Food Is Free Inc. is holding a cinema screening fundraiser of the amazing film Food Fighter, the story of Oz Harvest CEO & founder Ronni Kahn who is an inspiring eco warrior and waste crusader. Tickets won't be available on the door (pre-sales only), so hurry and get your ticket via https://fan-force.com/screenings/food-fighter-regent-cinemas-ballarat/

Come along and meet the Food Is Free Inc. crew! Speeches on the evening and a screening of the enlightening film will kick off at 7pm on Wed 15 August. A portion of the proceeds will go towards future food security and anti-food wastage projects we are developing to take place at our new Food Is Free Green Space (Western Oval). Please come and support us!

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​Every so often we will introduce you to some of our amazing volunteers who we owe so much to. This is their story...

This week we feature the Polanske family who are our longest serving volunteers, and they do their Laneway shifts as a family. Ginelle who we start with, is the Mum of the family, who also just happens to be our amazing Food Is Free Inc. Chair!

Ginelle :

1). How long have you been volunteering with Food Is Free Inc?
Since 2015

​2). What is your favourite thing about Ballarat?
Autumn & Spring walks around the beautiful neighbourhoods and our laneways

3). Who or what inspires you?
The way our community has taken on board the FIF ideas.

4). What is your favourite food?
Meredith’s Goat Cheese

5). If you were a vegetable, what would you be?
Snow peas – delicate, hiding secrets and I love the purple ones!

6). Do you have family, and/or pets? Describe your household.
I live with my husband and 2 kids.

7). What do you do to relax?
Sleep

8). Do you have any hobbies?
Woodwork & photography.

9). What does community mean to you?
Working with others on a common cause that brings us into the same circle to share interests and friendships.

10). If you could change one thing in the world to help the planet/humanity, what would it be?
Stop throwing things away that create unnecessary waste and damage to our sea creatures.

Ella : 

1). How long have you been volunteering with Food Is Free Inc?
Since Mid 2015 when I was just baby.

2). What is your favourite thing about Ballarat?
Going to the milk bar on Pleasant Street for ice-cream
 
3). Who or what inspires you?
Grandma & Grandpa – they take me to the local parks & playgrounds and Food Is Free.

4). What is your favourite food?
Pizza

5). If you were a vegetable, what would you be?
Tomato (although I know it’s a fruit!)
 
6). Do you have family, and/or pets? Describe your household.
I live with Mum & Dad and my brother Lucas
 
7). What do you do to relax?
Pop on my dressing gown and lie on the couch.
 
8). Do you have any hobbies?
Playing with my dolls.
 
9). What does community mean to you?
Being a part of the Laneway with Lou.
 
10). If you could change one thing in the world to help the planet/humanity, what would it be?
​Put all my rubbish in the bin.

Lucas : 

1). How long have you been volunteering with Food Is Free Inc?
​Since 2015 when I was at kindergarten – Fidelity Kinder next to the FIF Green Space.
 
2). What is your favourite thing about Ballarat?
Going to a great local school – Urquhart Park Primary School
 
3). Who or what inspires you?
Brendon Goddard (I do like football!)
 
4). What is your favourite food?
Pizza
 
5). If you were a vegetable, what would you be?
Cucumber (might be a fruit!)
 
6). Do you have family, and/or pets? Describe your household.
I live with Mum and Dad and my sister Ella.
 
7). What do you do to relax?
​Watch football games.
 
8). Do you have any hobbies?
Football & Lego.
 
9). What does community mean to you?
Getting together with people and meeting new people.
 
10). If you could change one thing in the world to help the planet/humanity, what would it be?
Try to make sure everyone is nice to each other.

Every so often we will introduce you to some of our amazing volunteers who we owe so much to. This is their story...

​Karen

1). How long have you been volunteering with Food Is Free Inc?
 About 6 months
 
2). What is your favourite thing about Ballarat?
 Country lifestyle with city convenience and all the people I have met through sustainable living
 
3). Who or what inspires you?
Peter Cundall, Costa Georgiadis, David Attenborough, David Homgren, and most of the permies I know ….
 
4). What is your favourite food?
Roast lamb & roast veg
 
5). If you were a vegetable, what would you be?
Potato
 
6). Do you have family, and/or pets? Describe your household.
1 person, 1 dog, 4 hens
 
7). What do you do to relax?
Read, garden (veg and insectary plants), drink red wine, visit/dine with friends, go to the movies
 
8). Do you have any hobbies?
Yes, I knit, crochet and make quilts. I love attending classes to learn new things and I “collect” techniques such as felting, dyeing and so on that I can incorporate into these activities. Having said that, I dream about it more than I do it. My “mojo” has been conspicuous by its absence of late.

9). What does community mean to you?
Community for me is people who share similar values and have similar goals with regard to sustainability and voluntary simplicity, people who are happy to share their knowledge and skills for a better world, people who make me laugh and know how to enjoy the simple pleasures, people who care about others.
 
