Developed by Peta Christensen

2012

FROM THE GROUND UP A Community Food Directory and Guide to Growing Community Food Projects In the City of Yarra

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Background......................................................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................................................3 Who Are the Community Food Systems Network?..................................................................................................4 What is a Community Food System?........................................................................................................................4 Why Start a Community Food Project?....................................................................................................................5 Urban Agriculture in the City of Yarra....................................................................................................................6 City of Yarra Says Yes to Urban Agriculture.............................................................................................................7 Home Gardens.........................................................................................................................................................8 Current Programs.....................................................................................................................................................8 Urban Harvest Backyard Food Swaps.......................................................................................................................8 What Else Could We Do?..........................................................................................................................................9 Case Study: LandShare Australia..............................................................................................................................9 Case Study: Grow and Share.....................................................................................................................................9 Case Study: Growing Abundance............................................................................................................................10 Community Gardens...............................................................................................................................................11 The Story So Far.......................................................................................................................................................11 Where Are the Community Gardens?.....................................................................................................................11 What Else Could We Do?.........................................................................................................................................12 Case Study: Northcote Library Food Garden...........................................................................................................12 Case Study: The Peoples Portable Garden..............................................................................................................12 Planter Boxes..........................................................................................................................................................13 Where Are the Boxes?............................................................................................................................................13 The First Permit.......................................................................................................................................................13 School Gardens.......................................................................................................................................................14 The Story So Far......................................................................................................................................................14 What Else Could We Do?.........................................................................................................................................14 Edible Classrooms Program.....................................................................................................................................14 Organisational Garden Programs...........................................................................................................................15 Case Study: Sprout Community Garden..................................................................................................................15 What About Animals?..............................................................................................................................................16 The Buzz About Bees...............................................................................................................................................16 Get All Clucky – Keeping Backyard Poultry..............................................................................................................16 Case Study: CERES Chook Group.............................................................................................................................16 Community Composting.........................................................................................................................................17 Current Programs....................................................................................................................................................17 Compost Mates.......................................................................................................................................................17 Compost Champions...............................................................................................................................................18 Neighbourhood Based Community Composting Centre.........................................................................................18 Compost Crew.........................................................................................................................................................18 What Else Could We Do?.........................................................................................................................................19 Case Study: Elwood Community Composting.........................................................................................................19 Coming to the Rescue: Food Redistribution Organisations....................................................................................20 Community Meals..................................................................................................................................................21 Case Study: Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House.............................................................................................21 Identified Gaps........................................................................................................................................................21 Community Kitchens...............................................................................................................................................22 Case Study: Melting Pot..........................................................................................................................................22 Case Study: Plant a Row Share a Row.....................................................................................................................23 Food For Thought: Project Idea..............................................................................................................................23 Food Distribution...................................................................................................................................................24 Farmers Markets.....................................................................................................................................................24 Food Cooperatives.................................................................................................................................................24 Community Supported Agriculture........................................................................................................................24 Case Study: Braybrook and Maidstone Fruit and Veg Distribution Project............................................................25 Case Study: Food Skil Social Enterprise..................................................................................................................25 Social Enterprise.....................................................................................................................................................27 Other Types of Projects..........................................................................................................................................27 Tools and Resources..............................................................................................................................................28 Yarra Community Food Projects Map and Directory............................................................................................30-31 References.............................................................................................................................................................32

CONTENTS

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BACKGROUND

Community Food Projects are a powerful and effective way to improve community food security, reduce environmental impact and build community resilience. This directory and guide to community food projects has been developed in order to assist individuals and groups who may be already working on community food projects or who are thinking about getting something started. Each project is part of the greater community food system and through understanding what else is going on and connecting with other projects we not only strengthen our own projects but also the broader community food system. A truly effective and resilient community food system requires not only grass roots initiatives but strong cross-sectoral relationships with local business and local government. Local governments have a crucial role to play in developing community food security as many of their areas of business and influence affect the community food system. Community food crosses over the realms of health, environment, planning, local laws, community development, economic development and more. When we understand these intersections and make decisions accordingly, only then can we have a truly resilient community food system. Similarly, an effective community food system also requires local business to work in collaboration with community based activities and local government to ensure a whole of community approach.

THE DIRECTORY: Although not an exhaustive map and directory of the Yarra Community Food System, this directory contains many of the food projects working across the municipality. The Yarra Community Food Systems Map is an ongoing development and can be accessed at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid= 212976316148652600859.0004b2874c9534ec9d8c1 If you know of projects not listed on the map, please email peta@cultivatingcommunity.org.au THE GUIDE:

Will examine -

what’s already happening and where,

who to link up with,

what else is possible! Explores the following areas -

Urban Agriculture

Community Composting and Food Rescue

Community Meals

Community Food Distribution

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project is funded by a City of Yarra Emerging Issues grant and builds upon previous work done by Cultivating Community in working towards a more resilient and equitable community food system in Yarra. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the development of this guide including the Yarra Community Food System Network and Haruka Takahara who contributed many student placement research hours.

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WHO IS THE COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS NETWORK?

Cultivating Community and North Yarra Community Health (NYCH) convene the Yarra Food Systems Network with stakeholder support from the City of Yarra. Its members include; community organisations, local government and community members. The network supports the development of community food projects and is involved in a broad range of existing food projects and capacity building initiatives. The Network is a good first stop for groups wanting to start a project or connect with other people working on community food projects. The Network meets monthly and welcomes guests or new members. For more information, email peta@culivatingcommunity.org.au

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM?

