Eat : Grow : Share : Connect

The Mount Pleasant Natural Resource Centre Inc. (MPNRC) is a non-profit volunteer based community hub that promotes sustainable living and meaningful environmental connection.  The centre is managed by a committee comprising of volunteers who are elected from the local community and the Centre Coordinator.

The MPNRC offers a variety of  natural resource management services including:

• Natural resource management information
• Equipment and facilities for community groups
• Volunteer project facilitation
• Volunteer support and development
• Community education and training programs
• Community monitoring
• Referral services to technical advice

The Centre opened 11 years ago thanks to the the vision of local community members who wanted a resource in the region to access information on natural resource issues. The MPNRC services a diverse region, including the North and South Para Catchments, Upper River Torrens Catchment, Marne, Saunders and Reedy Creek Catchments.

A new initiative from the MPNRC is the Community Fruit and Veg swap. The swap has been started to give people a place to swap their surplus produce and the chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Swapping home grown produce gives you the chance to add something different into your diet (is anyone else sick of eating tomatoes, beans and zucchinis? I know I am!) and work together towards a sustainable future.

Any produce may be swapped including fresh and dried fruit and vegetables, eggs, preserves, jams, honey, flowers, produce seedlings etc. Non-produce items including knowledge, recipes, gardening books, compost, garden stakes can also be exchanged.

Join the Mount Pleasant Natural Resource Centre and Maggie Beer to celebrate the success of their new community fruit and veg swap at the launch on Saturday the 7th of May.

The following recipe is from Bev, a member of the Community Fruit & Veg Swap and was sourced from the March edition of In the garden, a handout produced by the MPRNC.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

200g pine nuts
100g flaked almonds
6-8 garlic cloves
2 cups basil leaves
1 cup parsley leaves
150 g parmesan cheese

Method

Toast the pine nuts and the flaked almonds lightly in a dry frying pan, then whiz them in the blender until coarsely chopped, add the garlic, basil, parsley and the parmesan cheese. Pulse the blender a few times to chop and combine everything, then with the blender running on low speed, pour in a slow steady stream of good olive oil until the pesto reaches the consistency that you like. Vary the proportions to your taste. Serve with hot pasta!