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Aug 8

Wondering what to plant in your cold climate garden this Spring and Summer? 🧐🌿🌱

We take the guesswork out with our Food Is Free Inc. Cold Climate Grow Chart.

Beautifully designed by Louisa West, this is a practical chart showing you what to plant in your Ballarat/Melb and all other Southern Australia cold climate gardens, and also looks gorgeous!

Link in bio. Hit up our website store to buy yours today. And buy a cheeky one for your green thumb friends!

All purchases go towards our operational funds, so it helps us to continue to help us run food security workshops, and for us to grow food for our community. 🥦🍒🍇

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Aug 7

We are so thrilled to have been nominated as finalists in the Premier's Award for Sustainability Victoria in the Healthy and fair society 2022 category for our Green Fest, our free community event we held in February at our Green Space, co-hosted with our fab pals from @ballarat.acc Ballarat Action Climate Co-op 😎

Huge shout out to Katja Fiedler, our wonderful Board Secretary and Youth leader for all her incredibly hard work behind the scenes in mentoring and event planning/and managing these youth-led initiatives for us. 😎💛

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Aug 6

Our monthly markets are on again tomorrow!
🤩🥳👏

Come say hi to Alissa & the Food Is Free Inc. market gang at our Green Space (corner of Ripon St Sth & Urquhart St) from 11am - noon tomorrow, and pick up a bargain for yourself or for your garden's soil health.

We sell exclusive Food Is Free merch, recipe books, assorted seeds, worm juice, worms and compost at our monthly markets - always held on the first Sunday of the month 11am - noon.

All your purchases support us to financially run our workshops and cover our overheads. And are very appreciated.

You can even pop on over to our website on the SHOP to pre-pay for your worms, worm juice & compost and elect to 'pick up on the market day'.

Come for a stroll amongst the garden beds and pop into our green shed to see what gardening & other goodies we have. 😁🐝🌻

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Aug 5

"Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that someone might do the same for you someday." ~ Princess Diana. 💟

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Aug 2

Anyone visiting the Ballarat store of @grilldburgers during the entire month of August will have the chance to support us here at Food Is Free Inc. buy placing a token in their jar in-store. 😘

This money will go towards our operational costs which include insurance, admin, gardening tools, soil, and other vital resources we need to teach, grow food and encourage community spirit.

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Jul 30

There's a popular Chinese proverb that says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” We couldn’t agree more.
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Today is National Tree Day so get out there and plant a tree for humans, and wildlife. As well as to cool the earth via it’s amazing ability to provide shade.

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Jul 30

Last shout out to join us tomorrow at Green Space hall for a DIY beeswax workshop run by Katja. 😄🌱
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Beeswax wraps are a great alternative to using plastic wraps for food storage. And a perfect skill to learn for the last day of @plasticfreejuly
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You get to learn how to make them PLUS you get to take 4 wraps with you!
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Bookings essential - link in bio. We’d love to see you there.

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Jul 29

Have you ever witnessed a magical sunset at Green Space? 😍🌱
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Doesn’t matter what season, it’s a cracker spot to take in the sunset vibes.
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Our gorgeous volunteer Sally was there tonight and sent these words & pics (which we have reused with her permission) : “Dropped off a load of torn up recycling tonight just as the sun was setting and you could see the steam rising from the compost bins and it was beautiful! I know we all know this but the Green Space really is a special place. 🥰”
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Green Space is open 24 hrs a day, and it IS a special spot, so make sure you visit. Best bit is - it’s free!! Always. For our community to pop in and enjoy. 😃

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Jul 28

We are close to 4,000 Insta followers. Can you help us get there by tagging someone below who might like to follow us? 💚⭐️🌱

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Jul 27

Ok folks, who wants to join this incredible human Katja, who just happens to be our Board Secretary and wonderful human being, as she runs a beeswax wrap making workshop this Sunday at the hall in our Green Space from 2pm - 4pm?
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We supply all the materials plus arvo tea, you come and learn in a fun & small group setting all the tips & tricks of DIY beeswax wraps. Plus you get to take 4 home with you to use or gift to others. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
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What a great skill to learn, meet fabulous likeminded community members, in a supportive and fun learning environment and kick plastic clingwrap to the curb forever for Plastic Free July!! And store you food in an eco friendly manner. We would LOVE to see you there.
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Bookings essential - LIMITED SPACES - Link in bio. 😁
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#plasticfreejuly is on right now!

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Jul 24

Welcome to anyone new to our world. 😎😍🥦🌱

We have been growing community since 2014 here in Ballarat over two sites (Food Is Free Laneway & Food Is Free Green Space) and we love what we do.

'It takes a village' someone wise once said, and we agree.

We have over 70 volunteers at present, but always need more helpers. Please get in touch with our lovely Volunteers Manager Virginia to find out how you can pitch in to help our community in food security and food security education. Email volunteer@foodisfree.com.au for more info.

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Jul 23

Anyone keen to drop off their scraps to our 12 Aerobin compost systems here's what you can/can't leave please. 😍🥦🍍🍓

Thanks for your scraps! We love them.

