Community News
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To tumble… or not?
The logic of compost tumblers goes like this: Lack of aeration makes compost piles stinky and slow. By turning the compost regularly, we add air through the pile and the compost will break down faster and not smell. Sounds good… in theory. If our approach to composting is to ‘Tip and Run’, a tumbler will…
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More than just scones and tea
Joanna Beard Local Country Women’s Association of Victoria branches are on the lookout for new members, but first, they want to set the story straight about who they are and what they do. Established in 1928, the CWA of Vic Inc. was formed to support and connect rural women and children experiencing isolation and disadvantage.…
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Grab a bargain at the garage sale
Castlemaine Men’s Shed is having a Garage Sale fundraiser this Saturday August 31 and invites everyone to go along and grab a bargain and help support their local projects. Shed president Brian McCormick said they had some fabulous items up for grabs at this year’s fundraiser. “We have a wonderful old Singer sewing machine that…
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Friends of the Kyneton Botanic Gardens re-set
The Friends of the Kyneton Botanic Gardens are holding their 2024 Annual General Meeting tonight at 7pm at the Little Swallow Cafe, 62 Piper Street, Kyneton. This meeting signifies a re-set for the friends group following several years of Covid-related hiatus with a new committee to be elected with a commitment to strong working relationships…
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Setting up for success
For many people, the compost pile is as far away from the house as it can be, tucked right down in a back corner of the garden. Unfortunately, most of the things we need to make good compost, like garden tools and access to water, can be out of reach in these neglected corners.Let’s have…
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Windarring store sale begins!
Windarring’s Castlemaine Recycled Store has some new exciting changes happening as of this week. The shop has welcomed a new shop coordinator and new opening hours, as well as advertising a massive shop sale that kicked off yesterday and runs until Friday. The store at 317 Barker Street, Castlemaine, sells second-hand goods including clothing, kids’…
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It’s hot, when you’re not
There is nothing quite so satisfying for me as heading outside on a frosty morning to feed the chooks, passing the compost pile and scratching the ice of the thermometer dial to reveal it is a very steamy 65 degrees in there, just under the straw. Now, you may have heard (because it is repeated…
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Fundraising for friendship
The annual Kyneton Antique Fair is the premier fundraising event for Macedon Ranges Friends of Turiscai. Funds raised will support various projects established through a partnership with the community of Turiscai, located in the remote mountains of Timor-Leste. Macedon Ranges Shire Council partners with MRFoT in this friendship agreement and supports the activities and helps…
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Plant trees for bees
Bee Friendly Farming’s popular Tree Grants are back to support farmers across the country to plant more trees for bees. Grants of up to $10,000 are available to farmers and land managers to plant pollinator-friendly trees that are indigenous to their farms, with Bee Friendly Farming providing $1 for every tree planted, thanks to grant…
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Hooray for the home composter!
“In a good economy there would be no such thing as waste” writes farmer and poet, Wendell Berry. We know this is true of natural systems, where anything that builds up too much, soon becomes a resource for another species or part of the system. Our industrial economy hasn’t quite comprehended this yet, with ‘wastes’…
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Changing the narrative
Macedon Ranges Suicide Prevention Action Group is hosting its annual community walk at Woodend in September. The walk will take on this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day theme: ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’. MRSPAG believes that, by changing the narrative, people can move away from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness,…
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Community gathers to support homeless
Local staff and volunteers supporting those who find themselves at risk of homelessness gathered in Kyneton last week for a barbecue lunch. The event, organised by Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health and catered for by The Kindness Collective Kyneton and the Kyneton branch of the Rapid Relief Team, was held to mark Homelessness Week. The…