Community Gardens Australia, Grow It Local, and Permaculture Australia have announced an exciting national partnership to deliver the 2026 Community Growing Conference series — a powerful collaboration set to provide a major boost to food growing communities across Australia.
In 2026, Community Gardens Australia will lead the delivery of its annual State Conferences (formerly known as Community Garden Gatherings), with Grow It Local and Permaculture Australia coming on board as key partners. Together, the three organisations represent tens of thousands of local growers, garden leaders, permaculture practitioners and sustainability advocates nationwide.
The partnership brings together complementary strengths: CGA’s national leadership in community gardens, Grow It Local’s innovative digital engagement and storytelling platform, and Permaculture Australia’s deep expertise in regenerative design and education. The result will be an expanded conference experience in every state – with high-profile speakers, practical workshops, inspiring guest appearances, and dynamic networking opportunities.
These conferences are designed to do more than inspire — they will equip communities with the practical skills, governance knowledge, partnerships and confidence needed to grow thriving local food systems. From soil health and seed saving to volunteer leadership, governance, inclusion and climate resilience, the 2026 program will provide tangible tools to strengthen gardens at every stage of development.
But this partnership is about more than just conferences. Throughout 2026, the three organisations will actively support and amplify each other’s work – cross-promoting initiatives, collaborating on storytelling, sharing networks and expertise, and aligning advocacy efforts where possible. Together, they will also explore ways to measure collective impact, expand awareness of community food growing, and increase participation across diverse communities. By working in alignment, the organisations aim to build stronger visibility, deeper engagement and greater national momentum for local food systems.
By working together, the three organisations aim to:
- Increase participation in community food growing.
- Strengthen collaboration between community gardens, permaculture groups and local home food growing networks.
- Build leadership capacity within volunteer-led projects.
- Support resilient, regenerative local food systems across urban, regional and rural Australia.
- Measure and demonstrate the collective impact of community food growing nationwide.
Importantly, the partnership ensures equal branding and shared visibility across all 2026 conferences – reflecting a united movement committed to growing food, community and connection.
“This collaboration signals a new chapter for the community food growing movement in Australia,” said Naomi Lacey, Director of Community Gardens Australia. “When organisations align around shared values, the impact multiplies. Together, we can reach more people, strengthen more community gardens, and inspire the next generation of growers.”
“The opportunity to form this partnership and contribute in this way is the very essence of our purpose,” said Bronwyn Chompff-Gliddon, Secretary of Permaculture Australia. “Our primary role is as an enabler of the autonomous movement of Permaculture. What begins here has the potential to feed into many other future endeavours.”
“This is a truly exciting partnership that will help get more Australians growing, sharing and eating locally grown food.” said Darryl Nichols, Co-Founder of Grow It Local. “Growing food is climate action, waste reduction, biodiversity restoration and community building rolled into one – and it delivers powerful health and wellbeing benefits along the way. Because when you grow food, you grow far more than just a garden. Lettuce do this!”
With food security, climate adaptation and community wellbeing increasingly front of mind, the 2026 Community Growing Conferences are set to be a landmark moment for Australia’s grassroots food movement – and part of a broader, coordinated effort to grow the movement well beyond a single event series.
Growers, volunteers, educators, councils and community leaders are encouraged to get involved — whether by attending, presenting, volunteering or partnering locally.
Together, we grow stronger!
