Keilor Market Garden Plants Trees Instead of Lettuce
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Third generation market gardeners, Keilor Valley Gardens, has turned its skills towards planting natives in an effort to help improve the Maribyrnong River environment.
Recipients of the Melbourne Water, "Stream Frontage Management Program". They set about planting 700 native River Red Gums, various Wattles, Shrubs and Grasses along one of the family's properties fronting the Maribyrnong river in Keilor.
"Its impossible to grow Organic Salads and Vegetables without partnering with the environment" confirms Steve Skopilianos, Managing Director of recently converted Organic market gardeners, Keilor Valley Gardens.
"Its's one thing growing veggies without the use of pesticides or fertilizers - that's maintaining the environment. When you re-introduc indigenous plants - that's an improvement to our environment. It's also providing habitat for beneficial insects. They're the good guys that keep aphids, thrips and the like out of our lettuce crops. Organic farming uses a holistic approach. You've got to look beyond your paddock and include the whole environment." say's Steve.
The Program has been developed to rehabilitate stream frontage within Melbourne's Waterways by partnering with landowners, landcare and other community groups. The three year program provides landowners with local indigenous plants, weed mats, tree guards, streamside fencing, weed control as well as technical advice.
"Without the experience and resources of Melbourne Water, it would have been a difficult task. They have been great, particularly in the removal of box thorns down steep banks or removing large introduced trees. They pretty much provided everything, we just did the hard yakka and the overall management of the project" added Phil Cain, Farm Operations Manager at Keilor.
"It was a great day planting with the team at Keilor Valley Gardens, the involvement of fourth generation teenagers Stephen and Leon Skopilianos, was particularly important. It's their generation that will be the beneficiaries of the current project. There was a real sense of achievement and overall environmental benefit."
For information on Stream Frontage Management Program, contact the team on (03) 9235 2231, or online at www.melbournewater.com.au
*Photo: The team after a hard day's planting native trees & shrubs on the banks of the Maribyrnong River. From left to right; Sneza, Phil, Chris, Stephen, leon, Menka, Zivko.