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THE CITY OF SYDNEY has adopted a policy on community gardening that offers the potential for collaboration with community-based and other food-oriented organisations as well as community gardens. Singled out are the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network, the Sydney Community Gardens Network and the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance.

The Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network made a formal submission to the plan in its draft stage when it was open for public comment. It is pleasing to see that this was included in the policy.

City of Sydney Community Gardens and Volunteer coordinator, Annie Walker, has a few words during a tour of Angel Street Permaculture Garden.

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The policy recognises community gardens as a valid urban landuse and as a contributor to the City’s long term plan — Sustainable Sydney 2030-Global, Green, Connected. The document states that community gardens are a ” …valuable recreational activity that contributes to the health and wellbeing of the wider community and provides a wide range of environmental, social and educational benefits”.

the gardens demonstrate best practice sustainable design, reduction of environmental impact and the building of effective partnerships between community groups and government agencies

The policy foresees an increase in the number of community gardens in the near future due to rising community demand. It recognises that, where a number of households are involved, street verge plantings can be recognised as community gardens.

In their relation to the City of Sydney’s plans, community gardens are portrayed as supporting ‘ …the vision of Sustainable Sydney 2030… community gardens also support the objectives of the City’s Social Policy 2006 and Social Plan 2006-2010 by offering opportunities for community participation in the development of social capital and cultural diversity”.

With the alignment of community gardens with Sustainable Sydney 2030, the report says, the gardens demonstrate best practice sustainable design, reduction of environmental impact and the building of effective partnerships between community groups and government agencies due to the ”substantial community involvement in planning, decision making, garden management and day-to-day activities”.

Community gardens as social asset

Highlighting these links demonstrates how councils increasingly view community gardening as a positive environmental, food security and social resource. More and more, an increasing number of councils see community gardens as social assets.

Perhaps the most substantial example of this was the contracting to the Victorian Department of Human Services of the community organisation, Cultivating Community, some years ago. This is a relationship that has endured. Cultivating Community, whose CEO, Jennifer Alden, is national community garden network contact, is responsible for the design, start-up and assisting the management of community gardens on social housing estates, as well as at least one food co-operative and community kitchen.

Putting community gardens in community context

The City’s is a comprehensive policy that links community gardening to other community food enterprises: “Community gardens are just one type of urban agriculture”, the policy states quite accurately.

This aligns with the attitude of the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network which has consistently promoted and advocated a range of community food enterprises as initiatives in community self-help. It is also why the Network has highlighted the value of local government producing food policies that further context community gardening as one approach to food security but that take a deeper view of food security as food sovereignty, the potential for people to extend their influence over the food they eat and the system through which it is derived.

It also recognises the reality that people active in community gardening are sometimes involved in other community food enterprises such as food co-operatives and food advocacy and education coalitions.

Support for community food initiatives and partnerships

In placing community gardening in its natural context of community food systems, the policy commits the City to providing ” …information, advice, grants and support to local food initiatives such as community supported agriculture schemes, food co-operatives, farmers’ markets, school kitchen gardens, city farms, food aid and rescue programs and green roofs”. The City will continue to offer education in organic gardening, resource recovery and sustainable living.

This seems to offer the opportunity for those grassroots food initiatives operating within the City of Sydney to develop collaborative activities and events with the City. These would work best when of mutual benefit.

The documents also recognises that collaboration and partnerships are a key means of getting things done. Collaboration is an obvious benefit to community organisations as they have limited funding and limited capacity as they are usually managed by volunteers.

The policy document articulates how partnerships are the ” …key to the development of resilient community gardens”, citing the City’s partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust and Housing NSW, the UNSW Community Development Project… the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network, the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance… as well as a number of community organisations”.

For both the national and Sydney community gardens network, there appears to be potential in this.

The City’s role

In stating that the City intends to develop ” …strong partnerships with garden groups and sponsoring agencies”, the document identifies the preferred type of community garden management as that of self-managed gardens in which the gardeners make their own decisions.