The food system refers to every process involved in providing people with food from growing, harvesting, packaging, processing, transporting, marketing, consuming and disposal. The community food system refers to localised and often grass roots efforts that work to improve the food security, sustainability and resilience of a particular place and community. For more information on Community Food Systems visit http://www.discoverfoodsys.cornell.edu/primer.html

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WHY START A COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT? Food is an ideal place of connection for people which is why so many community programs are built around it. Food security is also a significant issue in the City of Yarra with many people finding access to fresh food difficult and experiencing health problems associated with poor nutrition. Food is also a major contributor to our environmental footprint, so the choices we make around food can make a significant difference to our environmental impact. Community Food Projects are also inclusive, often lots of fun and can be places of wonderful creativity. Some of the outcomes of community food projects include:

strengthened individual and community food security

opportunities for volunteering

creation of local food enterprises

strengthening relationships between growers and eaters

better health through increased exercise and improved diet

increased local sustainability

increased community resilience

celebration of diversity

increased self-reliance

reduced social isolation

Food Insecurity in Yarra: The National Health Survey (2007-2008) tells us that it is Victoria‘s most disadvantaged who are most at risk of food insecurity. The City of Yarra has significant pockets of disadvantage and food insecurity is a real and significant issue across the municipality with one in ten people having answered yes to the question ―have there been any times in the previous 12 months when you have run out of food and could not afford to buy more? in the 2007 Community Indicators Victoria Survey. And it‘s not just going without food that is causing food insecurity within the community; the types of foods that people are consuming are also a major contributor. Many people turn to foods that are high in fat and sugar as these foods are often more affordable and accessible than fresh produce leading to all kinds of diet related chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. (Community Indicators Victoria, 2007)

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Urban Agriculture encompasses a range of ideas and models but generally covers any projects growing food in the city - It could be a community garden, planter box, school garden, rooftop garden, food garden at home or at a workplace, market garden etc. Growing food not only increases access for people to affordable, fresh and locally grown food but also reduces environmental impact, creates connection and understanding about where food comes from, provides a way for people in the city to engage with nature and increases physical activity (the best green gym!) And on top of all that, urban agriculture programs are also inspiring and creative community building ventures! URBAN AGRICULTURE IN THE CITY OF YARRA:

What’s happening? People all over the City of Yarra are getting down to growing food in a variety of interesting and innovative ways. Across the municipality urban agriculture is taking the form of:

Home Gardens

Community Gardens

Street Gardens and Planter Boxes

School Gardens

Organisational garden programs

URBAN AGRICULTURE Home Gardens + Community Gardens + School Gardens + Planter Boxes

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City of Yarra says YES to Urban Agriculture! City of Yarra Urban Agriculture Guidelines In 2010/2011 the City of Yarra developed and adopted guidelines to help identify and manage new opportunities for different kinds of urban agriculture activities across the municipality. These guidelines are believed to be the first of their kind initiated by a local government in Australia. To see the guidelines, visit: www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Environment/Community-gardens/#guidelines City of Yarra Urban Agriculture Facilitator In addition to the Urban Agriculture Guidelines, the City of Yarra have also employed an Urban Agriculture Facilitator to assist community members and groups to get their community garden projects off the ground. The role of the facilitator is to provide community gardeners with practical advice and assistance on matters such as what is an appropriate location for a garden, ways to consult with neighbours and choosing the right tree specimens and planting materials. For more information visit: http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/environment/Community-gardens/#what City of Yarra Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee The City of Yarra have also established a community-led Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee whose role is to provide advice on the development, management and promotion of urban agriculture across the municipality. The committee is made up of local residents, councillors and council officers and will also further refine the application of the Urban Agriculture Guidelines. http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Environment/Community-gardens/urban-agriculture-advisory-committee/

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Swaps in the City of Yarra:

Fitzroy Urban Harvest, 1st Saturday of the month at Smith Reserve on Alexandra Parade (the park next to the Fitzroy pool).

Sustainable Gardening Australia swap meet at the Abbotsford Convent Slow Food Markets, 4th Saturday of each month. St. Heliers Street, Abbotsford

The best place to start with a community food project is at home! Projects that encourage people to grow food at home are a great way to increase food security and healthy eating practices as well as increase self sufficiency and community sustainability. CURRENT PROGRAMS:

Urban Harvest Backyard Food Swaps Gardeners have always given away their extra produce with neighbours, family and friends, however this age old concept has experienced resurgence over the past couple of years as formal food swaps have started popping up across the country. The idea is that local gardeners come together at a given place and time with any extra produce they may have from their garden and in exchange they are able to take items from other people’s gardens that they don’t grow themselves. The swappers are made up of experienced gardeners and total novices who may only have room for a few pots on a balcony – everyone is welcome. Items to swap are not limited to fresh produce picked from the garden, people also bring jams and chutneys, seedlings, flowers, seeds, plants, empty egg cartons and glass jars, bread, honey, recipes etc Cultivating Community have produced a guide to setting up an Urban Harvest project which

can be accessed by emailing peta@cultivatingcommunity.org.au Friends of the Earth (Adelaide) have produced an urban orchard video – see http://www.adelaide.foe.org.au/2011/02/urban-orchard-dvd-now-available/

HOME GARDENS…

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WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO?

Case Study: Grow and Share The Grow and Share project began in 2008 as part of the Moreland Community Health Services Moreland Food Access Project. The program applied a self-reliant approach to food security by supporting people on low incomes to grow, cook and share food at home and with their broader community. The project worked with eight households across Glenroy and North Coburg and together they designed, built and nurtured backyard gardens as well as created a swap network for participants to share their produce. This project is based on the Grub Kitchen Garden model in Olympia, USA, and the Growing Gardens project in Oregon, Canada. For more information visit http://www.merrichs.org.au/Pages/mfap.aspx Photos: Lizzie Bickmore

Case Study: LandShare Australia Landshare Australia aims to address the issue of limited access to land for growing food in the inner city and links together people who need garden space to grow food with people who have a spare patch of ground they are prepared to share. The Landshare idea began in the UK and is spreading to cities across the world. For more information visit http://www.landshareaustralia.com.au/about/

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Case Study: Growing Abundance Growing Abundance is a Castlemaine Community House project in partnership with Mount Alexander Sustainability Group, Transition Mount Alexander, Mount Alexander Volunteer Network and Mount Alexander Shire Council. The project aims to reduce Castlemaine’s carbon emissions by ‘re-localising’ the local food system in the following ways: Harvest Group: linking volunteers with people who have fruit trees at home but are unable to harvest, prune etc. Volunteers will prune, mulch and feed the trees in return for access to a proportion of the harvest which is then shared amongst the local community. Local Produce Guide: publishing a local guide for consumers and retailers that profiles local producers. Community Kitchen Resource: a series of food preserving workshops and purchase of community food resources (ie flour mill, preserving kits etc) and access to a commercial kitchen for community members. Food for Thought: a series of events focusing on raising awareness about local food. For more information visit http://www.transitionma.org.au/growing-abundance/