10). If you could change one thing in the world to help the planet/humanity, what would it be?
Open the eyes of all the climate change deniers and make them ACT to mitigate the problems, especially the politicians and business leaders who driven chiefly by $ for themselves and not the “greater good”. 

Every so often we will introduce you to some of our amazing volunteers who we owe so much to. This is their story...

Jane 

 1). How long have you been volunteering with Food Is Free Inc?
Just over a year
 
2). What is your favourite thing about Ballarat?
 It’s a nice change from living in Melbourne. Its slow and quiet .But I really love Food is Free. I am so lucky to of met a handful of wonderful people that are involved with FIF that I can now call my friends. It can be very lonely moving to a new town. You have welcomed me and made me feel so at home. Thank you.
 
3). Who or what inspires you?
 My kids inspire me. Nature inspires me. Daggy I know.

4). What is your favourite food?
 A BBQ with a really nice salad. Pad Thai a close second.

5). If you were a vegetable, what would you be?
Shrek said it best. “Onions have layers”. That’s me. On the outside I’m quite shy. Once you get to know me I will peel back the layers. I have no filter so am quite blunt which can offend many people. But deep inside I’m very loyal and kind. I have a big heart. My best and worst quality.

6). Do you have family, and/or pets? Describe your household.
Hectic!!!!!!!! Hubby and three kids. All on the spectrum. Kids not the hubby. So it can get quite crazy here most of the time. No one really has it together at the same time which makes things interesting. We have a Jack Russell called Molly Dog,  a cat called Maggie,  a budgie called Rigby, 3 silkies called Rhonda, Patsy and Bindi, and two green tree frogs called Rango and Tango. Its busy but I love them all and would have it no other way.
 
7). What do you do to relax?
At night I watch TV. Usually shows that I can just zone out while watching.
 
8). Do you have any hobbies?
Ceramics is my main hobby but since moving to Ballarat I’m still waiting for my studio to be built. Its been way too long so I do a bit of sewing to keep my hands busy.
 
9). What does community mean to you?
I don’t really know. I guess  the sense of belonging. A place that supports the people who live there.
 
10). If you could change one thing in the world to help the planet/humanity, what would it be? 
​Save the great barrier reef. After living on the reef many years ago and seeing how beautiful how colouful it was to how much it has changed now. Its really sad to see. Its heartbreaking. All those beautiful sea creatures losing their home.
​

Every so often we will introduce you to some of our amazing volunteers who we owe so much to. This is their story...

​Kelly.....

1). How long have you been volunteering with Food Is Free Inc?
I’ve been volunteering with FIF since May 2016.

2). What is your favourite thing about Ballarat?
Ballarat has a way of surprising you. It’s full of creative people and there are
always interesting and progressive initiatives popping up.

3). Who or what inspires you?
My parents, my partner and friends are constantly inspiring me. And the FIF
Laneway keeps me inspired in a range of ways, including my own
gardening/growing, sharing, cooking, and improving my waste management.

4). What is your favourite food?
I love all the food! But my favourite cuisine is Japanese.

5). If you were a vegetable, what would you be?
I’d be a pumpkin for sure!

6). Do you have family, and/or pets? Describe your household.
I live in Soldiers Hill with my rabbit, Olaf (who is my personal composter). My
partner Bren is a carer for his mum and is here when he can.

7). What do you do to relax?
I garden and tend to my ever-growing indoor plant collection while listening to
podcasts. I have a serious podcast and indoor plant addiction!

8). Do you have any hobbies?
I have a range of hobbies. Gardening, gardening/indoor plant blogging
(www.botanikel.wordpress.com), photography, and I have a small business
making planter pots called Brutanik.

9). What does community mean to you?
It’s people coming together from a range of backgrounds, pooling resources to
establish something sustainable.

10). If you could change one thing in the world to help the planet/humanity,
what would it be?
If we could all be more mindful of what we take (time, footprint, money,
products, fast fashion/food) and what we give. (reusing/recycling, growing,
sharing, kindness, money, time). Balancing, evaluating and taking control of the
way we live, and the impact we have on others could make epic changes.

​Here are just a few ideas to inspire you on World Environment Day. Got some suggestions? Please add your own in the comments section, we'd love to hear from you.

• Where possible use all of the veggie eg stems of broccoli are great in a soup

 

• BYO reusable cups to cafes

 

• Invest in a water tank

 

• Choose food that’s travelled less food miles. Eat seasonally

 

• Refuse plastic bags at shops/supermarket : take your own cloth bags

 

• Raise seedlings in toilet roll holders instead of plastic pots

 

• Use jars to store food instead of plastic

 

• Grow flowers that bring beneficial insects and bees into your garden

 

• Refuse straws at your local pub/café/restaurant etc

 

• Buy bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic

 

• Collect your water when boiling veggies and use on your garden

 

• Pick up litter if you see it and bin it

 

• Purchase some reusable beeswax wraps instead of using cling wrap

 

• Put another jumper on instead of turning the heater on

 

• If you hold an event (eg birthday party etc) make it a Waste Free event

 

• Consider your choices when purchasing fashion : go for more sustainable choices.

