Climate Action, Local and Global

 

 2012c, 1st March
Welcome to the first autumn email update for 2012! There's a lot of information in this update as there are a lot of events in March and news from February for us to share with you. As well as our annual Autumn Harvest Festival there are new workshops, information nights about upcoming well-being workshops and exchange programs to Indonesia, the Sydney Road Street Party this weekend and the Gastronomica Trivia Night next week. In the CERES news section you can read about new developments to the site, recent achievements by CERES and an article on the harm being done by the big supermarkets with their price wars. Finally, check out the news and events from our friends for details of this weekend's Fest La Frog and other upcoming events of interest.

Get involved

2012 CERES Autumn Harvest Festival
Across our ten acre site will be a range of activities and events that celebrate our community, our environment, our sustainable food systems and CERES’s 30th birthday. Meet our special guest Matthew Evans (Gourmet Farmer, SBS), get close to free-range farm animals, enter our cake baking competition, enjoy live music and much more. There will also be a diverse range of food and craft stalls plus heaps of activities for the kids. Saturday 31 March. More info

Volunteer at the Autumn Harvest Festival
Are you interested in helping out with this year’s festival? We’re looking for volunteers to help run activities during the day, and to assist with set-up and clean-up. More info

Indonesia Exchange
CERES Global has just returned from an incredible six weeks exchange trip to India; sharing ideas and culture, and learning from some incredibly inspiring people and organisations. Their next trip will be to Indonesia in July 2012, with information sessions on 1 March, 22 March and 19 April More info | RSVP

Living Green Workshops
The CERES Autumn 2012 Workshops Brochure is now available and includes usual favourites, such as the always popular cheese-making workshops, plus new offerings such as Turkish Sweets, Spanish Cooking, Indian Cooking, Biodynamics Explained and Handmade Paper. Download brochure

Sydney Road Street Party
Come and visit the CERES stall at this year’s Sydney Road Street Park this Sunday. We’ll be out the front of the Brunswick Town Hall. Sunday 4 March. More info

Gastronomica Trivia Night
Delight your senses and your taste buds with this interactive gastronomic quiz night. There will be interactive questions involving taste and smell, a variety of spot quizzes for instant prizes and an organic dinner. Friday 9 March. More info

Train of heARTStudio
Events taking place in CERES’s creative space include Children’s Open Arts on Wednesdays; and for adults, meditation and creativity sessions, and a vocal improvisation course, both beginning Tuesday 13 March. More info

Urban Bush Carpenters
The Urban Bush Carpenters have dusted off their hammers and saws ready to host a series of new workshops at CERES. Come along to learn how to turn recycled and found objects into bench seats, window boxes and more. First class on Saturday 17 March. More info

Being Together, Becoming Sustainable info session
This course offers practical and creative workshops on relating with ourselves, others and Earth; and empowering us to address sustainability challenges. The course begins on Tuesday 17 April. Information session Tuesday 20 March. More info

New Volunteer Opportunities at CERES
CERES has a weekly soup kitchen for staff and volunteers, and we are currently looking for volunteer cooks. We are also looking for skilled handy persons to help around the site. For more information please email CERES Site Manager Nick Curmi at nick@ceres.org.au or call 9389 0177

Local Motion cancelled
Please note that we've canceled the Local Motion outdoor film screenings for 9 and 16 March. Apologies for any disappointment.
CERES news
CERES Short Courses
The CERES 2012 Short Courses Brochure will be available to download soon. The Complete Urban Farmer course is back as always, and new courses include Cooking on a Budget, Cooking for Blokes, Introduction to Sustainability and The Themeda Sustainable Leadership Program. More info | Go on workshops and short courses email notification list

Eco House
The CERES Eco House is a leading example of how to retrofit a house to create a low emissions family home. The Eco House has reopened for you to visit every Saturday between 10:30am and 1:30pm. More info| Virtual tour

BikeShed
Next time your bike needs some loving, come and visit the BikeShed at CERES. This popular volunteer on-site group have the tools and the expertise to help you learn how to fix and maintain your bike yourself. They're open Fridays and weekends. BikeShed website

2012 Foodies’ Guide to Melbourne
Congratulations to the CERES Organic Market for winning a Foodies’ Award in the 2012 Foodies’ Guide to Melbourne. More info

Weddings at CERES
Did you know that CERES is a rather fantastic location for a wedding? Check out these recent wedding photo albums for Amy and Ryan and Kim and Paris. Venue hire info

Why stop at Fair Trade? Get Fair Food!
CERES Fair Food is an organic food delivery system bringing you affordable fruit and veg, direct from the CERES market garden and from local producers who are paid a fair price for their sustainably grown produce. Fair Food website

Stack it high, sell it cheap
CERES Organic Farm and Fair Food manager Chris Ennis recently wrote about the effect that the price wars by the big supermarkets is having on farming and our community in ‘Stack it high, sell it cheap’. Download original press release.