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THE STORY SO FAR:

In a densely populated, inner city setting such as the City of Yarra access to land for a community garden can be a challenge. In recent times, a number of community garden proposals have not been successful as the sites that were chosen were strongly contested by local groups wanting to preserve public open space. The council is keen to support groups with urban agriculture initiatives and for this reason they have developed the Urban Agriculture Guidelines, employed an Urban Agriculture Officer and set up the Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee. These initiatives set up by council to support urban agriculture should be your first port of call when looking to set up a Community Garden project in the City of Yarra. Cultivating Community is also located in the City of Yarra and have extensive expertise and experience when it comes to Community Gardens – for more information visit www.cultivatingcommunity.org.au Although community gardens can come in many different forms, in this context when we talk about community gardens we’re talking about allotment style gardens where individuals have a small plot of land within a larger garden to grow food. There are currently ten official community gardens across the City of Yarra. Seven of these gardens are on public housing estates, primarily for use by public housing tenants and managed by Cultivating Community, one garden is run by the Salvation Army for program clients and the other two gardens are accessible by the general public. Most of the community gardens across the inner city have long waiting lists. WHERE ARE THE COMMUNITY GARDENS?

When we look at the City of Yarra Community Food Systems Map and Directory we can see that there are plenty of areas across the municipality that do not have community gardens. Most of the current urban agriculture activity is taking place in the areas of Fitzroy, North Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond and there is plenty of scope for more projects to develop in these areas as well as other parts of the municipality.

COMMUNITY GARDENS…

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WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO?

In order to see more community gardens come to fruition across the city we need to think broadly about land and its uses. As public open space is limited it’s important to consider what other parcels of land may be appropriate to use for a community garden: perhaps a local church or school has some underutilised land or maybe there is an area awaiting construction that will be vacant for enough time to see through a couple of growing seasons? As well as thinking about alternative land options, there are also a number of forms a Community Garden can take depending on the local community and individual aspects of any given site – instead of a large garden made up of individual plots, a small piece of land could be used to grow a community orchard or a local park could be landscaped with perennial food plants – the scope of what’s possible is only limited by your imagination.

Case Study: Northcote Library Food Garden The Northcote Library Food Garden was developed in 2011 by the City of Darebin on the grounds of the Northcote Library. The garden has no individual plots but rather is made up of a number of communal growing beds and a food forest which are managed by a group of committed and enthusiastic local residents. The garden space has also been designed to host workshops and gatherings and to be a sustainability demonstration site. It works on a communal planting and harvest model and each month the gardeners gather for a working bee to plant and share the harvest. Gardeners also put in a couple of extra hours per week in the garden and are allowed to take home a reasonable share of any produce that is ready. The garden is open for all members of the public to enjoy. For more information visit http://www.northcotelibraryfoodgarden.blogspot.com.au/

Case Study: The Peoples Portable Garden, Salt Lake City, Utah USA The Peoples Portable Garden is about utilising land that is currently unused and awaiting development. Sometimes land can lay idle as decisions about planning and the like are being worked out or contested. It is during this time that a portable garden can be developed to make use of the space for the community to grow food. These gardens are designed to be easily relocated onto the next site when the site becomes ready for development. In Salt Lake City, Utah a partnership between the city and Wasatch Community Gardens has seen a number of above-ground planters that can be moved to another location built and rented out to gardeners for $25 per year – the project to date has been highly successful. Above ground planters also alleviate any potential issues of soil contamination. For more information visit http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-8113-public-nuisance.html

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Over the past couple of years the City of Yarra has seen a wonderful urban agriculture phenomenon sweeping its streets in the form of street gardens and planter boxes. Residents have been creative about finding space to grow food and installed planter boxes, often made from recycled packing crates, in no standing zones on the street or other marginal sites that otherwise have little use. The gardens are usually stewarded by interested neighbours in the immediate vicinity but they are open to anyone passing by to plant, water or harvest. These gardens are highly visible to neighbours and passing traffic and have promoted plenty of discussion about the benefits of growing food in the city with both residents and the council. As a result of these novel gardens and other urban agriculture initiatives, council has employed the urban agriculture facilitator and created comprehensive guidelines to encourage and assist residents to build these gardens in appropriate locations and in a way that ensures safety and other issues are taken into consideration. WHERE ARE THE BOXES?

Currently most of the planter boxes are located in the Fitzroy and North Fitzroy areas. There is plenty of scope for more of these types of gardens to flourish across the municipality – this style of garden is a wonderful stand alone community initiative or can be a great way for groups who may be wanting to start a larger style garden to get something happening sooner rather than later and provide a place to get your hands dirty whilst you are organising a larger idea.

PLANTER BOXES…

The First Permit: Their box is official! Maud and Neil are the proud caretakers of the first planter box to be installed under the City of Yarra Urban Agriculture Guidelines - There are currently 6 planter boxes with permits. Maude and Neil with the new planter box (permit no. YCG-01) Photo: Tomas Grieg

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Edible Classrooms Program The Edible Classroom Program is an initiative of Cultivating Community that supports schools to develop food gardens and provides students with an opportunity for ‘hands-on’ learning about growing and eating healthy food. The program involves a Cultivating Community staff member being on-site at schools to work with teachers and students on all aspects of food growing and healthy eating. The program is adapted to suit the needs of different schools. The Edible Classroom Team also partner with the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Cranbourne to provide Professional Development workshops and courses for teachers, parents and volunteers passionate about creating school garden projects. For more information contact: latarnie@cultivatingcommunity.org.au

Growing food in a school setting can be as simple as growing a crop of tomatoes and having a sauce making session with the kids or as elaborate as a full scale kitchen garden program. Schools are an ideal place to develop a community food project as they already have a number of important elements such as land, community, kids, incorporation status etc. Also teaching kids about growing food is an ideal way to foster a lifelong healthy relationship with food and the environment. THE STORY SO FAR...

