This week we put the donated table tennis table out on the front corner. Have a play if you are passing by!

On Sunday night we helped Friends of Baucau cater the 3rd of 4 February concerts held down at the Fairfield amphitheatre. It was a lovely evening, relaxing music, super weather and … great food!

The Portuguese tarts sold like hot cakes, and we also sold out of the mains on offer.

The profits from the food will go towards supporting on the ground activities in Timor-Leste - which is fabulous. They do great things like helping women start town cooperatives and supporting young girls to train as teachers etc.

It really is lovely to be working in partnership with this local but international organisation full of committed and passionate community minded locals.

And … also, FYI we have a new stock of their coffee. Beans and ground. Pop past ACC or Juliette’s milkbar if you’ve been feeling deprived!

The arrival of Melbourne Farmers Markets down the road really has completely changed the vibe of our little pocket of Alphington all for the better over the last 5 years - I am sure you agree.

Remember that weird suspended watering system and how neglected and industrial the view into that site was from Yarana Road before Miranda came along? Now we have the walking/bike path connecting to the parklands and lots of planting, and fun and educational artworks and signs, inspiring vegetable gardens and shipping containers and … bees and mushrooms and all the things!

It is quite exciting to have this creative urban ag. hub in our backyard - bringing those cool vibes along with great fresh produce right to our doorstep.

But … MFM and the other tenants don’t have a secure ongoing licence … and Miranda and her colleagues are now putting together their expressions of interest to stay in situ for the next 5 years.

As part of the process Miranda is keen to document community support for their vision for the site. So if you too visit the market regularly, stop in for a coffee and bread at the new bakery, or enjoy seeing all the micro-enterprises popping up, read the poster below, follow the link via the QR code (or click here) and register your support.

Fingers crossed that the process is smooth for you Miranda and all!

Our beautiful Sill.Life living artworks have survived the summer … still looking gorgeous amazingly - the peeling paint on the frame is just adding to the artistry I think!!

I took a little video of them last week and posted it on Instagram here - after Lee upgraded the ‘vases’ at the back that are made from recycled tetrapaks (donated by the Alphington Foodstore next door - and have you seen the reno and met the new owner yet???).

If you have some beautiful blooms in your garden, particularly some long lasting hardy blooms - why not add them into the mix next time you are passing?

Thanks once again to Yarra City Arts for supporting this community arts project!

Hi Leanne here! As you probably know, on Friday mornings we have an open house at ACC, where people come along and craft and make things in the shed, and garden with Clare etc. … and then at 11.30am we get together for morning tea in the garden - and a laugh and a chat. It’s really lovely to keep up regularly with neighbourhood friends over food and a cuppa - some people enjoy it so much they come along just for the morning tea part of the session!

This year we’re wondering if there is anyone in the community who would be interested in volunteering to cook/coordinate our morning tea/early light lunch.

At morning tea we generally have:.

• Something sweet (cake, biscuits etc.)

• Something savoury (toasties, spanikopita, sausage rolls etc.)

• Fruit (whatever is in season), and

• Tea 🫖 and coffee ☕️ of course.

On Fridays we open at 9.30am. The role would involve cooking and then setting up some platters and loading up our trolley with all the things (catering for around 15 people) … and sending it out into the garden at 11.30am. Our cooking volunteers are of course very welcome and enthusiastically encouraged to join in morning tea as well.

We’re flexible about how the volunteer role(s) could unfold … Maybe a couple of people could work together, or a couple of people could alternate weeks or one person might like to commit weekly and run the whole thing.

Also … if you aren’t available on Friday mornings but enjoy baking perhaps you’d like to cook something at home and drop it off regularly? This would be super helpful and lovely too!

We have a budget for the program to cover the food costs, so there is no cost to volunteering - apart from your time (which I am sure will be rewarded with appreciation from those who attend).

If this sounds like something you might enjoy contributing to, please let us know! You can email Leanne here. And … include your phone number so we can have a chat. That would super!

Thanks in advance.