Following the success of the 2022 Central Coast Edible Garden Trail, funds raised through ticket sales are now directly benefitting community projects.
After putting some funds aside for the 2023 Trail, organisers were left with $6,000 to invest back into the community.
“Our aim to help community gardens and disadvantaged young people on the Coast is being realised,” a spokesperson said.
“As a project of Permaculture Central Coast, we’ve been able to draw on a wealth of knowledge and a healthy network to create an outreach program as well as give a direct donation to each community garden.”
The community outreach program has been designed by Sue Bradley of In8lygood and SWAMP Central Coast.
Collaboration has been key with 15 organisations involved, including the Central Coast Edible Garden Trail, Permaculture Central Coast, nine community gardens, You Connect, Options Disability and Synergy Permaculture.
It includes sessions at nine community gardens, with permaculture teachers Kerrie Anderson and Matt Silavant facilitating hands-on workshops for You Connect and Options Disability participants.
The first session, held on Tuesday, May 2, took place at Woy Woy Peninsula Community Garden, where participants built hugelkultur beds.
A hugelkultur bed is a gardening technique used to create raised beds using logs, branches and other woody material.
Starting with layers of wooden logs, then large sticks and branches then smaller sticks, participants layered mushroom compost, coffee grounds donated by local cafes, beautiful chunky compost made on-site by community garden volunteers and finally finished off with finely sieved compost to create a nutrient rich and free draining growing medium which was planted out with herbs and edible flowers.
“It was an engaging and lively session with lots of laughs and smiles as a diverse group of people built a productive growing space,” Anderson said.
“During a mid-session tea break, we enjoyed freshly squeezed guava juice made from guavas harvested in the community garden, juiced by a volunteer and brought back to the garden to share.”
Participants said the skills and techniques they had learned could now be applied in their own gardens, especially as the hugelkultur beds had the benefit of requiring less soil to establish.
The second session was held at Wyoming Eco Garden on Tuesday, May 9.
“We had a great couple of hours refuelling a pre-existing raised bed, which was recently harvested with the no-dig gardening style,” Silavant said.
“The participants had great fun joking and laughing while they learnt the ins and outs of preparing and setting up a no-dig garden, getting their gloved hands dirty throughout the workshop.
“No blood or tears were shed but a good time was shared.”
With seven more sessions to run across the Coast over the next eight weeks, Anderson and Silavant will be sharing more exciting skills and permaculture techniques.
Other community gardens involved in the program include Wyoming Eco Garden, Wyong Community Garden, Narara Eco Village, SWAMP Central Coast, Bateau Bay Community Garden, Kariong Eco Garden, East Gosford Community Garden and Kincumber Eco Garden.
“Permaculture Central Coast is committed to caring for the earth, caring for people, and the fair share of resources,” CEO Clara Peto said.
“We are delighted to support this program which helps the participants connect with our environment and each other.
“The Edible Garden Trail and Permaculture Central Coast are not just about growing food but also about growing community and we are looking forward to seeing what other initiatives we can grow together next year.”
The Woy Woy Peninsula Community Garden run by PEG at 85 Moana St has regular working bees every Thursday and on the second Saturday and last Sunday of each month, all starting at 8.30am with all welcome.
You Connect is a not-for-profit organisation which supports people who live with a disability, have complex behaviours and/or have a mental health diagnosis that impacts their day-to-day functioning.
Options Disability Support offers flexible and structured living, work, social and recreational supports for adults with a disability.
Synergy Permaculture is run by Kerrie Anderson who is a permaculture and meditation teacher and is passionate about influencing others to make informed choices for a more sustainable future.
Matt Silavant is a site supervisor at Options Disability, focusing on connecting with community and nature to smash NDIS and personal goals.
Permaculture Central Coast is an enthusiastic group of volunteers who work together to encourage more people on the NSW Central Coast to learn, practise and teach permaculture.
The Central Coast Edible Garden Trail is a project of Permaculture Central Coast and is a ticketed, self-guided weekend event.
This year it will be held on October 21-22.
More details are available at https://centralcoastediblegardentrail.org.au/.
Source:
Permaculture Central Coast