Many of the schools in the City of Yarra have some kind of food garden in place. Collingwood is home to the original Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program and is still going strong providing a site not only for its students but also a wonderful demonstration of the program to many other schools around the state and country. Fitzroy Primary School and Spensley Street Primary School in Clifton Hill also have wonderful kitchen garden programs employing models that fit their school and community. The Fitzroy Primary School garden program has a number of chickens and a great composting component taking scraps from local cafes and shops and turning them into rich, lush compost that’s then used in the garden providing an example of how a school garden project can work in partnership with other areas of the community to enhance the community food system.

WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO? Schools can be a great place for a Community Garden project as they often have areas of underutilised land and a thriving local community. A number of schools have started up garden projects that they operate in partnership with the broader community. Examples in neighbouring areas include gardens at Olympic Village Primary School in West Heidelberg and at Croxton Special School in Northcote. These garden programs have areas or beds that are worked by the students and other beds that are worked by local groups and local residents. Another bonus of this type of community garden is that there are local residents involved who are able to take care of the garden over the school holiday breaks and weekends. Community Food Projects can only be enhanced and made stronger by partnering with diverse elements of the community.

SCHOOL GARDENS…

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Many community development and support organisations have a food garden program which provides a meaningful and enjoyable activity for clients. These garden programs not only produce food for the program but also provide a safe, relaxing and healing space for participants. The programs also teach valuable gardening and cooking skills. There are a number of organisations across the City of Yarra who have food gardening components to their programmes including Project Respect in Fitzroy who work to empower and support women in the sex industry, including women trafficked to Australia and the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Coolibah Centre in Fitzroy who support older people experiencing homelessness, residing in insecure housing or living with a disability.

ORGANISATIONAL GARDEN PROGRAMS…

Case Study: Sprout Community Garden, Thornbury Sprout community garden is run by Mind Australia to support people who are experiencing drug and alcohol or mental health issues, are at risk of becoming homeless, or are already homeless. The site features fruit and vegetable gardens, a nursery, a number of communal areas and a weekly produce market. Each week staff and volunteers are on hand to assist and teach various elements of gardening to the participants. Participants are also able to learn skills such as money handling and running an event through the weekly community markets. For more information visit http://www.mindaustralia.org.au/Sprout.htm

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WHAT ABOUT ANIIMALS?

The Buzz about Bees:

Keeping bees is a fascinating and productive hobby and is another activity that has seen a surge in interest and popularity in recent times as people take a more active interest in their food production. Households, businesses or organisations can keep a hive or two in most parts of Victoria, including cities and towns which will usually provide enough honey for your needs and will also help pollinate fruit and berry flowers. I’d like to but… If you like the idea of keeping bees but don’t feel confident to get some hives going yourself, you can call in groups like the Melbourne City Rooftop Honey or the Urban Honey Co. These groups manage hives across Melbourne in rooftop cafes, restaurants, hotels and individual’s gardens. The group will harvest the honey

giving a proportion to the host and on-selling the rest to the local community. For more information visit: http://rooftophoney.com.au/ and http://www.urbanhoneyco.com/ Get All Clucky – keeping backyard poultry Keeping chickens in the backyard, at a community or school garden or out the back of your organisation or workplace is a great way to provide eggs for your home or cooking program. The chickens will also quickly and efficiently turn food waste generated from your household or workplace or potentially neighbouring cafes into fantastic fertiliser for the veggie patch! City Chicks is an existing Melbourne business that allows people to rent or buy chickens for their home gardens with the support of professionals, visit www.citychicks.com.au for more information.

Case Study: CERES Chook Group, East Brunswick The CERES Chook Group has a large chicken pen on the CERES site in East Brunswick housing around 30 chickens. There are 14 families in the group who take care of the chickens and collect the eggs on a roster basis. The group also meets monthly for a working bee and social get together. The group has been going for 30 years and has been a very successful and long lasting model. For more information visit http://www.ceres.org.au/groups-site/chook-group

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COMMUNITY COMPOSTING Community Composting is the act of people in the community getting together to compost collectively. Community Composting aims to address the enormous issue of food waste in our community and also recognises the significant potential to harness this waste and turn it into a valuable resource – compost. Composting prevents organic waste ending up in landfill and in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Community Composting projects can take on a broad range of forms from individual home compost systems to a large-scale municipal level scheme. In March 2011, the City of Yarra conducted a domestic waste stream audit and found that food was the most prevalent material in the garbage stream accounting for approx. 52.6% of all materials in the bin! With some 11,500 million tonnes of municipal waste going to landfill every year and over half of that volume being food we have a lot of looking at our food habits and composting to do! (pg 8 City of Yarra Domestic Waste Stream Audit, All Environmental Concepts: March 2011) CURRENT PROGRAMS

Compost Mates Compost Mates was first piloted in 2008 in Fitzroy by Cultivating Community and a team of passionate, local volunteers with funding from City of Yarra Community Grants. The Compost Mates project supports residents to collect food waste from their local cafes to compost in their home and community spaces. Operating on a roster system each resident picks up around 20L of food waste on a weekly basis. Over time this adds up to the diversion of tonnes of organic waste from landfill and the production of valuable compost used for food production. The project then received further funding from City of Yarra in 2010 to expand the initiative into the Clifton Hill area. If you would like to get a Compost Mates project going in your neighbourhood, you can contact Cultivating Community for project start up information: email info@cultivatingcommunity.org.au

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Compost Champions The Compost Champions project is working with members of the Collingwood public housing estate to transform their organic waste into valuable compost for the community gardens. Recruited from estate residents, the Compost Champions actively learn about composting and are supported to share this knowledge with their friends and families. Food waste is collected from people’s apartments by the project worker and taken to a central compost unit. The project was funded through Sustainability Victoria. Neighbourhood Based Community Composting Centre The Neighbourhood Based Community Compost Centre (NBCCC) is a partnership project between Cultivating Community, the City of Yarra and the Collingwood Children's Farm. The NBCCC will consist of medium scale infrastructure (compost bays, worm farm & chooks) to allow local cafes and up to 500 residents to compost their food waste on the Farm’s existing site. The NBCCC will also include a mini market garden integrated with chook systems; ultimately demonstrating a complete closed-loop food cycle through growing, eating and composting. Compost Crew The Compost Crew Program is an extension to the NBCCC providing education and outreach to the community immediately around the Farm. Stage one of the outreach is to work with 100 residents to compost 100% of their food waste in their own homes, while stage two will upscale to 1000 residents. These homes include people renting, living in units and home owners. A variety of compost systems and educational techniques will be drawn on to meet residents' needs. Residents commit to a 12 month trial of composting their scraps and participate in workshops and surveys to actively monitor how composting food waste changes their behaviour and attitude.

