Phillip Island Community and Learning Centre (PICAL) invites everyone to celebrate community and connection at its Garden Open Day on Saturday November 1, from 10am to 3pm.

Set to take place at PICAL’s Pantry Garden at Blue Gum Reserve (119 Settlement Road, Cowes), the event promises to be a fun-filled day for all ages while raising funds to support the PICAL Pantry Garden and highlighting its important role in the community.

Visitors will enjoy:

• Guided Garden Tours (10am to 11am). See firsthand what’s growing in PICAL’s Pantry Garden

• Worm Farming Workshops (11am and 1pm). All you need to know about having and managing a worm farm

• Composting Workshops (11.30am and 1.30pm). Learn about the benefits of compositing and how to transform everyday kitchen waste to feed your garden

• Seed Raising Demonstrations (12pm and 2pm). A demonstration of seed raising and how to do this at home

Children will be invited to pot up a lettuce to take home and discover the joy of gardening.

There will also be plant and preserve stalls offering fresh seedlings, herbs, vegetables and preserves made by PICAL’s Preserve Group from the garden’s produce. A sausage sizzle and cold drinks will also be available.

“We’re so proud of our Pantry Garden and our wonderful volunteers who have made the garden what it is today,” says David Rooks, Centre Manager PICAL.

“The open day is not just a chance to raise funds for the garden; it’s an opportunity to showcase the amazing work of our dedicated garden volunteers and share the garden’s benefits with the wider community.

“It’s incredible to see what some community spirit and dedicated locals can achieve.”

The volunteer-led Pantry Garden plays an important role in supporting PICAL’s emergency food relief program while also providing education and opportunities for community members to connect, learn and grow.

All produce grown at the Pantry Garden goes straight to PICAL’s Community Kitchen where it’s transformed into nutritious meals and PICAL’s Emergency Food Relief Pantry for locals who are doing it tough.

Any excess produce goes to PICAL’s preserve group who transform the produce into something yummy, the preserves are then sold with all funds raised going directly to PICAL’s pantry.

PICAL Garden Open Day – event details

• PICAL Pantry Garden, 119 Settlement Road, Cowes (behind the Creative Arts Station)

• Saturday November 1, 10am to 3pm

• Gold coin donation entry (children free)

For more information, visit the Phillip Island Community & Learning Centre Facebook page or call PICAL on (03) 5952 1131.