The policy goes on to offer a range of services to community gardening groups such as advice and materials, education, training and support.

Under ‘Support’, the City foreshadows support for ” … the Sydney Community Gardens Network, the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network and the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance”.

It is interesting to note that this is support offered as the City’s initiative and was not requested by any of the organisations mentioned. The first they learned of it was its appearance in the policy document.

For community gardens organisations, the City’s offer of support is testament to their having achieved validity, influence and a positive role in the City and beyond, and attests to the value of the collaborative approach that permeates the community gardening ethos.

the Tasmanian Community Gardens Network annual conference

The program, bookings and getting there…

Pre-conference Workshop

Friday 16 April Food Gardens for Schools

Venue: Latrobe Memorial Hall Hall Gilbert St Latrobe

1.30-1.40 Welcome and student performance

1.40-2.10 Keynote Speaker- Michelle Rayner, The Patch, Victoria

2:15-3:15 Snap shots- Best Ideas

— Prof Spluttergrunt  -    Starting a School Garden: Hannah Moloney

— AuSSiTas-Jenny Dudgeon

3:15-3:30 Afternoon tea

3:30- 5.00 Best Practice Expo and Workshops

— Enterprise with Herbs-infusing the curriculum! : Bruce Dunn  John Rayne

— Courtyard Gardening- Anne Marmion, Robyn O’keefe, Lee Cole

— Shapes & Symbols Gardens: Mark Healy

— Mario Bergamin: Mosaics- Prof Spluttergrunt

— Kids in the Kitchen: Latrobe Primary – Recipe stall.

Saturday, 17 April 2010

9.00 –10:00 Meet Greet Eat- Arrival registration and morning tea

10:00 –10:20 Opening Welcome and Introductions Nenita Orsino Nicola Roxon

Welcome to Country, Song from Choir (tbc)

10:20 –10:50 Speaker Costa ‘Composta’ (Costa Georgiadis, SBS Garden presenter)

10:50-11.15 A walk in the Garden- Kate Beer

11:30-12:30 Workshops (choose one from the following)

— Mentor Panel : Food Security and Climate Change: Russ Grayson, Jennifer Alden, Sandra Murray

— Robin Duncan: Growing Organic HerbsEdible plants of Tasmania: Bruce French

11.30-12.30 Kids Activity: Walk to the faerie garden.

12.30—1.30 Lunch

1.30-2.00 Speaker – Stephen Mushin: Urban Agriculture- CERES

2.00- 3.00 Workshops (choose one from the following)

— Mentor Panel-  Wisdom of the Elders: Leicester Jones, David Stephen, Graeme Stevenson

— Food Production in the City – Stephen Mushin

— Practical garden activity- Pruning: Walter Kuppelwieser

— Organic Farming- Phil Jones

Kids Activity

3:00-3.30  Afternoon Tea

3.30- 6.00 Open Space Workshops

— Network Gatherings

— Transition Towns gathering- facilitated by Julie Hargreaves

— Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

— Cultivating Community- Jennifer Alden

— Gardening Mentors- Nel Smit.

6.30 CONFERENCE BBQ DINNER and open mike

Wear  something from the garden.

Sunday, 18 April 2010

9.00-9.30 Speaker Alex Mitchell- A vision for a sustainable Island

9.30-10.30 Workshops (choose one from the following)

— Mentor Panel Developing a vision for a sustainable Tasmania – Alex Mitchell, Marcus Ragus

— Practical garden activity- Permaculture -Hannah Moloney

— Simple cooking from garden produce Jo Cook

— Kids Activity- Prof Splutter Grunt

10:30-11 Morning Tea

11-12 Workshops (choose one from the following):

