| Global Ecovillage Network Oceania & Asia Inc. |
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Cities have started to feed themselves. In every major city throughout the world, there is evidence of these urban communities beginning to provide food for themselves. According to Urban Agriculture - Food Jobs and Sustainable Cities by Joe Smit (1996), urban agriculture is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors.
Although allotment gardens have been in existence for many decades, stemming from the Victory Gardens encouraged as part of the war effort, it was not until about 20 years ago that we began to see community gardens and city farms emerge in Australian cities.
Northey St. City Farm, Brisbane.
Establishing garden beds
Over the past five years however, there has been a rapid increase in the numbers of local communities working together to provide fresh healthy, organic food from the vacant land within their cities. Throughout Australian cities gardens and communities are flourishing.
The revitalisation of interest has largely stemmed from the environmental movement and the growing awareness of good health and nutrition.
There are however many reasons why people become involved in community gardens - to avoid having to eat genetically modified and chemically grown foods, to regain control from transnational corporations of their food supply, to restore the diversity of food and seed varieties, to improve their local environment and reduce their broader impact (reduced transportation costs, soil erosion, chemical use of conventional agriculture etc.), to create a safe place where people can meet one another and children can play, to teach children where food comes from, to share the joys of gardening, and much more.
Community gardens are of course much more than just about growing food. They are an important tool for the revitalisation of local communities and the creation of sustainable cities. Each community garden and city farm is unique. They are the modern-day equivalent of the old village green or common - open and accessible places that are developed by the community for the community, responding to local needs and cultures.
Being involved in a community garden gives people the opportunity to become actively involved in creating the type of environment they wish to live in and to regain a sense of control over their lives. Community gardens allow local communities to feel a sense of responsibility to their local environment and their community. Neighbours meet and get to know and trust one another. Caring communities are created and from this point many other projects can be launched which lead further towards the building of a sustainable city.
The ripple effects of these small gardens echo throughout the city. It can never really be measured what difference they actually make, but ask anyone who has been involved, and they will tell you that it has changed their life and their part of the city.
In 1997, in response to the growing demand for assistance the development of new gardens, members of existing projects from each state launched the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network (ACFCGN).
The Network’s aim is to support community based urban agriculture by providing advice, information and education to individuals, community based organisation and local governments seeking involvement in community supported agriculture projects. The network also promotes urban farmer’s markets, food co-operatives and food banks.
It is a national grassroots organisation which links community gardens and city farms around Australia, providing:
- information services in the form of an inventory of community gardens, city farms, sustainable living and enterprise centres
- an advisory service to new and existing community-based agriculture initiatives and to local government and other landholders thinking about making land available for community use
- educational services including the publication of educational materials, organisation of tours, workshops and presentations on urban agriculture.
ACFCGN produces a newsletter, COMMUNITY HARVEST, every six months, providing updates on developments and gardens around the country, local government involvement in projects, a broad range of urban sustainability issues, funding opportunities, gardening techniques, contact lists and much more. GEN Oceania/Asia has offered support to produce the next issue, which will come out in October 1999.
Morag Gamble and Evan Raymond are the Queensland Co-ordinators of the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network and National Membership Officers. They were two of the founding members of Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane. They are available to assist in the establishment of community gardens and city farms, and to present information sessions and slide shows about the city farm and community garden movement in Australia.
ACFCGN-Qld, Lot 50 Crystal Waters,
MS 16, Maleny Qld 4552, Australia
ph/fax: +61 7 5494 4833
E-mail: syzygy@squirrel.com.au