Russ Grayson
Food4Thought
2014 national gathering of the Australian City Farms & Community Community Gardens Network, Hobart, Tasmania
A gathering of people making things happen...
THE SCHOOL GARDENS
Below: When the tour arrived at Snug Primary School it was greeted by students offering food they had cooked as part of the school's food garden to kitchen program.
The kitchen teacher and students show the school cookbook that came out of the program and which is available for purchase from the school.
The following photos below show part of the school's food garden, seen between fruit trees; tour participants at Snug Primary; and Adelaide resident, Kate Hubmayer, who teaches in Australia's longest-running school food garden at Black Forest primary, now 35 years old. Kate is inspecting a crab apple, one of the school's collection of apple tree varieties.
Below: When the tour arrived at Snug Primary School it was greeted by students offering food they had cooked as part of the school's food garden to kitchen program.
The kitchen teacher and students show the school cookbook that came out of the program and which is available for purchase from the school.
The following photos below show part of the school's food garden, seen between fruit trees; tour participants at Snug Primary; and Adelaide resident, Kate Hubmayer, who teaches in Australia's longest-running school food garden at Black Forest primary, now 35 years old. Kate is inspecting a crab apple, one of the school's collection of apple tree varieties.
Below: Small group discussions.
Below: Seed mandalas made by children at Food4Thought.
THE CREW
Our thanks go to the Food4Thought organising crew, seen in the photo below.
From the right we have: Hobartians — James, Margaret (sitting), Nel Smit, Gudrun, Bridget, Hannah Moloney, Lissa (standing). The guy in the centre, not an organiser and more a performer and a Sydneysider to boot, is Costa Georgiardis who was a presenter at the conference. Seated at left is another Sydneyite, Fiona Campbell, who did IT, communications and online support for the organising team.
Our thanks go to the Food4Thought organising crew, seen in the photo below.
From the right we have: Hobartians — James, Margaret (sitting), Nel Smit, Gudrun, Bridget, Hannah Moloney, Lissa (standing). The guy in the centre, not an organiser and more a performer and a Sydneysider to boot, is Costa Georgiardis who was a presenter at the conference. Seated at left is another Sydneyite, Fiona Campbell, who did IT, communications and online support for the organising team.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD FOOD
What's a community gardner's gathering without good food?
Here's a big thanks to the cooks, kitchen volunteers and servers who kept us fed and happy.
What's a community gardner's gathering without good food?
Here's a big thanks to the cooks, kitchen volunteers and servers who kept us fed and happy.
SOLD OUT — that was the story of attendance for the three days — 21-23 March, 2014 — of the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network's sixth national gathering.
With around 150 people in attendance, the hall at Ogilvie High School in Hobart, Tasmania, was fully packed.
The distances people had travelled to attend the gathering reveals the extent to which the practice of community gardening has penetrated Australia's cities. There they were from as far away as Darwin, Northern Territory; Perth, Western Australia; the Far North Queensland tropics; Brisbane; NSW North Coast; NSW Central Coast; Sydney; Adelaide, South Australia; Melbourne; Bendigo, Victoria; and, of course, Tasmania.
THE TOURS
Photos below:
Top: One of the tours travelled south, first visiting the innovative food co-operative, The Source, with its recycled timber and rendered strawbale shop and cafe surrounded by productive vegetable and fruit gardens.
Below left: Network vice-president, Jane Mowbray, from Sydney, shelters from the drizzle below an umbrella among the corn and vegetables in Taroona Neighbourhood Garden on Hobart's southern outskirts. Taroona's is a large community garden with herbs, vegetables, fruit trees — some espaliered along the fence — berry shrubs, a polycarbonate greenhouse and a large compost system to produce fertiliser for the garden.
Right and below: At The Source and checking out Taroona Neightbourhood Garden's water harvesting system.
With around 150 people in attendance, the hall at Ogilvie High School in Hobart, Tasmania, was fully packed.
The distances people had travelled to attend the gathering reveals the extent to which the practice of community gardening has penetrated Australia's cities. There they were from as far away as Darwin, Northern Territory; Perth, Western Australia; the Far North Queensland tropics; Brisbane; NSW North Coast; NSW Central Coast; Sydney; Adelaide, South Australia; Melbourne; Bendigo, Victoria; and, of course, Tasmania.