— Australian Community Garden Network: Russ Grayson

— Seed Saving- Peter Coxhead  Picco Seed

— SA Produce to the People -Robin Krabbe and Penelope Dodd

— Cooking: Quick and Easy:  even for teenage boys! Chanchal Foxen

Kids Activity

12–12.30 Speaker (tbc)

12.30-1.00 Sharing Circle

Picnic Lunch in the garden 1.00-2.00
2.00- 3:30

Field Trips Option (Self guided Tour) Open Gardens

— Paul Hyde Forth Farm Organic Garden

— Ulverstone Community Garden

— Wynyard Community Garden

— Latrobe Primary School Garden, St. Pats, Latrobe

— Deloraine Community Garden

— Brad Saunders Draught horses and organics

— Vanessa Bartlett’s Organic veg and flowers: Open Garden 35 Gunn Street, Devonport ($6).

Kids activities are being run by volunteers who are not registered child carers. Parents are responsible for their children during the conference.

Stalls

Garden Swap Table – Please bring your excess garden produce, seeds and seedlings to swap with other gardeners. A great way to share your harvest and try new foods. We ask everyone to bring a favourite recipe using garden produce.

Presenters’ Table – for more information from leaders

Stalls- Permaculture, Still Gardening, AuSSi, Eat Well Tas,

Sustainable Living Tasmania, NW Environment Centre.

Transport and accommodation

Transport Buses will leave from Hobart, Launceston and St Helens Departing Saturday morning 6 am and returning Sunday afternoon $10.00 one way.

Departing Friday 16 April from Hobart for pre-conference workshop.

Accommodation Some billeting is available.
Contact: Kate Beer devhouse@bigpond.net.au (03) 6424 7060

Other options:

Camp Clayton: $33 per night www.campclayton.org.au Book through registration. (15kms from Devonport)

The Devonport Camp & Caravan Park Tel (03) 6424 8655 sites $10 pp

Abel Tasman Campground On site vans from $45

Camp sites from $15 Tel (03)64278794

http://www.devonporttasmania.travel

Tel 1800649514

*Please let us know when registering if you can help with billeting, setting up, stalls, registration, pickups, introducing speakers or packing up.

Sponsors

Major Sponsor : Devonport Council

Cars for Communities                Mike Gaffney

More information

Further information: Nel Smit — nelsmit[at]eatwelltas.org.au

03 62279891 m 0428201654

We aim to make this gathering a low carbon event. Car pooling, bus transport, local produce and recycled materials will be accessed where possible. Make your own name tag and bring your own bag.

THE COMMUNITY GARDEN IDEA for the heart of the city was generated from tenants of Common Ground, who were growing plants on their balconies and showing an interest in more gardening options to their management.

To harness this energy, Common Ground successfully applied to the council in 2008 for a community grant for table gardens and negotiated a site.

A robust, raised garden bed of sturdy metal provides accessible growing space for those less mobile.

The garden has been established for approximately six months now and about 12 tenants work each Friday on the garden. They have working bees from 10am on site — people are more than welcome to come and have a look at what the tenants are achieving in the heart of the city.

Some of the huge benefits the tenants are getting out of the garden are social support, fresh food supply, meaningful and fun activity, skill development, ownership and pride of the work.

However, some of the challenges they face include that it is only a temporary site (as the area is earmarked for development), there’s limited resourcing and they share the facilities with Adelaide City Council maintenance staff.

An small orchard in big pots.

Raised garden bed with sunshade.

Even taro can be grown in containers.

The gardeners have developed a DIY approach to using the Bokashi composting method.

A door covered in blackboard paint is a useful place to leave messages for other gardeners.

Take a look is you happen to find yourself in the vicinity and you will find that this is a street verge with a difference — it’s been planted to citrus trees —  a long line of them.

Citrus thrive under the shade of taller eucalypts outside Glandore Community Cente.

A line of citrus populates the sreet verge.

I’m very much involved with the community gardens at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast where we grow these tropical vegetables.