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WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO?

Case Study: Elwood Community Composting A Port Phillip community group has set up a community composting site in Dawkins Reserve, Elwood. The project is simple yet effective – inviting neighbouring residents to bring their food scraps to the park to be communally composted. The site features four Aerobins, a type of composting bin that is completely enclosed however excellent airflow and insulation ensures that the waste is broken down quickly and efficiently. These bins are managed by a small team of dedicated volunteers. The project received a start up grant through the City of Port Phillip’s Small Poppy Neighbourhood Grants Programme. It’s estimated that 50-60 households are using the bins. The finished product is to be donated to Elwood Primary school for use on their kitchen garden. For more information visit: http://localcomposting.wordpress.com/

Being Resourceful: Compost bins do not have to be commercially-made; instead, they can be made locally or converted from used materials like wooden pallets, corrugated iron, or industrial (clean) drums. The Urban Bush Carpenters (Melbourne) are a community group who, for no or very little money, build furniture and infrastructure specifically for local food and composting initiatives that benefit the community, www.urbanbushcarpenters.org.

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COMING TO THE RESCUE: FODD REDISTRIBUTION

ORGANISATIONS:

The current food system sees Australians throw out over 4 million tons of food each year (http://foodwise.com.au/did-you-know/fast-facts.aspx viewed 15/6/12). Fortunately there are a number of food rescue organisations operating in Victoria including SecondBite, FareShare and VicRelief Food Bank. These organisations redistribute surplus fresh food to community food programs that support many vulnerable people including people who are homeless, women and families in crisis, youth at risk, indigenous communities, asylum seekers and new arrivals. The food is donated by farmers, wholesalers, markets, supermarkets, caterers and events. This rescued food has significantly reduced the alarming amount of perfectly good food ending up in landfill and also provided countless nutritious meals for people in need via community organisations.

SecondBite SecondBite is based in Kensington and provides a delivery model of service and may be able to deliver produce to your community food project. It already provides food to many recipient agencies in Yarra who may also act as a drop off point for your food requirements. To find out more about SecondBite or to register to receive their fresh produce visit: www.secondbite.org.au VicRelief Foodbank VicRelief Foodbank is the largest provider of food and material aid within Victoria. It sources, stores and redistributes hundreds of thousands of kilos of food and material aid each year directly to Victorians in crisis. Through partnerships with food business and donors they are able to source a mixture of A grade, end-of-line, mislabelled and overrun stock still suitable for consumption. To access food from VicRelief Foodbank you will need to register with them and be able to pick up food from their warehouse in Yarraville using your own vehicle. For more information about VicRelief Foodbank and to find out how to register with them, visit: www.vrfb.com.au FareShare Based in Abbotsford, FareShare chefs and volunteers turn donated food into nutritious and delicious meals. If you are a charity or community group in Victoria working with people who are hungry, FareShare can provide you with meals for redistribution. For more information about FareShare and to find out how to register with them visit: www.fareshare.net.au

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COMMUNITY MEALS The good news is that there are many organisations across the municipality receiving food from food rescue groups and providing community meal programs for local people. Most neighbourhood houses and many other community organisations host community lunches and other meal programs across the community - the programs may be for specific cultural or social groups or may be open to anyone. Community meals not only provide an often much needed meal but also provide a social setting in which to enjoy the meal. Community Meals are a popular way for organisations/groups to work towards increasing community food security as they provide food, combat social isolation and can increase people’s food skills if a cooking component is involved. Identified Gaps: In researching this guide, interviews were conducted with key service providers about the supply of community meals and the following issues were raised:

People that live in supported residential services have limited access to fresh food.

Building cooking skills and other support around food access and preparation for people living in rooming houses is needed.

Many men are isolated and experiencing food insecurity - more programs directly addressing the needs of men like the breakfast program run by the Neighbourhood House in Collingwood are needed.

People miss the Community Fresh Food Market in Collingwood run by Cultivating Community – currently there is nothing to fill the gap.

Women’s specific food/meal programs are needed.

Youth focussed meal programs are needed

More fresh food in emergency food parcels is needed.

Need more open door style emergency meals such as the meals offered at St Mary’s House of Welcome in Fitzroy.

Case Study: Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House Richmond The Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House in Richmond offers a huge array of services to the community including educational, cultural, recreational and social activities. It is a place where everyone is welcome and they strive to provide a safe and relaxed environment where people can access information and services. As part of their programs, the house provides some type of community meal every day: Monday - Multicultural Community Lunch – attended mostly by English class students Tuesday – Friendship community lunch – explores healthy cooking and cooking on a budget. Wednesday – Playgroup – Mothers and Children’s lunch – mothers take turns to cook Youth drop in - cooking and fruit – BBQ’s/pasta Thursday – 2nd Bite and FairShare drop off – community lunches and general distribution. Fridays – Local Choir has community lunch For more information visit http://www.banh.org.au/BANH/Welcome.html

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COMMUNITY KITCHENS A Community Kitchen is a group who come together on a regular basis to socialise and cook affordable and nutritious meals. The participants then share the meal or divide it up to take home. Through buying and cooking in bulk, Community Kitchens are able to produce meals at a lower cost than individuals who cook at home for themselves. The Community Kitchens are driven by the participants, including all the decision making about the running of the group. There are kitchens located at community organisations, schools, council facilities etc across the municipality that may be available for use for community kitchen projects. For more information visit http://www.communitykitchens.org.au/About/

