Our Vision
Aims and Objectives
Cultivating Community is a not-for-profit organisation that has grown out of support for community garden projects in inner-city public housing estates. It has evolved into an organisation to promote and support the development of community garden projects across the entire community. Cultivating community consists of a management committee, paid workers and volunteers.
Access to such a basic resource as soil is limited in the densely populated inner-city, hence community gardens are extremely popular with long waiting lists common. The solution to reducing waiting lists is to create more community gardens - every city suburb needs one.
More gardening more often
Cultivating Community envisages:
- a thriving network of community gardens in public housing estates and other community areas throughout Victoria
- the development of a practical and transferable model of set-up, training, follow-through and evaluation that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the gardens
- a focus on community building through gardening and environmental projects so as to work more closely with a wide range of people to enrich their quality of life.
Our work is based around encouraging the development of sustainable agricultural practices in urban areas and promoting the cultural richness of food, plants and people through community gardens.
Our Purpose
We envisage a thriving network of community gardens throughout the region.
Our Objectives
- To consolidate and expand Community Food Services
- to demonstrate the benefits of growing food locally
- to use collaborative processes and practices which value the contribution of all.
Working with housing estate gardeners
In 2000, Cultivating Community successfully tendered with the state government’s Office of Housing (OOH) to employ a Community Garden Project Worker. This funding was increased in 2002 when we employed another worker on a part-time basis.
On the 20 June 2002, Cultivating Community successfully tendered with the OOH to manage a total of fourteen community gardens located on public housing estates. For the first time, all public housing gardens would be managed by one organisation.
Cultivating Community is responsible for the management of a total of 17 community gardens on public housing estates across Melbourne, working with people from over 20 language groups.
The gardens are based around the principles and practises of environmentally sustainable horticulture and waste management.
Cultivating Community is committed to grass roots community development and is working alongside public housing residents/plot holders to achieve long term goals of tenant empowerment and self management for the community garden projects.
The housing estate community gardens
There are presently a total of 624 plots available for use by public housing residents on the estates. The aim of the project is to supply a range of community garden support services to public housing tenants.
The areas Culltivating Community staff work in include:
Southern region
- Airlie Street, Elsternwick
- King Street, Prahran
- Union Street, Windsor
- Inkerman Street, Elsternwick.
Northern region
- 229 & 253 Hoddle Street, Collingwood
- Dight/Emerald Street, Collingwood
- Highett Street, Richmond
- Lennox Street, Richmond
- Napier Street, Fitzroy.
Western region
- Alfred Street, North Melbourne
- Buncle Street, North Melbourne
- Gronn Place, West Brunswick
- Lygon Street, Carlton
- Wingate Avenye, Ascot Vale
- Crown Street, Ascot Vale
- Racecourse Road, Flemington.
Our aim in the gardens is to provide hands-on horticulture advice; ensure full plot use; develop working compost/waste management systems, organise community events/berbecues/working bees; ensure that gardens are well maintained and promote the use of gardener lead committees to lead to greater self management. Through providing the above services we hope to facilitate a sense of community building.
Timeline
- Started as an inter church funded project called Coll-Link.
- Initially a very small group with one paid part-time garden coordinator supporting the housing tenants on the Collingwood Housing Estate.
- Coll-Link becomes an Incorporated Not-For-Profit association.
- Seattle Community Gardens Conference. Coll-link worker gives presentation on Benefits of Community Gardens in Public Housing in Australia.
- Secure funding for employment of worker to run Summer Children’s Garden Project.
- Run a stand at Royal Melbourne Show promoting Community Gardens and growing food.
- CC organise first ever Victorian Community Gardens Gathering. This becomes an annual event.
- Summer Children’s Garden Project ends. Role expands to supporting the manager of Community Gardens at DHS in Community Gardens on Public Housing Estates.
- Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden at Collingwood College is established. Kitchen Garden Worker is supplied through CC.
- Opening of new Community Garden in Gronn Place Brunswick.
- Second Community Garden worker employed.
- Map of Melbourne’s Community Gardens produced;
- Win contract with DHS to support 17 Community Gardens on Public Housing Estates. Employ a further 3 workers.
- Set up permanent office at Collingwood Children’s Farm.
- Joint conference with HTAV “Dirty Hands Happy Hearts”. This becomes a bi-annual event.
- Employ 15 public housing tenants on landscaping projects.
- Move office to Collingwood Public Housing estate.
- Convene first Australian Community Garden and City Farms National Gathering.
- First food coop opened in Fitzroy.
- Assist in design and consultation of New Community Garden located on Inkerman St Public Housing Estate.
2005 Events- Veterans gardening program starts-Partnership with Garden of Eden. This takes total number of employees to 6.
- Second Food Coop opens in Collingwood.
- With HTAV run Community and Therapeutic gardening course at Burnley.
- Grand opening of Flemington estate Community Garden. Largest on a Public Housing Estate with 124 plots.
- Organise Harvest Garden Conference aimed at Schools. Attended by over 240 people.
- Second Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden at Nunawading is established. Kitchen Garden Worker is supplied through CC.
- Enter in to agreement with DHS to develop 2 Community Gardens from scratch on neighbourhood renewal sites.
- Supply Kitchen Garden Worker to Park Hill Primary and St Peters Primary independently of Stephanie Alexander Foundation.
- Secure 3 year funding for Community Garden Program.
- Take on support of Northcote Community Garden taking total number of gardens to 20.