Community

Abundance

Resources

Training

Australia's school gardens…

Innovative places…….

– To grow communities– To grow food – To educate about

sustainability

Abundance

Celebration

creativity

culture

cooking

Fresh food

YOUR SCHOOLS ORGANISATIONAL DIAGRAM – WORKERS/GROUPS

Green Team

GARDENERS

SITE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT/ SITE PLANING & IMPLEMENTATION

YOUR SCHOOLS ORGANISATIONAL DIAGRAM – WORKERS/GROUPS

Green Team

GARDENERS

SITE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

STUDENT/WORKERS/VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

COOKING, CUPS OF TEA, CELEBRATIONS, AWARDS

MANAGEMENT team

CO-ORDINATION & PLANNING

PROJECT/ SITE PLANING & IMPLEMENTATION

INCL. PRINCIPAL & P&C

YOUR SCHOOLS ORGANISATIONAL DIAGRAM

White Team

ADMIN/

FINANCE

Green Team

GARDENERS

SITE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

STUDENT/WORKERS/VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

COOKING, CUPS OF TEA, CELEBRATIONS, AWARDS

MANAGEMENT team

CO-ORDINATION & PLANNING

YOUR SCHOOLS ORGANISATIONAL DIAGRAM

White Team

ADMIN/FINANCE

Green Team

GARDENERS

SITE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

Yellow Team

Education Resources and Training

STUDENT/WORKERS/VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

COOKING, CUPS OF TEA, CELEBRATIONS, AWARDS

MANAGEMENT team

CO-ORDINATION & PLANNING

LIBRARY, COURSES,NETWORKS,TOOLS

STUDENT/ WORKERS / VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

COOKING, CUPS OF TEA, CELEBRATIONS, AWARDS

MANAGEMENT team

CO-ORDINATION & PLANNING

YOUR SCHOOLS ORGANISATIONAL DIAGRAM

White Team

ADMIN/FINANCE

Green Team

GARDENERS

SITE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

Yellow Team

Education Resources and Training

Red Team

THE YEAR OF VOLUNTEERS? EDUCATION? FOOD? FUNDING APPLICATIONS

PROMOTIONS/EVENTS

STUDENT/ WORKERS / VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

Green Team

Red TeamWhite Team

MANAGEMENT team

Yellow Team

The school community

Community

enduring

community

Self sustaining

Money making!

FundingHOW TO OBTAIN FUNDING GRANTS Identify expertise in the group (avoid over exploiting that person or resource) and Build skills within the group Establish links with other supportive organisations eg. council staffTraining - workshops on writing submissionsPersonal invitationsUse networks for information and credibility / Maintain relationships Keep updates of grants - Search Australian Govt funds grantslink.gov.au, Program possible funding/ organise re timing/deadlines database – internet searchesEmploy/ Hire professional grant writer (on commission) Does what you are asking for achieve your goals?Always ask for what you need and for realistic amounts of money Be concise when applying – visual demonstration, outcomes, meet all components.Answer the questionsStart writing your own supporting letters to be sent to your supporters Develop Core funding - COMMUNITY ABUNDANCE  Then council, State, Federal, Philanthropic organizations - Myer, OGS Pockets of Funding eg Drug and Alcohol, Gaming, Intellectual disability, Philanthropic trusts, Regional Arts council, Find a Patron, Community organizations funds - private sector, rotary, lions, Sponsorship from Church groups & Local Govt, local business, developersOrganisational grants eg run workshops for groups eg disabled Ethical investments - ANA, Maleny Newsletter - Community Renewal funding Market yourselves and your skills & resources eg Promotional material DVD, Keep your Final reports to show others.

HOW TO INVOLVE PEOPLE WHO? When? where?etc. 

• Personal invitation – friends, talking to people, members of other groups, Environmental groups/movements, church groups, Organic gardening orgs, Ethnic organizations

 • Contact other Community organisations/workers – seek support to access their mail outs, email. Newsletters,

community notice boards.