Case Study: Melting Pot Atherton Gardens Fitzroy The Melting Pot is a pilot cooking project based on the Community Kitchen model on the Atherton Gardens Estate in Fitzroy. The project aims to bring people together to access fresh food, learn how to prepare healthy, culturally diverse and affordable meals and share food in a spirit of conviviality. The project will also provide training and employment opportunities. The project is due to commence in July 2012. The project will incorporate the following elements: Weekly cooking sessions – to be held on a Saturday, utilising food from food rescue organisations such as SecondBite. Monthly cooking demonstrations – by dieticians from North Yarra Community Health. The dieticians also hope to engage and guide interested residents from the weekly cooking sessions to deliver these demonstrations. Quarterly cultural feasts and celebrations – Four special feasts to be held each year celebrating the various seasons and reflecting cultural celebration themes and foods. Much of the food would be prepared by the Saturday Cooking Group in partnership with other cultural groups based on the estate. Multicultural Cooking Classes for the broader community – these classes would allow the broader community to participate in learning to cook special cultural dishes from cooks from the Atherton Gardens Estate community. The classes will include sharing a meal together and learning about the various cultural groups on the estate in a fun and engaging format that also reflects the culture of Fitzroy and the food culture of Melbourne. Composting component – to ensure all food waste is composted and not sent to land fill. For more information email info@cultivatingcommunity.org.au

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Food For Thought… Project Idea: During background interviews with local organisations for the development of this guide a number of people came up with a similar idea: A group receives a variety of produce from a food rescue organisation such as SecondBite each week which could then be divided up into boxes of mixed fruit and veg for participants to take home to supplement their week’s shopping (see Case Study: Braybrook and Maidstone Fruit and Vegetable Distribution Project pg24). The group then prepares a meal together out of the same ingredients that are in the box in order to demonstrate and share cooking ideas and recipes. The participants would have been able to see and be part of the meal preparation boosting their confidence to give it a go themselves at home! Participants conclude the session by sharing the meal together.

Case Study: Plant a Row Share a Row (PARSAR) PARSAR is an annual tomato sauce making event which is an offshoot of the Fitzroy Urban Harvest. Volunteers come together to make around 40litres of sauce out of extra tomatoes grown especially by local gardeners and tomatoes donated by SecondBite. The group have made sauce for a number of years which they donate to a community choir whose participants are vulnerable to food insecurity. The choir meet once a week to sing and share lunch. This simple yet powerful concept is based on the American Plant a Row Grow a Row idea and enables local people to contribute to their community food security in a fun, joyful and empowering way. For more information visit: www.growarow.org/ Or email peta@cultivatingcommunity.org.au

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FOOD DISTRIBUTION Food distribution is about how we get our food – most of us pop down to the supermarket to do our weekly shopping and might not think too much about the effects of our spending choices. However more and more folks are starting to seek out alternative ways to shop and in doing so are becoming active food citizens - that is taking greater responsibility for the impacts of their food choices. Alternative distribution models have numerous benefits including:

more affordable produce

better prices for local farmers

increased local food security

better quality produce

environmental benefits – reduced food miles and packaging/support for sustainable farming practices.

The following are examples of alternative food distribution models: Farmers Markets According to the Victorian Farmers Market Association, a Farmers Market is a predominantly local fresh food and produce market that operates regularly at a public location which provides a suitable environment for farmers and food producers to sell their farm origin product and their associated value added primary products directly to customers. There are currently two farmers markets in the City of Yarra, one at the Collingwood Childrens Farm and the other at the Abbotsford Convent. Although not a Farmers Market, the council run Gleadall Street Market in Richmond provides another outlet for local people to access affordable, fresh food.

For more information visit: http://www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/content/our-charter Food Co-operatives A food co-op is a group of people who get together to buy food in bulk direct from wholesalers or from farmers. By pooling buying power co-op members are able to purchase fresh, quality food at reduced prices. Members usually pay an annual fee which goes towards the co-ops running costs. The members usually perform all the tasks required on a roster basis. For a comprehensive guide on how to start up a food co-op visit: http://www.cgin.coop/how_to_start Community Support Agriculture (CSA) A CSA scheme is sometimes referred to as a ‘farm share’ – this type of distribution model makes a direct connection between the farmer and the consumers. Consumers will pay up front for a share in the farm’s harvest ensuring the farmer has a guaranteed market for their produce. The consumers share the risk with the farmer and in return enjoy cost effective, fresh, local produce. The concept also brings the consumer closer to their food source allowing them to know exactly where their food is from and who has grown it. Many CSA’s will also include opportunities for consumers to help out on the farm during working bees and host open days. This model originated in Japan and has become popular in the United States and United Kingdom and is steadily growing here in Australia and other countries too. For more information on CSA’s in Victoria visit http://www.farmgateway.org/

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Case Study: Braybrook and Maidstone Fruit and Vegetable Distribution Project This is a food co-op with a difference! Each week SecondBite and A Gesture deliver boxes of rescued food to the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House. The food is then sorted into boxes for 25 participating families by a team of 5 volunteers. It’s a mystery box each week, always containing assorted fruit and veg and sometimes featuring some cooked meals or other items such as milk and yoghurt. The coordinator of the neighbourhood house explained there is a long waiting list, however the project is at a manageable size and won’t grow any bigger. Participants are interviewed and must meet the criteria of need in order to receive a box and are reviewed every three months to ensure they are still eligible – if your circumstances have improved you must then give up your place in the program to the next in line on the waiting list. The coordinator expressed how much the families love the boxes and have dramatically changed how they eat at home. She went on to say that she could see the difference in people’s faces, that they looked healthier. The program has been successfully running for two years. For more information contact the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House on 9317 5610 or email maidstonebraybrook@yahoo.com.au.

