Good Practice in Community Gardens Hello Like to thank the MAV for the opportunity to talk to you today. My name is Richard Rowe and today I am going to be talking about Community Gardens and what are some of the secrets to make them sustaining A little about myself. A long backstory in corporate life in commercial and accounting roles Now I have multiple strings to my bow. I teach environmental sustainability (food, energy, water, waste, biodiversity) to school kids (prep to year 9) at Edendale in Eltham I am a founding committee member of Local Food Connect – Not for Profit community orgs focusing on connecting people and local food in NE Melbourne I consult to Local Councils on environmental sustainability (food) and run community engagement workshops I am the Learning and Training Co-ordinator for SGA where I organise training for public and council and I also deliver some of SGA’s training packages Richard Rowe Learning and Training Coordinator

Sustainable Gardening Australia Vision A healthy biodiverse planet and vibrant sustainable community Mission To inspire, empower and connect individuals, communities and organisations to garden sustainably, seeking to: Protect and enhance the natural environment Encourage local healthy food production Inspire community connectedness Sustainable Gardening Australia SGA is a not–for–profit organisation the promotes sustainability through gardening SGA’s audience: 15,000+ contacts interested in gardening sustainably Home gardeners Community and neighbourhood gardening groups Councils and gardening professionals Started about 15 years ago A couple of us from SGA will be outside during the breaks if you would like to talk to us.

What does SGA do? Sustainable Gardening workshops direct to gardeners Sustainable Gardening workshops for local councils / residents “CUTTINGS” - a monthly sustainable gardening newsletter Website - www.SGAonline.org.au Facebook page - SustainableGardeningAustralia Green Gardening Professionals (GGP) Industry program SGA Garden Product Guide – Safe for You ‘n’ Nature

Community Lets look at what a community garden is. At it simplest form and its most complex form - it is community Get this part right – You have more chance of having a successful / resilient / sustaining Community Garden Get this part wrong – Struggle street

Garden And it needs a space to develop a garden

Purpose

Community + Garden + Purpose = We bring these two things together and something magical occurs. Eggs - use this as a metaphor Lets look at this egg as if it is a community garden. The shell is the visual representation of the egg (garden for Community Garden) It expresses the brand or the achievements of the chicken It is a contradiction, It can be strong and resilient (arch – strong) but it can be a fragile thing (a force from the wrong direction, a crack) Beneath the shell is the real beauty, magic and and purpose of the egg. Life. The garden, while a very important element (and is the obvious / visual indicator of a community garden and how successful it is), it is actually just a vehicle in a community garden. To be a successful, resilient, sustainable the Community needs to be the driver. In reality the success of a Community Garden hinges on the strength of the Community. From a planning / project perspective, it would be nice if all community gardens were the same. That there is one recipe for success. A simple how-to manual. But that is not possible. Community Gardens come in all shapes, sizes, colors. Refer to eggs again There is no one model for a community garden They are all unique

Good Practice People Elements Community People Shared culture & purpose Garden Elements Operating model Location Design & infrastructure Admin Elements Funding Governance Day to day operations Engagement / communication Good Practice While there is no one recipe for a successful community garden, we are able to identify elements and processes that will help in the development of a successful community garden. First things first. Its all about the community.

Where does local government fit? Supporters / Partners Members / Gardeners Champions / Committee Where does local government fit? If a community garden has to be for and from the community, what is the role of local government? Champions / Committee Spearhead the development Core group – 6 to 20 people Committee Members / Gardeners Contribute and use the garden Share the physical work and harvest Supporters / partners Local council Landlord Admin Grants Resources Project management Community Groups Local Businesses – Hardware shops / Nurseries / Community Bank

Good Practice Local Government Be a proactive / supportive partner Alignment with council strategies and deliver on objectives Access to land and resources Funding - community grants Involved in consultation process Clear communication point / liaison officer Clear roles & responsibilities Promotion Build committee capacity Provide admin. support Don’t over burden Good Practice Local Government Delivering on Council Objectives Sustainability Community resilience / cohesian Food Security Active Aging Use of council assets Neighbourhood Security

Thank You

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