Who We Are

Growing up on a remote property, Kylie developed a deep love for ‘growing your own,’ tending an orchard and growing vegetables for her family to use. It also fostered a strong sense of community, as neighbours would regularly exchange the produce they had grown. From a young age, Kylie learned from her family how to make the most of their harvest through preserving. Gardening is Kylie’s happy place. She finds great joy and fulfilment in harvesting her own vegetables, picking beautiful flowers, and sharing the rewards with friends — all bringing a true sense of accomplishment. Through her work in Mental Health, Kylie has seen firsthand the positive impact that gardening and coming together around a shared interest can have on individuals and communities. After relocating to Toowoomba, Queensland, Kylie headed straight to her local community garden, where she not only grew her own produce but also built strong connections with like-minded people and became part of a supportive community. Kylie is enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead and looks forward to contributing her experience and passion to the CGA board and its members.

Jane Mowbray has been a community gardener and seed saver for a couple of decades. She joined her local community garden in Sydney hoping to find or recruit more seed savers but instead, she became a dedicated community gardener. Jane believes there is nothing that provides a better sense of belonging to a community and to the wonders of the natural world than being part of a community garden.

“Yum Yum in your Tum Tum!” That’s my motto, capturing the excitement I bring to food, community, and sustainability. I’m a businesswoman with a deep passion for the environment. My company, Urban Rewild, leads grassroots projects in Africa, fueled by my drive to make a difference. Community gardens are my favourite places, where I see the true spirit of ‘community’. I started gardening for the health and healing it brought me after the bushfires of 2019 on the South Coast of NSW. It became a way to find peace and connect with others. I’m also dedicated to promoting food security and educating people about the journey food takes from farm to table. It’s alarming how quickly our food sources can be disrupted, so I believe everyone should know how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. And, of course, I think it’s essential to enjoy what we grow—hence, “Yum Yum in our Tum Tum!” I’m excited to bring my passion and energy for food, environment, community, and education to the CGA board. I look forward to helping further the organisation’s mission and promoting the growth of community gardens.

I am so passionate about bringing people together to serve a greater purpose, creating opportunities for people to come together, belong and create something special for others and themselves. Engaging and building community brings so much joy to my life. I give a lot of my time through volunteer work which I am so lucky to be able to do. Volunteering is the backbone of a health community, it provides purpose, connections and belonging. I live in Woy Woy on the Central Coast NSW with my husband and three teenage daughters, my first career was in law but after having children I felt a need to find a greater purpose in life and found a new career path in nutrition. With my youngest experiencing health issues, it was this that pushed me onto a new path. I started with a thirst to learn more about nutrition, where our food comes from, food security and local food economies. I felt compelled to connect more people to this story of health, food, farming and community. This wonderful journey of nutrition led me to people and places to plant a seed within my community to co-create a not-for-profit organisation called SWAMP Central Coast, a community garden, together with a phenomenal passionate team as we set off with a mission to grow food with community for community. Gardening for and with community brings so much joy to my life. I agree with Sharlene, this is where you witness the true spirit of ‘community’. This is what I bring to the board and team of CGA, I am very excited to be part of helping community gardens Australia-wide to connect through gatherings and events.

Sajai has always been a plant lover and enjoys delving into the world of plants and veggies and watching as they grow and flourish. Though he has only recently been introduced to the world of community gardening, he can see significant benefits from growing one’s own food promoting healthy eating, as well as fostering community building. He believes that it has numerous benefits for individuals, communities and the economy at large and advocates for more people to get involved in community gardening.

Janet Aitchison’s first experience with community gardens came in Brooklyn, New York where she helped run a native plant garden and composting program for eight years. Now a resident of Australia, she is working with her neighbours to establish a community garden in the town of Avoca Beach, NSW. Janet also runs a Dunecare group in the town, and volunteers at the local council nursery where she propagates plants for use in local landcare sites. The rest of the time she can be found tending her coastal rainforest garden.

Naomi is a permaculturalist who is passionate about promoting healthy food systems, sustainable lifestyles, and cultivating community. She helped to establish the first community garden in the satellite city of Palmerston near Darwin and from there became involved with CGA in 2015 then took on the role of President in 2019. Naomi believes that community gardens have a pivotal role to play in ensuring better health outcomes for Australians, building community, addressing the climate crisis, reducing waste, and educating people. Awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to learn from community garden networks around the world, Naomi’s vision for CGA is to build the organisation into one that supports the growth and needs of community gardens around Australia, providing them with education, support, resources, and sustenance to continue their work and therefore their positive impact on the communities they reside in.