I think this topic will be of interest to members of community gardens.

The workshop will be held at BOGI headquarters at Windsor on 10 April.

Thanks, Elisabeth

Information: info [at] permacultureproduce.com.au

Some gardens are open to the public and others are accessible to members only or are designed for particular groups. Please contact individual gardens for more information and opening times.

Apace Community Gardens

Winter House

1 Johannah Street, NORTH FREMANTLE

E. shartley@starwon.com.au

Armadale Community Family Centre

101 Challis Road, ARMADALE

Ph. 9497 4794

Busselton Community Garden

Cnr Strelly Street and Roe Terrace, BUSSELTON

E. info@busseltoncommunitygarden.org.au

Ph. 0408 749 327 (Matt Cuthbert)

www.busseltoncommunitygarden.org.au

Brighton Community Garden (under construction)

Cnr Landbeach Boulevard and Amersham Crescent, BUTLER

(East Butler Primary School Oval)

E. benh@satterley.com.au

Ph. 9368 9185 (Ben Hogarth)

Crossroads Community Garden

402 Karrinyup Road, GWELUP

E. disanders@iinet.net.au

Curtin Vege Garden Volunteers (CVGVs)

Curtin University of Technology, Kent St, BENTLEY

Project Co-ordinator: Peter Cope

Ph. 9266 4430

Mb. 0422 066 072

http://cvgvs.blogspot.com/

Earthwise

315 Bagot Road, SUBIACO

E. pegd@westnet.com.au

Ph. 0422 941 492 (Peg)

http://earthwisewa.org/

Esperance Community Garden

Cnr Pink Lake Road and Victoria Street, ESPERANCE

E. thuriyya@bigpond.com

Fremantle Environmental Resource Network (FERN)

Cnr Montreal Street and High Street, FREMANTLE

E. louise@fern.org.au

www.fern.org.au

Glyde In Community Centre

42 Glyde Street, EAST FREMANTLE

Ph. 9339 3964

Gowrie Community Garden

275 Abernethy Road, CLOVERDALE

Ph. 9478 7500

Gumnuts Community Garden

4 Mudalla Way, KOONGAMIA

E. dnjl@iinet.net.au

Joondanna Community Food Garden (under construction)

Stoneham Reserve

Cnr Wade and Stoneham St, JOONDANNA

Ph. 9444 1141 (Nick Mortimer)

E. nick.mortimer@csiro.au

Karingal Neighbourhood Centre

1 Ashburton Avenue, PARABURDOO

E. karingalcentre@bigpond.com

Ph. 9189 5579

Lockridge Community Garden

Cnr Diana Crescent and Arbon Way, LOCKRIDGE

E. harrybw@iinet.net.au

Margaret River Community Garden

E. milesdurand@yahoo.com.au

Ph. 0428 185 705 (Miles Durand)

Naragebup Community Garden

Rockingham Environment Centre

Safety Bay Road (opposite Lake Richmond), PERON

E. rrec@naragebup.org.au

Ph. 9591 3077

M:  0434 110 224

www.naragebup.org.au

Perth City Farm

1 City Farm Place, EAST PERTH

E. info@cityfarmperth.org.au

Ph. 9325 7229

www.cityfarmperth.org.au

Piney Lakes Community Garden

Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre

Piney Lakes Reserve, Leach Highway, WINTHROP

E. martinredmoore@msn.com

Ph. 9310 7300 (Martin Moore)

Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre Community Garden

14 Sanford Road, ALBANY

E. rcfs@omninet.net.au

Ph. 9481 8254 (Garry Dixon)

St Lukes Community Garden

Monument St, MOSMAN PARK

Soiled Good Veggie Garden

SomerVille Ecovillage, CHIDLOW

E. dave.moore@sev.net.au

Southwell Community Garden (under construction)

