Welcome
Welcome to the Canberra Organic Growers Society web site. We are a group of gardeners (mainly urban) dedicated to growing our own organic fruit and vegetables, either in backyards or community gardens. This web site contains information on various practical aspects of organic gardening and is particularly relevant to the Canberra region. It also contains information about our community gardens, notices of coming events of interest to gardeners and a blog which includes gardening questions and answers. The web site will be regularly updated so please subscribe to our RSS feed so that you are notified of any significant additions to the site, new events and breaking news.
News and Events
Upcoming events
11 February 2012 10:00 AM
Kaleen Community Garden will be open as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme from 10am to 4:30 pm, 11 and 12 February. The Garden is in the grounds of the Kaleen High School. The School will also be opening Murnong Farm which adjacent to the garden. The garden has twenty five individual plots demonstrating the rapid results achieved using organic growing methods. Beehives enhance pollination of the vast array of healthy produce grown in the garden. There will be a full program of talks on both days covering various aspects of food growing. There will also be a sausage sizzle, raffle, guided tours of the garden and Murnong Farm, and much more. Click here for details and here for a picture of one of the inhabitants of the farm. Entry $6.00.
Kaleen High School, Baldwin Dr, Kaleen
28 February 2012 07:30 PM
Bee Keeping with John Grubb. John is an amateur beekeeper and a member of Beekeepers Association of the ACT. His talk will provide a hobbyist's overview of beekeeping together with an emphasis on introducing bee friendly plants into your garden and the benefits these beautiful creatures provide.
Majura Community Centre, Rosevear Place, Dickson
03 March 2012 12:00 PM
Autumn Show, Canberra Horticultural Society. This year the Canberra Horticultural Society's Autumn Show is on 3 and 4 March. In previous years several gardens have entered produce in the Community Garden Section of the competition. A huge number of people visit the show and it provides excellent publicity for COGS and for growing your own organic fruit and vegetables. All gardens are urged to provide an entry this year. Individual gardeners are also encouraged to enter in the individual section of the show.
For details of the entry process and the various categories click here or go to here. Please note the contact details and deadline for entries to the show (page 7). The fruit and vegetable section is at pp 21-23.
Lancaster Hall, Wesley Centre, National Circuit, FORREST ACT 2603
27 March 2012 07:30 PM
COGS Annual General Meeting The new COGS Committee for 2012/2013 will be elected. The AGM will be followed by harvest night. This is an excellent opportunity to bring along your fruit and vegetable triumphs and disasters and to share your gardening experiences with other gardeners.
Majura Centre, Rosevear Place, Dickson
Majura Community Centre
Other activities
Organic Gardening for Beginners at CIT Solutions, run by an experienced COGS member (a course fee applies).
The next courses will start on 18 February and 5 May 2012. Each course runs for four sessions of 3 hours each. Participants are entitled to free membership of COGS for 6 months and, on payment of the current plot levy, access to a COGS community garden when plots are available. Course details and on-line enrolment are available at http://citace.com.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Cit.woa/wa/subCategory?ID=35&page=2
Composting and Worm Farms
The next Composting and Worm farming workshops will be held in conjunction with CIT Solutions on 31 March and 16 June 2012. Each workshop will be 3 hours (1:30 to 4:30pm). Workshop details and on-line enrolment are available at http://citace.com.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Cit.woa/wa/subCategory.shtml?ID=35 . A workshop fee applies.
Organic Pest and Disease Management for Home Gardeners
The next workshops will start 7 March and 6 June 2012. They will provide practical information to enable participants to deal with common pests and diseases encountered in the home garden using organic methods. The main focus will be on pests and diseases of fruit and vegetables in Canberra, but these same techniques are also applicable to ornamental plants. Each workshop will consist of three sessions of two hours each. http://citace.com.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Cit.woa/wa/subCategory?ID=35&page=2. A workshop fee applies.
Soil, Potting Mixes and Watering Systems for Home Gardeners
The next workshop will start on 24 March. There will be two sessions of two and a half hours each. Learn about managing soil for optimal fertility in growing fruit and vegetables using organic principles. Participants are asked to bring samples of their own garden soil for testing. For those growing fruit and vegetables in pots and planter boxes, potting mixes will also be discussed. Advice will be provided on setting up efficient watering systems for the fruit and vegetable garden. To enrol click here. A workshop fee applies.
A Permaculture Design Certificate Course
A Permaculture Design Certificate Course organised by Permaculture Southern Highlands will start 7 February 2012. The application deadline is 20 January. The course will be held at the Berrima Public School, Berrima. For more information click here and here.
Compostable Material Available from Tuggeranong Hyperdome
The Tuggeranong Hyperdome has a variety of organic waste available for composting or worm farms including waste from Fresh Life the fruit market, waste from the Food court, coffee grinds, serviettes, some cooked meats.
They would prefer these waste products did not go to the tip. To access these compostable materials for your compost heap or worms please contact Wayne Hudson on 6293 1000 or email Wayne_Hudson(at)cfsgam.com.au.