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Jul 22

If you have any spare fruit, veg or herbs please drop them into our Food Is Free Laneway share table baskets for our community to enjoy. 😄🥬🌱

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Jul 21

We are SOOOOO excited to have been the lucky recipients of a grant for just over $38,000 to enable us to deliver 12 amazing Little Sprouts kids gardening workshops. 🥳🌱😍

Stay tuned for announcements as to when these will take place over the next 12 months. We can't wait!

We believe good healthy habits are formed when we are young, and it gives us immense joy in inspiring and teaching kids how to grow their own food for their families, and hopefully to share with their community.

We’re very proud and thrilled to be one of the 123 organisations working with @VicHealth as part of their JumpStart! program. They’re backing us so we can create an exciting new program for young people in our community. Thanks VicHealth!!

Program details via VicHealth website.

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Jul 20

Our last workshop before we take a break over August to keep our community safe (COVID is too great a risk right now), will be held on Sun 31 July at 2pm - 4pm in the Green Space hall with Katja doing Beeswax Wrap making. 😎🥑🍉🍎🍆

Always wanted to make your own beeswax wraps but not sure how? Come and learn : we supply all the materials, and you meet fellow community members in a relaxed afternoon of connection and learning.

Beeswax wraps are a terrific plastic free solution to keeping your food stored for longer. And are a great gift to give someone who is eco-conscious.

Learn a new skill for the last day of @plasticfreejuly or just come to have some fun on Sun 31 July with Katja from Food Is Free Inc. as she teaches us how to DIY beeswax wraps. Bookings essential - LIMITED SPOTS. Link in bio. 😎

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Jul 19

Words of truth.
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I’ve witnessed so many special moments in the Food Is Free Laneway over the 8 years we have existed, I’ve literally lost count. 😄💚🪴🥰
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Over the years we’ve had tears of joy, and so many smiles, and so many genuine displays of gratitude when people realised someone left some food homegrown in their garden in our share-baskets because they thought of others and had some spares to share. 🧺 🍅🥬🌽🥦
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I’ve known former volunteers discreetly divulge to me the fact that they decided to be a Food Is Free Inc. volunteer because they were once homeless and hungry, and wanted to give back now they were back on their feet.
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I have known and witnessed elderly visitors who pop into the Laneway not for the food, but for the sheer joy of a conversation and a smile from a fellow visitor. Elderly visitors have told me that coming to the Laneway meant they weren’t feeling as lonely as they had been before we set up the Laneway. They tell me they love it is a space they know they can come to and they won’t be ignored but instead greeted with kindness.
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I’ve spoken to visitors who thanked us profusely for creating such a welcoming and non-judgemental environment due to our “no one is judged on what they bring or take, as long as you leave with a smile” ethos. And that it removes the stigma of having to go to other charities because they can do it with complete anonymity.
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It’s truly not that hard to spread a little sunshine to our fellow humans. Times like this we really do need to spread more compassion as we are all feeling particularly vulnerable through Covid Times, and of course everyone feels things in differing ways. So please remember to smile at strangers - you never know, it might truly make their day turn around.

Special thanks to our 70 volunteers who make the magic happen, day in & day out, and in all kinds of weather…always with a smile. Let us know if you would like to join our brilliant gang of volunteers via volunteer@foodisfree.com.au 💚🌱

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Jul 18

We love running our Little Sprouts kids gardening workshops.

For more info, sign up to our mailing list via our website at www.foodisfree.com.au 😄🌱💚

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Jul 17

Folks, sadly we have had to cancel today’s watercolour class, and also next Sunday’s Movement In The Garden workshop, due to both of our facilitators having tested positive to COVID 🥲 We wish them both a very quick recovery. ❤️‍🩹
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We will reschedule these again in Spring. Ticket holders have been contacted and refunded their money.
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With COVID wave hitting us again, we plan on pausing workshops during August so our community stays safe. And we will reboot them in Spring.
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Which means we are hosting one last workshop before we take a break for 4 weeks. Join us on Sun 31 July at 2pm - 4pm as Katja steps us through how to make your own beeswax wraps. You get to take home your own wraps - all materials supplied. Ticket link in bio. Kinder for the planet and perfect for @plasticfreejuly 💚🌱

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Jul 16

Best way to find out about our workshops & other events is to jump on our website and join our mailing list. Go to www.foodisfree.com.au for the link.

That way, you will receive regular updates in your email inbox & never miss a thing! 😄

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Jul 15

Massive props to @aerobincomposter for coming to the rescue and replacing our Aerobin lid (plus some spare parts in case).
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The day after the wild wind storm last year we found one of our Aerobin lids had been scuttled up Ripon st near the Kindergarten and was really damaged in its adventures.
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So Aerobin came to the rescue when we told them and replace the lid.
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Businesses like this, supporting grassroots not for profits like us, deserve good karma their way!
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Thank you Vincent and team for helping us.

P..S If you are contemplating buying an Aerobin compost system - we cannot recommend them highly enough. We have had ours for over 5 years now…and they also make a 200 ltrs version now which is perfect for small backyard use!

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All media queries please contact info@foodisfree.com.au

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Food Is Free Inc. is a grassroots, community led not-for-profit group benefitting all Ballarat (Australia) who has a core purpose of assisting and promoting food security and community cohesion and inclusion.

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Food Is Free Inc. respectfully acknowledges the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people – traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work.

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