Case Study: Food Skil Social Enterprise – Geelong Food Skil is a social enterprise which started in July 2011 and is funded and operates out of Workskil’s Corio office. Foods Skil is working in the areas of Corio and Norlane addressing the very high level of food insecurity by increasing access to fruit and veg and providing community education. The project features a sustainable commercial market garden and a number of community markets and retail outlets selling affordable fruit and veg. The project has also initiated a number of food swaps across the area which work in partnership with the retail aspect of the program. There are also plans to establish a community food hub which will include a fresh food outlet and commercial kitchen. The markets and shops sell produce sourced from the Melbourne metro markets as well as produce from the market garden. The various aspects of the enterprise aim to provide training and employment opportunities for local people in disciplines such as horticulture, hospitality and retail. Workskil will provide financial and in-kind support to Food Skil over three years, after which it will be handed over to the local community in the style of a true social enterprise. Additional in kind and funding support will be sought through federal, state and local grants. For more information visit http://www.futureproofinggeelong.com/item.aspx?id=22&tag_id=1

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Lessons Learned... Case study: Atherton Gardens and Collingwood Estates Community Fresh Food Markets From 2004 to 2011, Cultivating Community ran weekly fresh food markets in community spaces on the Atherton Gardens Fitzroy and the Collingwood Estates. The project purchased food from the Footscray Wholesale Market and on-sold the produce with a minimal mark up to cover some of the operating costs. Managed by a paid co-coordinator and staffed by local volunteers, the project also employed a local person to be the buyer. In addition to providing fresh produce at affordable prices, an emphasis was placed on quality and sustainability so the food was bought with an in-season and as local as possible ethic. Each volunteer took home a $10 box of produce to reward their efforts. Initially it was anticipated that the project would become financially self-sufficient as the customer base increased, however after a few years the reality became clear that this was not going to be possible and that the project would always require some funding to pay for project staffing. In 2010 the project made the transition from community market to box scheme in the hope of becoming more financially sustainable, however this format was not popular with customers and was still financially challenging and finally in 2011 Cultivating Community decided to wrap up the project due to a number of factors including:

increased access to fresh food in the area with the opening up of 2 new supermarkets

inconsistent customer base

volunteer fatigue

lack of funding options

inconsistent produce quality

There are many lessons to be learnt from the Community Markets model – Food enterprises, especially fresh food enterprises can fill a big gap in food insecure communities. However given the highly competitive nature of the fresh food industry and the need to provide produce at rock bottom prices in these enterprises, making a successful project can be very challenging. Cultivating Community has produced a useful guide, Developing Food Enterprises in the West. It focuses on the Western Region of Melbourne and contains relevant information for groups wanting to start a food enterprise in other areas. The guide can be accessed at http://foodskil.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/a-guide-for-community-food-enterprises-in-the-west.pdf

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SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

The social enterprise model can be an ideal fit for community food projects. According to Social Traders, an organisation set up to support Social Enterprise in Australia, “Social enterprise is defined as a means by which people come together and use market–based ventures to achieve agreed social ends. It is characterised by creativity, entrepreneurship, and a focus on community rather than individual profit. It is a creative endeavour that results in social, financial, service, educational, employment, or other community benefits.” For more information on social enterprise models visit http://www.socialtraders.com.au/sites/www.socialtraders.com.au/files/SocialEntPart1_2.pdf There are a number of community food social enterprises in and around Melbourne including STREAT which is a venture providing homeless youth with a supported pathway to long-term careers in the hospitality industry. STREAT run street cafes and food carts with food inspired by street hawker food from around the world. For more information visit http://streat.com.au/ OTHER TYPES OF PROJECTS:

There are a multitude of project options and variations when it comes to community food projects, below are a few more examples… Community Cafes - Community cafes are places where people can come to eat an affordable meal in a sociable setting. They are often in community centres, church facilities or other community organisations and are run by volunteers or a combination of volunteers and paid staff. Community cafes usually rely on funding for financial viability and may use the social enterprise model. Community Transport Schemes – Community transport schemes bring people who may have limited transport options to the shops or markets. This type of scheme may partner with council or other organisations that have access to community buses. Breakfast Clubs – Breakfast clubs are usually run before school either at school or at local community centres and provide free nutritional breakfast to ensure that kids are equipped to start the school day and are ready for learning. There are a number of breakfast clubs across the City of Yarra provided by organisations such as the Red Cross and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. For more information on types of community food projects visit http://www.sustainweb.org/sauce/types_of_community_food_projects/

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MORE USEFUL DOCUMENTS AND WEBSITES THAT MAY HELP YOU ON YOUR COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT JOURNEY...

Documents: Food-Sensitive Planning and Urban Design By Jenny Donovan Kirsten Larsen and Julie-Anne McWhinnie, David Lock Associates, Melbourne University and National Heart Foundation of Australia March 2011 This resource provides tools, suggestions and case studies to help reconcile food considerations with planning and urban design objectives. (from VicHealth) Available from; http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Publications/Healthy-Eating/Reports-and-evaluations/Food-sensitive-planning-urban-design.aspx Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Waste in Australia By Emily Morgan, VicHealth and Deakin University March 2009 This report looks at the situation of low consumption of fruit and vegetables and high levels of food waste in Australia. It also explores the current food system and puts forward recommendations for change. http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/en/Publications/Healthy-Eating/Research-summaries/Fruit-and-vegetable-consumption-and-waste-in-Australia.aspx Growing Community — starting and nurturing community gardens By Claire Nettle, South Australian Community Gardens Network and Tim Marshall 2010 This is a comprehensive guidebook to starting and managing community gardens. the booklet covers the latest evidence for the benefits of community gardening, tips for getting started, avoiding common pitfalls, sustainable and creative garden design, gardening in schools, integrating community gardens into health and community programs and more. (from Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network) Available from Google books; http://books.google.com.au/books?id=4o69Qp3y1f0C&source=gbs_navlinks_s

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

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WEBSITES: Local CERES www.ceres.org.au Cultivating Community www.cultivatingcommunity.org.au Friends of the Earth www.melbourne.foe.org.au Local Harvest www.localharvest.org.au MADGE www.madge.org.au North Fitzroy Community Gardens Group http://rushallgarden.wordpress.com/ North Yarra Community Health www.nych.org.au/ Sustainable Gardening Australia www.sgaonline.org.au Windmill Food Garden at Tramstop 22 http://tramstop22.blogspot.com.au/ Yarra Climate Action Now (YCAN) www.ycan.org.au National Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network www.communitygarden.org.au Overseas Community Food Security Coalition (USA) www.foodsecurity.org Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming (UK) www.sustainweb.org Transition Network (UK) www.transitionnetwork.org

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The Yarra Community Food Projects Map and Directory has been created as a visual means to see what food projects are happening and where. The map will also be useful in determining which areas across the municipality are lacking in food projects. The map and directory also allow existing projects to see what other groups are doing and hopefully inspire them (as well as new projects) to connect with surrounding initiatives. The map is a community resource that is continually changing, so for the latest version head to the link below. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=212976316148652600859.0004b2874c9534ec9d8c1 If you are a community food project or know of a project not listed on the map, please add yourself in by following the above link to the map or email peta@cultivatingcommunity.org.au.