 

• Start at compost or worm farm : if you can’t, take your veg scraps etc to a local waste depot (search on www.sharewaste.com or take to your local community garden)

 

• Don’t fill your kettle to the very top : only enough water as you need

 

• Shred your paper and compost it. Or use it for note-taking instead of buying notepads (recycled envelopes with a staple or bulldog clip make terrific note pads!)

 

• Contact the Government with your environmental views. Write letters to the editor in your local newspaper. Write emails to the producers (food, fashion, other goods) and tell them you don’t like their heavy packaging and use of plastic).

 

• Shop at op shops

 

• Visit a repair shop instead of throwing out


• Buy ugly fruit at the supermarkets

 

• Purchase goods in bulk with your own containers at Wholefood Collectives etc

 

• Ditch the car and use PT, walk or a bike

 

• Start your own community group with an environmental bent

 

• Volunteer with an environmental action group……

 

• OR start your own Food Is Free site!

Little Sprouts Gardening Workshop
 
 
On Tuesday 15th May a beautiful bunch of aspiring gardeners all under the age of 6 years old gathered to participate in the Little Sprouts gardening Workshop we hosted at Food Is Free Green Space in conjunction with local family run soil health heroes of ours Munash Organics (makers of many natural fertilizer products but most famous for RockDust which we use in all of our garden beds).
 
Also joining us on this family fun day out was Paul from Grampians Central West Waste & Resource Recovery Group with the Little Green Wagon. The workshop was part of the month long activities run by Plate Up Ballarat, a food festival shining a light on local producers in the region.
 
Accompanied by their parents/carers the group of 40 or so children were engaged in our natural outdoor classroom where they learned about gardening, composting, creating a No Dig garden plus enjoyed a story telling session. These hands on lessons of 20 mins each rotating to three different stations at the Green Space enabled the Little Sprouts to interact with nature, and enjoy a new appreciation for food learning where it originates from, hopefully setting them up for a more developed relationship with produce for years to come. The small group sizes enabled a more intensive personal experience with the group leader.
 
We were thrilled at the attendance and the smiles on everyone’s face as they left with a take home goodies bag as well as new knowledge on gardening and nature. We were extra thrilled to receive a text about a boy whose mother let us know he enjoyed it so much he was asking to be taken outside at 6.30pm that evening for a gardening session in the dark! Gotta love that enthusiasm.
 
Amanda, who attended the Little Sprouts session with her children had this to say : “Thank you Lou for enabling us to be part of a fantastic morning at the Little  Sprouts Workshop.  The children had a great time and I learnt a lot .  Great activities for the children to participate in.”

Our final session for Little Sprouts Gardening Workshop for Plate up Ballarat is on Mon 28th May but like this session sold out in a very very short time. We will be discussing potential future children's workshops at Green Space, along with a variety of other workshops for adults as well.

Thank you so much to all who attended, our Food Is Free vols (Sally-Anne, Carol, Di & Alice) who helped on the day, and for their collaboration : Munash Organics, Grampians Central West Waste & Resource Recovery Group and Plate Up Ballarat. 

The future of food security for all Ballarat citizens came one step closer on Sunday 25th March 2018 when we held our official launch of Food Is Free Green Space at Western Oval Ballarat.
 
The weather was perfect as over 250 people attendees soaked up the fun atmosphere of kids activities in the Kids Zone, live music served up by local musicians Freya Josephine Hollick, Earl Leonard, Ballarat Health Services choir The Mumbles as well as speeches and morning tea.
 
We were very lucky indeed to have our dear friend and special guest ABC TV’s gardening guru & Dirtgirl’s much loved garden gnome Costa Georgiadis be part of the fun. Delivering a captivating speech on sustainability and what value we place on things in our society, he echoed all of our grassroots food security and environmental sentiments. He even had time to host a very special worm farm building demonstration in our Worm Bath Tub.
 
But the true highlight of the morning was Deanne & Tammy Gilson, proud Wadawurrung women, who delivered a very powerful Smoking Ceremony ensuring acknowledgment of the Traditional Owners of the land in which the new space sits. We cannot thank them enough for this, and for ensuring our space is cleansed.
 
Food Is Free Green Space  is at Western Oval (corner of Ripon St Sth & Urquhart St Ballarat) and will be a place where at-risk and marginalized community groups can grow food en masse either for themselves or to be placed at the nearby Food Is Free Laneway for others to share. This newly established green hub will provide a space to strengthen community cohesion, and will be a new open green space in the city for all to enjoy. In time Food Is Free Inc. will host workshops at the site to enable self-sufficiency via gardening. Stay tuned for upcoming details.
 
Coinciding with National Neighbourhood Day, the launch was such a fun family friendly day out for the whole community, which we will never forget. So many smiles and lovely conversations. A community coming together of old friends and new friends alike. Thank you to all involved in the lead up (especially our much loved, hard working volunteers) and on the day.