Since the Community Food Garden at Inveresk was established in 2022, it’s not only been growing food, but a community of people who are gathering, sharing skills and connecting in this new place.
- A wide variety of vegetables have been harvested by the community, including students in our nearby accommodation
- UTAS student gardeners are learning how to grow, harvest and cook with fresh produce from the garden
- A weekly gardening session has been happening with students from the Big Picture School
- Hundreds of sunflowers were grown and distributed for Mental Health Week activities across all UTAS campuses
- The garden has been used for several events: Tamar NRM Community Garden Open Day, Interweave’s Remade event and Soil4Sisters celebrating International Women’s Day
- A compost caddy system has been established; whereby local food waste is being turned into compost using our in-vessel composting machine (including hundreds of kilos of coffee grounds thanks to Blue Café!)
- The setup of the glasshouse has been completed, with thousands of veggie seedlings being grown on site
- Initial planning is underway with Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW) to install ‘species hotels’
Bringing an ambitious project like a large urban community garden to fruition takes time, especially when we are wanting to do things in a community oriented, grassroots way.
I’d encourage anyone who is interested in sustainability, food security, growing, composting, harvesting, cooking or eating to come down and connect with the community, to share ideas, experiences and knowledge around food. Look forward to seeing you at Inveresk soon!
What’s to come at Inveresk, and how can you get involved?
- Pop down weekly every Thursday 9am – 11am for a community gardening session, learn about composting and seasonal produce
- On Saturday, 13 May, join the Fijian Community to celebrate cultural connection and learn about what’s growing in their garden beds
- Saturday, 3 June marks the inaugural Gumboot Gala – a fun and free community event with competitions and games, live local music, stalls and a gumboot fashion parade, exhibitions including the Rainbow Healing Garden by the Interweave Arts community, workshops, food, tours showcasing the Inveresk Precinct, the UTAS Community Garden, and the Interweave Arts Studio and FREE tram rides on the Launceston Tramway!
If you have any questions about the Community Garden or upcoming events, contact Community Garden Coordinator Jeff McClintock on jeff.mcclintock@utas.edu.au