THE TOURS
Photos below:
Top: One of the tours travelled south, first visiting the innovative food co-operative, The Source, with its recycled timber and rendered strawbale shop and cafe surrounded by productive vegetable and fruit gardens.
Below left: Network vice-president, Jane Mowbray, from Sydney, shelters from the drizzle below an umbrella among the corn and vegetables in Taroona Neighbourhood Garden on Hobart's southern outskirts. Taroona's is a large community garden with herbs, vegetables, fruit trees — some espaliered along the fence — berry shrubs, a polycarbonate greenhouse and a large compost system to produce fertiliser for the garden.
Right and below: At The Source and checking out Taroona Neightbourhood Garden's water harvesting system.
ST JOHN'S COMMUNITY GARDEN
Below top: A spiral garden at St John's Community Garden, adjacent to the conference venue. The community garden features vegetable beds and fruit trees, a brick wood-fired oven and a large chook run.
Below: David was once the rector at St Johns. Now retired, he works in the community garden and led a composting workshop at Food4Thought.
Below top: A spiral garden at St John's Community Garden, adjacent to the conference venue. The community garden features vegetable beds and fruit trees, a brick wood-fired oven and a large chook run.
Below: David was once the rector at St Johns. Now retired, he works in the community garden and led a composting workshop at Food4Thought.
IN PRINT
Two publications were launched at Food4Thought.
Kate Hubmeyer launched hew book, Nature Crafts. In the photo below Kate, Hannah Moloney from Good Life Permaculture, one of the sponsors of the community garden gathering, launches Australia's new permaculture magazine, Pip.
FOOD, SNEAKY SNAPS AND A NEW TEAM
In the following photos, a caterer from Mtn Pepper prepares pizza for Saturday evening's dinner and party; Jane Mowbray snaps a photo of Emily Grey and the author at The Source food co-operative; a fresh management and supporters team is elected for the Network; attendees pose for a group photo.
Two publications were launched at Food4Thought.
Kate Hubmeyer launched hew book, Nature Crafts. In the photo below Kate, Hannah Moloney from Good Life Permaculture, one of the sponsors of the community garden gathering, launches Australia's new permaculture magazine, Pip.
FOOD, SNEAKY SNAPS AND A NEW TEAM
In the following photos, a caterer from Mtn Pepper prepares pizza for Saturday evening's dinner and party; Jane Mowbray snaps a photo of Emily Grey and the author at The Source food co-operative; a fresh management and supporters team is elected for the Network; attendees pose for a group photo.
Below left, below right: Tour participants listen to the story of Woodbridge school garden in the arty shelter overlooking the channel.
Below left: Zoe with a box of fresh vegetables such as is supplied to members of the community-supported-agriculture initiative in the village of Woodbridge, south of Hobart.
Below right: A teacher at Woodbridge school discusses its vegetable garden.
Below left: Zoe with a box of fresh vegetables such as is supplied to members of the community-supported-agriculture initiative in the village of Woodbridge, south of Hobart.
Below right: A teacher at Woodbridge school discusses its vegetable garden.
MAKING THE LINK WITH THE FAIR FOOD MOVEMENT
Below top: Host of ABC TV's Gardening Australia, Costa Georgiardis, says a few words at the opening of Food4Thought.
Below: Food advocates and educators discuss the relationship of community and school gardening to the broader fair food movement. From left: Peta Christensen, Cultivating Community, Melbourne; Nick Rose, coordinator, Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance; Chris Innes, CERES, Melbourne; Kirsten Larsen, Eaterprises, Melbourne.
Below: Fair food advocates and educators - Nick Rose, Kirsten Larsen, Peta Christensen, Sandra Murray (University of Tasmania lecturer in nutrition), Chris Innes, Costa Georgiardis.
Below top: Host of ABC TV's Gardening Australia, Costa Georgiardis, says a few words at the opening of Food4Thought.
Below: Food advocates and educators discuss the relationship of community and school gardening to the broader fair food movement. From left: Peta Christensen, Cultivating Community, Melbourne; Nick Rose, coordinator, Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance; Chris Innes, CERES, Melbourne; Kirsten Larsen, Eaterprises, Melbourne.
Below: Fair food advocates and educators - Nick Rose, Kirsten Larsen, Peta Christensen, Sandra Murray (University of Tasmania lecturer in nutrition), Chris Innes, Costa Georgiardis.
