The community in community gardens
Posted by Webmaster | Filed under Issues, Spotlight—Food in focus
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY Melissa Gowen
On a sunny few acres just outside of Bellingen on the New South Wales mid-north coast, people wander through a garden, foraging for their dinner, plucking a few weeds and chatting to the gardeners.
Eva Kerr Wearne shows her young son Oscar which herbs to pick for the pesto she’s making. ‘It’s so great, we just walk down here each evening with a basket and gather some herbs and other goodies for dinner. The gardens have become such a social hub, sometimes we come down just to watch the sunset and chat with the other young families.’
Eve and Oscar are at the Northbank Community Garden—an organic oasis and a sprawling testimony to community spirit. There are no individual plots at Northbank, everyone is welcome to get involved. They can show up on any day or venture out to a working-bee to lend a hand. People can plant, harvest, weed or get creative in any part of the garden.
Gardens just like these are sprouting throughout Australia as the local food movement gains momentum. Russ Grayson from Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network says that ‘community gardens are a new way for people to interact with public space.
People are given some decision-making power in public spaces.’ He attributes the growth in community gardens to an increasing awareness of food security, environmental sustainability and the need to build resilient communities as we approach the challenges of changing climate. Concerns about environmental degradation, rising food prices, climate change and the monopoly of Australia’s two biggest retailers over the fresh-food market is largely driving the trend towards local food.
Nick Rose, the National Coordinator of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance believes there needs to be a fundamental re-evaluation of how food is grown and produced in Australia. Fierce competition for space has resulted in innovative approaches to growing food in confined and unconventional spaces. Inner-city roof tops are becoming an organic oasis while walls become a thriving example of ingenuity with vertical gardens providing fresh produce and a green break in the urban sprawl.
Raewyn Broadfoot is the Community Gardens Coordinator for the City of Sydney, she notes the increasing interest in the local food movement. ‘As people become more aware of food security and sustainability, we are seeing a growing interest in community gardens, particularly rooftop and wall/vertical gardens.’ Perhaps though what is most inspiring is how community gardens are bringing different groups of people together.
The community gardens offer a place for people to come together, to share knowledge, experience and ideas, they are building a sense of community solidarity that surpasses cultural and socioeconomic differences. Sophie Morrice, avid gardener and local artist, couldn’t enjoy spending time in the Mullumbimby community garden more.
As community gardens grow, so too does their scope of activities with the gardens becoming venues for different workshops, events and courses. The Northbank Community Gardens in Bellingen operate in partnership with seed saving and sharing initiatives, they also sell seedlings to the public for a donation and attend local farmers markets and events. Community gardens across Australia host a plethora of different workshops from composting and recycling, to beekeeping, raising chickens, companion planting and permaculture. The gardens are a community celebration of arts, food, culture and sustainability.
Steve Smith was one of the founders of the Northbank Community Garden and his advice to anyone looking to start a garden in their area: ‘start digging’.
For more about community gardens and how to create your own community garden, buy a copy of the Autumn 2014 issue of Sprout Magazine.
Published at the beginning of each season, Sprout is a celebration of local food, producers and cuisine. It is about living sustainably through promoting fresh, seasonal produce from local farms and encouraging people to make a difference by growing their own food and making sustainable food choices.