Food 4 Thought—National community garden gathering

Growing, partnerships, education and enterprise development for local food systems are the themes for this month’s Food 4 Thought gathering in Hobart, Tasmania on 21-23 March.

“We’re in an interesting time in which people are looking to engage with their food through growing their own to ensure that a healthy and tasty food system is established for our children and their future”, said key organiser, Hannah Moloney.

Recently, the federal government scrapped the $1.5m Community Food Grant program much to the delight of the peak horticulture industry body AusVeg. which claims community gardens and farmers’ markets are a biosecurity threat. Not so, say the many people who will attend the national gathering in Hobart.

Community food gardens cater to people who want to ensure their food is local, safe and tasty by growing it themselves. -­‐ Small, community and school gardens play an important role in our food system -­‐ helping to develop strong, local and vibrant food economies said Mrs Moloney.

Proving this point, both lunches for the weekend event will be partially crowd farmed from community and private gardens plus small farms in southern Tasmania. Donations of homegrown food of all shapes and sizes can be contributed to Lissa Villeneuve at [email protected]. Hobart’s Source Community Wholefoods will then prepare these donations into delicious and nutritious feasts.

“The local fair food movement is big and it’s getting bigger. We’re seeing local governments becoming involved by adopting policies and practices that make it easier for people to grow their own food in public spaces”.

“The Food 4 Thought gathering will provide the space for people involved in community/school gardens, market gardening, and small-­‐hold farming to explore the role they play in our food system now and into the future. Delegates will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty with practical workshops and their minds busy with networking and inspiring speakers from all around Australia.”

Keynote speakers include:

Costa Georgiardis from ABC TV Gardening Australia

Dr Nick Rose from the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (NSW)

Chris Ennis from CERES Community Environment Park (VIC)

Peta Christenson from Cultivating Community (VIC)

Kirsten Larsen from The University of Melbourne’s Victorian Eco Innovation Lab (VIC)

Steve Solomon, Tasmanian market gardener and author on gardening in Tasmania (TAS)

Christine Milne, leader of the Greens Party (TAS).

Food 4 Thought is an initiative of the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network and supported by Sustainable Living Tasmania, Good Life Permaculture and Taroona Neighbourhood Garden.
For more information on Food 4 Thought visit events.communitygarden.org.au