Cnr Southwell Crescent and Erpingham Road, HAMILTON HILL

E. david.ebsary@aus.salvationarmy.org

Ph. 9418 5757

St Ives Community Garden

6/45 Hay Street, JOLIMONT

Ph. 9287 2811 (Gabby Gamblin)

Victoria Park Community Garden Association (Inc) (under construction)

Read Park, Corner of Albany Highway and Salford Street, VICTORIA PARK

E. communityallotment@gmail.com

Ph. 9358 0668 (Anne)

Ph. 9361 5513 (Lisa)

West Leederville Community Garden

78 Cambridge Street, WEST LEEDERVILLE

E. pegd@westnet.com.au

Ph. 0422 941 492 (Peg)

http://web.me.com/he45188/CommunityGarden/Welcome.html

West Stirling Neighbourhood House Veggie Patch and Herb Garden

228 Hancock Street, DOUBLEVIEW

E. wsnh@westnet.com.au

Ph. 9446 2757

Wyalkatchem Community Centre Permaculture Garden

38 Flint Street, Wyalkatchem

Ph. 0429 110 100 (Jule)

E. healthway@wyalkatchem.wa.gov.au

This list is currently maintained by Growing Communities WA. For more information or to update details, email info[at]wacgn.asn.au.

Despite the temperature, over 70 people made themselves comfortable under the shade of the spreading canopy of a tree in the spacious grounds of Glandore Community Centre as claire (who prefers the lower case), who has been largely responsible for the greatly updated and improved edition of the earlier, more-modest guidebook, discussed the process and purpose of the book.

claire nettle and Tim Marshall launch Community Gardening.

claire is the right woman for the job. Active in both the national community gardens network as the South Australian Community Gardens Network, she has researched community gardening and community food systems for her PhD. Tim Marshall works in the organic food industry and writes on the topic for Acres Australia and Gardening Australia and is a well known author of books on organic growing.

Filling a need

Growing Community fills the need for a comprehensive guidebook to starting community gardens. Although written in South Australia, the contents are applicable in other places. In it, you find information on managing community gardens. This is important, as important as knowing how to grow food, because without effective and participatory management, gardens can become unstuck, socially and physically. The book is also about sustaining community gardens.

Together with its companion website, the booklet covers the latest evidence for the benefits of community gardening, tips for getting started, avoiding common pitfalls, sustainable and creative garden design, gardening in schools, integrating community gardens into health and community programs and more. There are model forms that new community garden groups will find useful.

The edition was funded by the South Australian Department of Health and acknowledges the support of the Community and Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association and the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.

Around 70 people attended the launch of the new book, Community Gardening, at Glandore Community Centre on a hot Adelaide afternoon.

Online too

Growing Community will soon be available online as a pdf file for download. Already on the website are resources for community gardeners such as: designing welcoming, inclusive and accessible gardens; gardening with children; gardening with schools; community garden rules and guidelines
users guide to meetings; meetings: a guide for facilitators; grants; introductions, icebreakers and energisers.

There is also downloadable horticultural information on: mulch; tips to save water in your garden; organic pest control; organic weed control; companion planting; planting seedlings; growing fruit trees; saving seeds; propagation; worm farming.

Other downloads include facilitation resources.

………………………

Hard copies and be ordered for a total of $15 (includes $5 postage) — details.

Official launch of Growing Community: Starting and Nurturing Community Gardens, with special presentation by leading organic writer, grower, and educator, Tim Marshall. Copies of Growing Community available for $10.

Growing Community: Starting and Nurturing Community Gardens

Growing Community is a comprehensive guidebook for starting and sustaining community gardens. Together with its companion website, the booklet covers the latest evidence for the benefits of community gardening, tips for getting started, avoiding common pitfalls, sustainable and creative garden design, gardening in schools, integrating community gardens into health and community programs, and much more. Copies are available at the launch for $10. Following the launch, they will be available for $15 posted or for free download from www.canh.asn.au.

