We do daily pick ups to ensure that fresh bread , produce and pantry items stay out of landfill and get to those who need it most.

We're looking for a few volunteers to help us with our daily pick ups! Do you have some spare time at lunch to help pick up our donations and bring them to the Community House pantry? Shifts are Monday - Fridays anytime from 12pm - 1:30pm. Will require heavy lifting and a vehicle.

Get in touch with [email protected] to express your interest.

Super fresh and hyper-local pears stocked in the Castlemaine Safe Space pantry today!Picked in Campbells Creek at 10:30a...
09/06/2026

Super fresh and hyper-local pears stocked in the Castlemaine Safe Space pantry today!

Picked in Campbells Creek at 10:30am, in the pantry before 11am same day 🍐

Thank you to our generous site owner and Harvest vollie for sharing produce, time and energy, that we can pay forward in our communities 💚

Castlemaine Community House

At Sustainability Business Live today, attended a keynote session by the fabulous Ronni Kahn, Founder of OzHarvest , spe...
04/06/2026

At Sustainability Business Live today, attended a keynote session by the fabulous Ronni Kahn, Founder of OzHarvest , speaking about "Reimagining food in a hungry world".

What a grounding and inspiring origin story 💛

22 years later and she 💯 % walks the talk, and is totally compelling when she also talks the walk.

"Good food should not end up in landfill, it should fill bellies".

Thank you for the work you do, and inspiring more action for sharing abundance in our world.

Castlemaine Community House

Special thanks going out to Joel "Cool as a  Cucumber" Meadows for his huge contributions to the Community Apple Juicing...
24/05/2026

Special thanks going out to Joel "Cool as a Cucumber" Meadows for his huge contributions to the Community Apple Juicing Day.

He appears to be fueled by a distillation of community spirit and home made apple cider vinegar!! Thanks Joel 🍎

Address

Castlemaine, VIC

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