FGG Newsletter October 2026

 Food Garden Group newsletter - October 2026

 🌱 We like to grow what we eat 🌱

                                                                                                                                                                   

In this newsletter - What to do in your food garden in October, this month's Southern food garden visit, last month's visits in words and pictures, useful Food Garden Group blog posts for October, the Botanical Gardens tomato sale and more.

Visit Mount Nelson Ngaire and Larry 2026

The 2026-27 FGG season kicked off with cheers and beautiful sunshine at Ngaire and Larry’s garden in Mount Nelson.

FGG Newsletter September 2026

         🍋 Food Garden Group newsletter - September 2026  🍋

 We like to grow what we eat 

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It's the start of Spring and the start of the Food Garden Group's garden-visit season! In this newsletter - Visits planned for 2026-2027, details of the September visit, what to do in your food garden in September, what FGG blog articles might be useful this month, and more. You will find it all below.

FGG Newsletter August 2026

          🫛 Food Garden Group newsletter - August 2026 🫛

 We like to grow what we eat 

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Welcome to the 2026-2027 Food Garden Group season! The first FGG newsletter of the season usually comes out on the first of August, but BioSecurity Tasmania has published proposed new primary produce regulations and asked Tasmanians to respond to them before 5pm on 30 July, so this newsletter is early to alert you to this fact and invite you to provide feedback to BioSecurity Tasmania before the deadline.

The Impact of Proposed new Primary Produce Regulations

Most food gardeners would in the past have taken their surplus produce to food swaps, community houses or trade tables at Food Garden Group garden visits. If proposed BioSecurity Tasmania regulations get the green light you will be in breach of primary produce regulations if you take leafy vegetables or berries or melons without first providing BioSecurity Tasmania with detailed paperwork. You can read more about this below. Please respond to BioSecurity Tasmania's request for feedback before 30 July!

Visit Newnham John and Venie 2026

Wicking beds and a constant flow worm farm generated much interest amongst northern gardeners when we met on Sunday 19 April in John and Venie's Newnham garden. 

Visit Tea Tree Kathy and Tom 2026

The last visit of the Southern 25-26 season was to the rural property of Kathy and Tom at Tea Tree near Richmond. Looking from the road at the turn-of-the-century weatherboard farm house, you wouldn't expect it, but behind it we found one of the most delightful and expertly-designed food gardens we have visited in a long time.

These pigeons are keen on these Fahrenheit Blue tomatoes

Visit Peter and Pam Longford 2026

Peter and Pam welcomed us in to their Longford garden on Sunday. Peter led us around answering questions along the way. 

FGG Newsletter April 2026

        🍇 Food Garden Group newsletter - April 2026  🍇

 We like to grow what we eat 

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In this last newsletter of the 25-26 food garden season: what to do in your food garden in April, this month's Northern and Southern food garden visits, buying a fruit tree, growing garlic, saving seed made easy, and more.

Himrod grapes almost ripe!

Visit Mount Nelson Fiona and Craig 2026

This month the Food Garden Group climbed a little higher than usual, visiting Fiona and Craig’s garden on the summit of Mt Nelson. At around 350 m elevation, in a bushland setting, it’s a beautiful location — but not necessarily an easy one for growing food.

FGG Newsletter March 2026

🫑 Food Garden Group newsletter - March 2026  🫑 

 We like to grow what we eat 

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In this newsletter - what to do in your food garden in March, this month's Northern and Southern food garden visits, last month's visits in words and pictures, visits planned for coming months, genetically modified food, blog updates, and more.

Visit Howrah Mandy 2026

 Visit Howrah Mandy 2026

A warm summer's day and a delightful garden greeted us for the the Southern Food Garden Group's February visit to Mandy's in Howrah. Mandy moved here about three years ago, and we were all astonished to see how she has managed to change the garden from a 'blank canvas' with mainly grass to this thriving plot with flowers everywhere and the vegie components well underway too!

Visit Ravenswood John and Colleen 2026

This month's garden visit to John and Colleen's Ravenswood garden was well attended and much enjoyed.

 

John imparted lots of knowledge gained over his 84 years of gardening, including potato seed selection and limiting potato eyes to one only when planting.

FGG newsletter February 2026

   🍑 Food Garden Group newsletter - February 2026  🍑

 We like to grow what we eat 

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In this newsletter - How is your food garden shaping up this season, what to do in your food garden in February, this month's Northern and Southern food garden visits, last month's visits in words and pictures, all you need to know about processing and preserving, visits planned for coming months and more.

Visit St Leonards Ken and Mylene 2026

On Sunday 18 January northern gardeners enjoyed a visit to Ken and Mylene’s garden in St Leonards.

Visit Sandfly Kellie and Nick 2026

Visitors to Kellie and Nick's small farm in Sandfly, 15 minutes south of Hobart, might be tempted to a romantic view of hobby farming.  The sweet faces of the Dorper sheep, the cute flocks of quail and chickens, the ducks and swans on the dam all contribute to an idyllic picture of farm life. But Kellie is quick to offer a reality check; although she and Nick love their life on the land, the work is hard and the list of jobs is long and demanding. Read on to see and hear about some of Kellie and Nick's plans to turn this 34 acre property into an efficient and productive place that can be sustainably managed by two people. 

 

FGG Newsletter January 2026

 🍅Food Garden Group newsletter - January 2026 🍅

 We like to grow what we eat 

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In this newsletter - Is everything this season later? What to do in your food garden in January, this month's Northern and Southern food garden visits, what Food Garden Group Blog posts will be useful in January, last month's visits in words and pictures, and more. 

Visit Bridgenorth Harry and Jess 2025

Northern gardeners visited Harry and Jess's property in Bridgenorth recently which provided an interesting insight into the challenges of establishing a food garden in a rural setting whilst building a house and living off site.

Visit Dynnyrne Jan 2025

Jan welcomed us to her amazing small garden in Dynnyrne for our December Food Garden visit.

FGG Newsletter December 2025

 

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Food Garden Group  Newsletter December 2025  We like to grow what we eat

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On behalf of the Food Garden Group team 

Denby, Lynn and Lola (North)

Max, Gaye, Dirk, Pauline, Laura, Mandy and Ngaire (South)

Have a great Christmas and a happy 2026!

This December newsletter is a few days early because both the Northern and Southern December food garden visits will be held on the first weekend of the month. In this newsletter - what to do in your food garden in December, last month's visits in words and pictures, hothouse tips and hints, thinning fruit, your food garden this coming winter, and more.