CERES Supports 5Star Schools
Congratulations to the nine schools who achieved 5Star Sustainability Certification in 2011. CERES are proud to have facilitated the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Certificate of Achievement for all these schools. More info

New life for Merri Creek
News about the Merri Creek recently made it as far as the Guardian newspaper in the UK. Read article

Editure
A huge thank you to Editure for recently donating five desktop computers and LCD monitors to replace some of our outdated and dead PCs. Editure are a leading provider of Green IT solutions for schools, and we are extremely grateful for their generosity. Editure website

Site developments around CERES:
  • There are new toilets onsite near the Café that are rainwater flushing and almost entirely made from recycled materials.
  •  The Solar Charge station in the main car park is almost complete and just awaiting its solar panels and bike charging bollard before it is ready to charge electric vehicles.
  • The Biogas project is underway in the energy park in the new corrugated iron shed.
  • A grey water system adjacent to the Village Green is in development.
  • The Solar Pavilion in the energy park demonstrates integrated flexible solar panels.
  • The Serpentine Path Greencorps project has been completed, with the end of the path resembling a tiger snake head, a species indigenous to the surrounding area. 
  • An electricity monitoring system will be installed online soon.
News and events from our friends
Fest la Frog
CERES are hosting this family-friendly sustainable festival of music and art, which features two solar stages, live music and delicious crafty beer on tap. Saturday 3 March. More info | Tickets

Climate Change – An Indonesian Perspective
Journalist Rita Widiadana will share how Indonesians cope with rocketing food prices and climate change, and discuss why the Indonesian government struggles to create pro-farming and effective food security policies. A Beyond Zero Emissions event. Monday 5 March. More info

Climate change and food security
Local experts Kirsten Larsen and Rasha Tayeh will discuss how our current food systems are affecting the climate, how we can make our food systems more sustainable and resilient, and what steps people are already taking to address such issues in Moreland. A Zero Carbon Moreland pub night. Thursday 8 March. More info

Moment of Peace
The Moment of Peace is an international movement towards a peaceful world. This symbolic gesture shows how we can make a difference to create a better world.  Saturday 10 March. More info

Z-day 2012 Melbourne
The next Melbourne event for the Zeitgeist Movement will be a day of live music, talks, workshops and free vegan food held on the CERES Village Green. Saturday 17 March. More info

Food & Fibre Garden Workshop
Help look after the food and fibre garden alongside Merri Creek. Saturday 31 March. To register please email Ben from the Merri Creek Management Committee at ben@mcmc.org.au or call 9380 8199. More info

Learn to Start, Grow and Manage a Social Enterprise
Social Traders is offering a series of one-day workshops, specifically designed for social enterprises and covering a variety of important topics for starting, growing and managing a social enterprise. More info

GoGet Carshare
Join GoGet, Australia’s leading car sharing service, and get all the benefits of a car without the hassle or expense of owning one. Thousands of people, organisations and businesses are reaping the social and financial benefits of thinking differently about car ownership and transport. For every GoGet car, nine private cars are taken off our roads – making our cities more liveable. More info

 
2011b, Feb.
Get Involved
Autumn Harvest Festival
Celebrating and giving thanks to the good earth, our farmers and the cycle of the seasons. Across our ten acre site there will be a range of activities and events that celebrate our community, our environment and our sustainable food systems. Saturday 31 March. More info | Apply for a stall

CERES membership
The best way to support CERES and join the sustainability journey is to become a member. As well as making a contribution to a better world you will also receive numerous discounts and invitations to special functions. More details



Permaculture Design Course
Permaculture is a process for designing sustainable communities, combining traditional wisdom, modern science and technology, and a detailed understanding of natural processes. The CERES PDC is accredited and places are still available for the course beginning on Tuesday 7 February. More details

Outdoor film screening: I am Eleven
I am Eleven is a globe-spanning portrait of humanity at a crucial age. This documentary focuses on a series of eleven-year-olds from 15 countries, each speaking in their own words and revealing the private obsessions and public concerns that animate their lives. Friday 10 February. More details | Book

Outdoor film screening: Our Generation
An evening of film, live music and speakers with a focus on issues affecting Indigenous communities in northern Australia. Our Generation is a powerful and upfront documentary on the Australian Aboriginal struggle for their land, culture and freedom. Friday 17 February. More details | Book

Earthship Biotecture Academy slide night
Rachel Goldlust will present pictures and videos from a two month intensive course on Earthship Biotecture in New Mexico, USA, and answer questions on Earthship technology and builds. The CERES ‘Chookship' project will also be discussed for those interested in joining Earthship activities at CERES. Friday 17  February at CERES Ecohouse. Entry by gold coin donation.

