The construction of a 'state of the art' compost station has been high on the agenda of the Phillip Island Community Orchard (PICO) in recent years. This dream has now come to fruition with the assistance of funding from Westernport Water's Community Support Program.
The Community Orchard has been operating on a one-hectare parcel of land located at the rear of the Wimbledon Heights Reserve since 2013. Here PICO members are successfully growing a variety of fruits, nuts and berries along with vegetables, cultivated in both community and individual members' plots.
The aim of the project is to recycle as much garden waste as possible on-site, to create a self-sustaining garden environment. This will lower the impact on the environment by reducing landfill and green-house gases, and also provide nutrient-rich compost material to feed back into the soil and grow healthier fruit and vegetables.
"Many of our members here at the orchard want to learn more about different ways to efficiently compost their garden waste, so we are incorporating various methods into our system, such as worm-farming (vermiculture), tumblers and hot composting," says PICO President, Annette Mackenzie.
"Our ability to achieve this has been made possible with the sponsorship of Westernport Water.
"Our broader goal is to encourage the wider community to get involved, attend our educational programs and visit us to see and experience first-hand how things work at PICO.
"We want to be a learning and sharing hub for people to have an opportunity to engage with sustainable gardening and horticulture in the region."
Gareth Kennedy, General Manager, Corporate and Customer at Westernport Water said the organisation was delighted to see the range of improvements delivered through its Community Support Program.
"We value local partnerships that contribute to the social and environmental wellbeing of the community.
"Our long-term relationship with the Phillip Island Community Orchard achieves both. This new compost facility will educate and inspire gardeners across our service area to conserve water."
Workshops
A successful workshop "Composting and Worm-farming" presented by Rick Coleman was held at the orchard recently under the umbrella of Bass Coast Shire's Garden Gems series with over 40 people in attendance. It was a great opportunity to show how the compost station will operate. For further information on what other gardening workshops are coming up see: thecap.com.au/garden-gems
PICO believes composting is the key to a successful garden and at the centre of environmentally responsible and sustainable gardening practices. Participation in gardening activities is known to improve physical and mental health and sharing information, fresh produce and making new friends is an extra added bonus that helps build community.
PICO has regular working-bees at the orchard on the fourth Saturday of the month when the public can visit to have a look around. See their Facebook page for updates:
www.facebook.com/islandorchard
You can find out more about PICO and membership by visiting islandorchard.wordpress.com/ or email islandcommunityorchard@gmail.com