Tim Marshall

For 25 years, Tim Marshall has been at the forefront of the organic sector as a grower, writer, trainer and inspector. He writes for a number of publications including Acres Australia and Gardening Australia Magazine. Tim’s most recent book is Bug: The Ultimate Guide to Organic Pest Control.

Community gardens and school gardens are invited to bring along flyers, story boards, photo albums and other materials to add to the display. Don’t forget hats and water bottles!

Public transport: Catch the Glenelg tram to Glandore station or bus along South Road to stop 8 (stroll across oval)

Further information: contact Kate Hubmayer, <kate.hubmayer@marion.sa.gov.au>  or phone  0402 971 553

The Council will be chaired by Professor David Adams with Dr Roscoe Taylor as (Deputy Chair). Two ex-officio members will represent the state government.

Council will implement social strategy

The initiative comes through a state government strategy, A Social Inclusion Strategy for Tasmania (2009), and is aimed at improving the food security of Tasmanians. The terms of reference include a definition of food security:

Food security is the ability of individuals, households and communities to acquire food that is sufficient, reliable, nutritious, safe, acceptable and sustainable.

Food insecurity happens when people go hungry, eat a poor quality diet or have to rely on emergency relief as a result of not being able to afford food.

Food security seeks to ensure the systems that produce, transport, store and supply food work effectively to enable wider and more reliable access to safe and nutritious food.

“Available evidence indicates that many Tasmanians are excluded from access to reliable and nutritious
food”, claims information that accompanies the call for expression of interests in membership of the proposed Council.

Repsonsibilities of the Council will include:

• overseeing the development of a Food Security Strategy for Tasmania that is consistent with
  the objectives of A Social Inclusion Strategy for Tasmania
• making recommendations to the Premier about projects that can be funded through the Tasmanian Food Security Fund
• overseeing the development of a framework to measure food security at the local level
• developing a responsive and democratic approach to food distribution in Tasmania
• advocating to prevent or ameliorate the causes of food insecurity.

The first point, development of a food security policy and strategy for the state, is something the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance hopes to achieve, starting with its Food Summit of late 2009. South Australia starts the process of moving towards a food policy with this February’s food convergence, From Plains to Plate: the Future of Food in South Australia.

Funding to implement strategy could benefit community gardens

The Council will also recommend projects for funding through the Tasmanian Food Security Fund that build on existing healthy eating programs operating in schools and that strengthen individual, family and community capacity to prepare nutritious meals.

Funding is foreshadowed for:

• social enterprises that provide innovative responses to food insecurity and support, that develop a sustainable and connected food distribution system and that complement traditional supply chains to improve access to nutritious, fresh, culturally appropriate and locally produced food for people who experience barriers to food security
• community gardens, which are ineligible for funding from the Tasmanian Community Finance
  Fund or the Community Capacity Building Grants Program but consistent with aims of the Tasmanian Food Security Council.

Even though details of the proposal to assist community gardens have yet to be developed, were they to include community gardens in the general community, the proposal could make Tasmania’s the only state government to offer assistance to community gardens outside of social housing estates. At present,the Victorian government assists social housing tenants starting community gardens through the community organisation, Cultivating Community. In NSW, the government assists residents of social housing through the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust’s Community Greening program.

An inormation package and terms of reference can be downloaded (pdf files) from: http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/siu/tasmania_food_security_council

Expressions of interest for Council membership close on Friday 15 January 2010.

Beck……

Hi to all you community gardeners out there!

We have had some security issues at Gravel Hill Gardens of late —
uninvited guest (obviously with mental health issues) making people
feel unsafe.

My manager has asked us to come up with a draft safety and
security plan, so rather than reinventing the wheel I thought I’d
ask if any other gardens have already developed such a document/procedure and
would they like to share it as a starting point. Any other ideas welcome too.

Thanks, Beck

Send your ideas to Beck at: beck[at]cydoniapermaculture.com.au