A Compass for Turbulent Times with Nicole Foss and Steve Keen
An interactive workshop with two globally renowned money gurus, containing practical strategies for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Sunday 19 February. More details | Book by calling CERES Visitor Centre on 9389 0100. Tickets are $150 full or $110 concession/CERES members.

Feskyval
Join Skipping Girl Vinegar, Georgia Fields, Playwrite and a host of other great acts. BYO esky full of food, drink and festival shoes for a fantastic day of entertainment. Music kicks off at 2pm on Saturday 25 February at the CERES outdoor stage. Tickets are $29 +bf online, or $35 at the gate (if available), with all profits going to Kids Under Cover. More details and tickets

Fest la Frog
Showcasing sustainable and organic music and art, Fest la Frog is paving the way for the future of festivals by using solar-powered stages, local artists, solar boosted organic food and beverages. Saturday, 3 March, gates open 1.30pm. More details

Gastronomica Trivia night
Join us for a trivia night about all things food that will test your taste buds as well as your grey matter, with delicious seasonal organic food from the Merri Table Team and spot prizes throughout the night. All proceeds will go to support CERES Farm. 7pm Friday 9 March. Register by calling CERES Visitor Centre on 9389 0100.

Other events happening at CERES
CERES hosts a range of other events, festivals and courses throughout the year, and in February we are also hosting a mini multicultural festival for kids and short courses for the owner/builder. Keep an eye out for these and other up-coming events on our festival and events page.
CERES News


Stalls available at the 2012 Autumn Harvest Festival
At this year's Autumn Harvest Festival on Saturday 31 March, we are hosting a Harvest Festival Market and are looking for stallholders. Would you like to take part? More details and online application.

Living Edge staff donation to CERES
In December CERES Education was very grateful to accept a $590 donation from Living Edge, the furniture company that provided environmentally accredited furniture for CERES EcoHouse. The donation will used to improve the garden of the Ecohouse with more plants and garden seating.

CERES 2012 Workshops focus on sustainable gardening, cooking and living
CERES Training Team is busily preparing the next Autumn Season of workshops running from March to June 2012. There will be the usual favourites and some exciting new additions. Our brochure will be ready in mid February and available online at www.ceres.org.au/workshop.

2012 Indonesia trip with CERES Global
Find out how to combine travel with making a difference socially and environmentally by attending a CERES Global info session at the Ecohouse: 6.30pm Thursdays on March 1 & 22, and April 19. For more details contact Sophie on 9389 0183 or at ceresglobal@ceres.org.au.

Sweatlodges at CERES
The Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society run Sweatlodges at CERES every Sunday at 6pm.  The sweatlodge is a purification and spiritual ceremony that is common among many traditional cultures.  More details | Email
News from our friends
Zero Carbon Moreland Pub Night
Find out what actually happens at international climate negotiations, what the 2011 deal means and what the next steps are, with Oxfam Campaigns Coordinator Clancey Moore. Everyone is welcome. 6-8pm Thursday 9 February at the Edinburgh Castle. More details

Greening Moreland Forum: Acting together for a more sustainable neighbourhood
Zero Carbon Moreland invites Moreland residents, community groups and organisations interested in sustainability to come together. Get advice, share what you’re working on, explore what is happening locally and discuss what we still need to do. Free BBQ lunch. 10am-1pm 25 February. More details and booking online

Food & Fibre Garden Workshop
Help manage a food and fibre garden alongside Merri Creek, near CERES, without using pesticides. Monday 27 February. Register with Ben at Merri Creek Management Committee at ben@mcmc.org.au or on 9380 8199.

oases Graduate School: Organic Integration of the Aesthetic, Social, Ecological and Spiritual
oases offers postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and Masters Programs in Integrative and Transformative Studies. The oases graduate school provides a space where we can explore the kinds of transformations in personal, relational and social living that can make a difference to our lives and the life of earth. More details

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