Yarra Community Food System Google Map:

YARRA COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS MAP AND DIRECTORY

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URBAN AGRICULTURE

Community Gardens 1. 229 Hoddle Street Collingwood (CC)

2. 253 Hoddle St Collingwood (CC)

3. Atherton Gardens Fitzroy (CC)

4. Collingwood Childrens Farm

5. Emerald Street Collingwood (CC)

6. Highett St Richmond (CC)

7. Lennox Street Richmond (CC)

8. Mater Street Collingwood (Salvation Army)

9. Rushall North Fitzroy

*CC – Garden managed by Cultivating Community

Planter Box 10. 10 McKean Street North Fitzroy

11. 119 Moor Street Fitzroy

12. 22 Moor Street Fitzroy

13. Birkenhead Street North Fitzroy

School Gardens

14. Collingwood College (SAKGF)

15. Fitzroy Primary School

16. The Island Fitzroy

17. Richmond West

18. Spensley St Primary School Clifton Hill

19. Yarra Primary School Richmond (SAKGF)

*SAKGF – Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

Foundation Project

Others

20. Coolibah Centre Garden Fitzroy (BSL)

21. Finbar Neighbourhood House Richmond

22. Gordon St Pop Up Garden Clifton Hill

23. Project Respect Garden Project Fitzroy

24. Tram stop 22 garden North Fitzroy

25. Tree For All Orchard Fitzroy

26. Compost Mates Clifton Hill

27. Compost Champions Collingwood

28. Neighbourhood Based Community Composting

Centre Abbotsford

ALTERNATIVE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Food Co-Ops 1. Friends of the Earth Collingwood

Box Schemes

1. CERES Fair Food – numerous drop off points

MEALS & EMERGENCY RELIEF

Meal Providers 1. Fintry Bank Community Lunch Clifton Hill

2. Food Not Bombs Fitzroy

3. Matthew Talbot Soup Van Fitzory

4. Missionaries of Charity Fitzroy

5. Open Door Seventh-Day Adventists Church

North Fitzroy

6. St Marys House of Welcome Fitzroy

Community Lunches 1. Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House

Richmond

2. Collingwood Neighbourhood House

Food Parcels 1. 140 Hoddle St Collingwood

2. 44 Otter St Collingwood

3. Anglicare (Families)

4. Collingwood Cottage / St Joseph’s Church

5. Richmond Hill Churches Food Relief Centre

6. Salvation Army Collingwood

7. St Marks Community Centre Collingwood

8. St Vincent De Paul Collingwood

9. St Vincent De Paul Fitzroy

10. St. Ignatius Church/Church St Richmond

SecondBite Recipient Locations 1. Carlton Primary School

2. Victorian Aboriginal Health Service Fitzroy

3. Next Door Primary Health Care Unit Collingwood

4. St Joseph’s Primary Collingwood

5. Margaret Oats Soup Van Collingwood

6. Collingwood College

7. Choir of Hope and Inspirations Collingwood

8. VACCHO Collingwood

9. Maysar Fitzroy

10. Brotherhood of St Laurence Fitzroy

11. St Mary's House of Welcome Fitzroy

12. Fitzroy Police

13. Fitzroy Learning Network

14. Operation Stitches Richmond

15. Richmond West Primary

16. FareShare Abbotsford

17. Paxton House – Arbias Collingwood

18. St Marks Community Centre Fitzroy

19. Holden St Neighbourhood House

CITY OF YARRA COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS DIRECTORY

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CERES Chook Group: http://www.ceres.org.au/groups-site/chook-group (accessed 10/06/12) City Chicks: www.citychicks.com.au (accessed 15/04/12) City of Yarra Domestic Waste Stream Audit, All Environmental Concepts: March 2011 City Weekly: http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-8113-public-nuisance.html (accessed 20/05/12) Community Composting in Port Phillip: http://localcomposting.wordpress.com/ (accessed 2/06/12) Community Indicators Victoria (2007): Gippsland Local Government's Wellbeing Reports - Food Security Community Kitchens: http://www.communitykitchens.org.au/About/ (accessed 08/06/12) Discovering the Food System: A Primer on Community Food Systems: http://www.discoverfoodsys.cornell.edu/primer.html (accessed 10/05/12) Food Skil Enterprise: http://www.futureproofinggeelong.com/item.aspx?id=22&tag_id=1 (accessed 15/06/12) FoodWise: http://foodwise.com.au/did-you-know/fast-facts.aspx (accessed 15/06/12). Friends of the Earth Adelaide: http://www.adelaide.foe.org.au/2011/02/urban-orchard-dvd-now-available/ (accessed 10/06/12) Google icons are downloaded from; code.google.com/p/google-maps-icons/wiki/NumericIcons How to Start a Food Co-Op: http://www.cgin.coop/how_to_start (accessed 15/06/12) http://www.communityindicators.net.au/wellbeing_reports (accessed 20/05/12) LandShare Australia: http://www.landshareaustralia.com.au/about/ (accessed 10/06/12) Melbourne City Roof Top Honey: http://rooftophoney.com.au/ (accessed 15/05/12) Moreland Food Access Project: http://www.merrichs.org.au/Pages/mfap.aspx (accessed 10/06/12)

REFERENCES

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Northcote Library Food Garden: http://www.northcotelibraryfoodgarden.blogspot.com.au/ (accessed 17/06/12) Social Traders: http://www.socialtraders.com.au/sites/www.socialtraders.com.au/files/SocialEntPart1_2.pdf (accessed 12/06/12) Sprout Community Garden: http://www.mindaustralia.org.au/Sprout.htm (accessed 10/6/12) Streat Social Enterprise: http://streat.com.au/ (accessed 15/06/12) Sustain: http://www.sustainweb.org/sauce/types_of_community_food_projects/ (accessed 15/06/12) Transition Mount Alexander: http://www.transitionma.org.au/growing-abundance/ (accessed 20/05/12) Victorian Farmers Market Association: http://www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/content/our-charter (accessed 25/05/12)