Loaves and Fishes

We've decided to continue the produce exchange for another month; Saturday 24th April, 1st May, 8th May, 15th May. Same time, same place - under Goulburn Street School's oak-tree between 3.30 and 4.30pm. (This is the oak tree in the centre of the school ground, NOT the tree over the Forest Road car park.)

Since the difficult part of the exchange has been organising a volunteer roster, we're going to experiment with being volunteer-free, and trusting everyone who comes to take responsibility for running it, clearing up etc. Even if you've run out of produce, come and enjoy the company and conversation. The exchange has a 'loaves and fishes' aspect - there's always lots of food to spare.

Enquiries: Annie March 62310378

From today's Sunday Tasmanian

THERE'S a backyard gardening revolution going on as people reject store-bought fruit and vegetables, gardening guru Colin Campbell says.

Speaking at the Gardening Australia Expo in Brisbane, the ABC-TV presenter said people were growing food at home because of concerns about health, cost and the carbon footprint of produce.

"People are concerned about what they're getting," Mr Campbell said.

"They want to grow things that are fresh.

"This carbon footprint that people talk about when you transport vegetables from one end of the country to the other, by the time it gets to you it's gone through the transport system, the marketing system, the supermarket system.

"Backyard gardening is wonderful for kids, too.

"A lot 'of kids today think that the vegetables materialise on a supermarket shelf." Mr Campbell said he grew up in an era when people grew their own vegetables.

He said a worldwide survey of garden bloggers was topped by people's concerns about growing their own vegetables, and secondly, growing them organically.

"That was way ahead of waterwise gardening and everything else," he said.