Growing Food at Home
What draws you to creating an edible urban food garden? Is it the taste of fresh garden produce bursting with flavour and health? Those positive feelings you get from knowing you're helping our environment, or the sense of satisfaction that comes from saying "I grew those veggies myself," as you serve up a delicious meal to family and friends? Perhaps it's about connecting yourself and your children to the seasons and cycles of nature, or strengthening links to your cultural heritage.
Click on the image to download a PDF copy of the GROW LOCAL Illawarra Edible Garden Guide
This guide is a small contribution to the growing sustainable food movement. It's designed to share ideas and inspiration for growing food successfully in urban and peri-urban areas of the Illawarra.
Real life examples of Illawarra residents and community groups growing good food in backyards, schools and community gardens feature throughout the guide. There are also lots of gardening tips for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.
This guide is a companion to your favourite food gardening book, providing information specific to the illawarra about what grows well here, how to design a veggie patch and food forest for our local conditions and more.
Back to Top
Community Gardening
A community garden is a not-for-profit, community based enterprise producing food primarily for the consumption of the gardeners. Community gardens play a role in improving access to fresh locally grown food, as well as providing valuable recreational activity, social interaction and educational benefits for the local community. Community gardens make a valuable contribution in responding to the challenges of climate change as one means by which to reintegrate edible food plants into the urban landscape.
Joining a Community Garden
If you would like to get involved with one of Wollongong's existing sites, Food Fairness Illawarra maintains a list of active community gardens and contact details. Some groups maintain blogs and host community open days and workshops, which can give you a taste of what is instore for you as a fully fledged member.
Starting a Community Garden
There are many great online resources available to help guide you through the processes associated with building a community garden from scratch. It's also a great idea to spend some time in existing gardens, building skills and making contacts who may be able to help you on your journey.
The Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network connects community gardeners around Australia. It is an informal, community-based organisation linking people interested in community gardening across Australia. The website contains some great planning documents, as well as information to build the practical skills you'll need in the garden.
Community Gardens on Community Land
The utilisation of appropriate open space for community gardens is valued by Council for its contribution to the health and well-being of the wider community and the sustainability principles on which it is based.
Useful documents:
Community Gardens on Community land – Information for applicants
E1 Community Gardens on Community Land – Site Assessment
E2 Community Gardens on Community Land – Application for In-Principle Approval to Establish a Community Garden
Back to Top
School Garden Programs
Schools are integrating edible landscapes into their playgrounds to create outdoor classrooms and learning spaces. School kitchen gardens that involve children in the design, maintenance, cultivation, harvesting and cooking process have been demonstrated to be excellent platforms for sustainability education and personal development.
The Illawarra Biodiversity and Local Food Strategy for Climate Change project is supporting exciting kitchen garden projects in the Illawarra. Schools can contact iblfscc@wollongong.nsw.gov.au for support and resources for school gardens
Three new 'Living Classroom' school gardens, one in each local government area, are demonstration sites and receive funding to support the design, construction and teacher training.
A comprehensive Expression of Interest process was used to select the successful schools:
1. Kiama Public School was the successful applicant in Kiama, and has completed construction of the garden. Training is now well underway with the 'Garden Ambassadors', and a launch of the project will take place to coincide with the school's 150th birthday celebrations in November 2011.
2. Mount Terry Public School has been chosen as the Shellharbour site, and training of students and staff is now underway.
3. Coledale Public School in the Wollongong Local Government Area has commenced construction on their edible garden and training of the school community will commence in Tern 4, 2011.
The Wollongong Botanic Garden has established a demonstration kitchen garden next to the Discovery Centre, with excellent composting and worm farming systems. There is a cost of $8 per student for a facilitated excursion of our kitchen or bush food gardens. Schools who attend a facilitated excursion may be eligible for a follow up visit from one of our educators, to provide advice on your own project. Contact Council on 4227 7111 for more information.
External Links for Schools
Government Websites
Office of Environment and Heritage - Eco-Schools grants available of up to $2,500 each.
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency – Educational resources, factsheets and grant information.
Sydney Water - Rainwater Tank rebates and teaching resources on water.
Junior Landcare – Grants of up to $1,000 for bushtucker, waterwise or food gardens.
Healthy Active Australia Community and School Grants Program - $10,000 - $200,000 available for not-for-profit organisations to undertake healthy eating and physical activity initiatives to benefit the whole community and target at-risk groups.
Education Websites
Growing Kids
Edible Schoolyard
Junior Master Gardeners
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
Consumer Victoria - lesson plan on the ‘Real Cost of Food’.
Seed to Seed – Food Gardens in Schools - covers everything from seed raising, vegetable beds, composting, materials, mulch, seasonal planting calendar, lesson plans and useful websites.
Australian City Farm and Community Gardens Network - This is a great website for the affiliated activity of community gardening, and offers some great how-to advice which is transferable to the school setting.
National School Gardens e-mail group - Subscribe to the network as a means of sharing stories and seeking support from other school gardens.
Occidental Arts and Ecology Centre - School Garden Training
Waste Education - Waste education teaching resources and activities sheets.
UK Websites
Growing Schools UK
Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations - Setting up and Running a School Garden manual.
Back to Top
Food Security - Access to sufficient healthy food for all
Climate change poses a real threat to local food security, whilst unsustainable food systems make a significant contribution towards climate change. Council is working with the community, schools and a range of community organisations to improve access to locally grown fresh food and to make more sustainable food choices.
Click on the Image to download a PDF copy of the Low Cost & Free Meals Directory
The Illawarra Councils have partnered under a NSW Environmental Trust grant to completely revise and update a third edition of the popular Low Cost and Free Meals Directory. The directory provides information on where to go to find a low cost or free meal, where to donate unwanted food, how to volunteer, and a summary of the legal liability issues for donating food for donors.
The Directory has been fully updated and revised, and includes details of 62 organisations offering free or low cost meals across Kiama, Shellharbour and Wollongong local government areas. The Directory will make it easier for good food to find its way to people who need it, to reduce food waste to landfill, and to encourage those in our community in a position to donate time and resources to organisations performing this regrettably vital and increasingly relevant service to our community.
Hard copies of the Directory are available from Council foyers, libraries, and agencies listed in the resource. Bulk copies can be obtained by calling 4227 7111
The services, organisations and clubs listed in this directory are all located in Wollongong.
Food Fairness Illawarra is a community based alliance promoting healthy food for all. It is a voluntary working group that is committed to finding community based solutions which ensure that everyone in our community has access to healthy food.
Food access for all means:
- not having to worry about whether we have enough to eat
- being able to eat food from our own culture
- being able to afford safe and healthy food
- not causing damage to the environment by our food production
- protecting the livelihood of people who grow and produce food
- celebrating our culture or community with food.
Membership is free and open. If you are interested in joining this growing circle of people and organisations committed to finding solutions to food insecurity in our community contact Healthy Cities Illawarra on 4226 5000.
OzHarvest is a charity that rescues excess food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes to it to those in need. Visit the website or call 02 9516 3877 to find out more about donating unexpected leftovers.
Back to Top