• Keep it fun - activities, awards, give recognition/ value volunteers, Celebrations/festivals - food, markets, concerts, cooking

• Establish a Contact person

• Approach people with specific skills – trades – finances – project

• Let other organizations know who you are - community agencies - similar outlook – bush/landcare, church, health, hospitals, volunteer groups, TAFE, Unis/ Uni students

• Seek Publicity - Media – radio, community radio, Signs, local rag, TV, Word of mouth, Letterbox drops Hold a Market stall at public events.

• Bribery - give aways, free workshops, tours

• Ask for feedback – what do people want to do?. Target marketing (eg. 50+ retirees, single parents). Child care – play groups

• Cover transport issues, make it accessible

 

Materials & Equipment

HOW TO OBTAIN MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT  Reverse garbage businessPartnerships - business Community CouncilPurchase, Barter, Borrow or StealHard Rubbish (council footpath collection) Kerbside scrounging: DIY - propagate, seed savingVolunteer time - labour Qbuild, Dept of Housing, DevelopersMowing contractors and wood chippersDumps - recycling stationsCouncil hand me downsTenders - hire equipment for the best priceSecond hand equipment - garage salesJunk Yards / scrounging and recycling - tip shopPublicity/ advertising – local rag, radio, seasonal newsletterWills and InheritanceLocal business - garden shops, mulch, electricity etcAppeals - to community for particular needs and skillsGrow it eg. bamboo –for building & weaving materials: Lateral thinking - create new toolsWorkshops to make you ownLETSLinks with other school & community gardens Manual arts

Abundance

HOW TO GENERATE ONGOING INCOME

• Paid educational tours/ Educational resources, booklets, fact sheets, video, recipes /Courses/ workshops /open days/ Field events /Consultation/design service

 • Membership/Rental of garden allotments /Plot Fees /Workathon sponsorship/ Function Hire

• Work enterprise projects eg. Woodwork, Green Waste / Partnership – local/state govt to provide some community services

• Public Nursery selling products, plants, compost, seeds etc for restaurant/specialist needs

• Markets selling produce/value adding/meals CSA /Market stalls /Cafe/Restaurant/ farmers market/Investing some profits

• Seminars /Public events/ Festival Events - feasts, concerts, harvest festival,  • T shirts/ Garden newsletter/ Mags with paid Ads

• Raffles/ Make a movie/documentary/ Book on local plants

• Children’s activities/Fun days/ Play groupCompetitions

• Grants/Donations /Corporate funding / Commitment from council/ Gold Program/ Sponsorship from local business/ Publicity for sponsors – recognition in local media, signage

Tips for growing your own school community garden

Recommendations for gardeners and community workers.

  Eat together. Regularly share the produce of your gardens in cooperatively prepared meals Organise regular gardening social activities so that gardeners get to know and better understand each other.

  Recognise the benefits of sharing gardening knowledge, produce and recipes – there is great potential for the garden to be a heterogenous, multicultural place.

Accept other individual gardening goals and styles. Start developing a garden manual, which outlines guidelines for acceptable and considerate gardening practices. The garden manual is also linked to the development of cultural understandings and acceptance of different approaches to the role of the garden, and ways of undertaking planting and cultivation.

  Be proactive in seeking outside support for garden activities. Work with the wider community to involve appropriate groups for support.

  Commit to the smooth running of the garden (this will be enhanced by the development of a garden protocol, adequate management support and having appropriate grievance procedures in place).

   Be active in managing participation in the garden. Seek outside assistance if necessary (for example, if a difficult dispute cannot be resolved).

    Look for opportunities to promote gardens/recruit others; network with other community gardens. 

Helping from the outside

Policy recommendations for public authorities     Ensure adequate and ongoing resourcing for community garden projects (in terms of money

and staff time, including training and access to specialised support organisations).    In establishing community gardens, pursue partnerships with other agencies (for example,

different community-based organisations; local councils; neighbourhood schools; TAFE colleges; botanical gardens; gardening groups; recycling and sustainability groups).

    Undertake participatory processes across all areas of planning, development, implementation, and ongoing management of community gardens.

    Ensure that expected outcomes are realistic and address the self-identified needs and goals of the communities in which they are located.

    Actively pursue development of community gardens in identified areas of need eg. public housing estates as an important contribution to community and personal renewal and empowerment.

Garden contractors

Recommendations for garden designers and landscape contractors        Design for people's needs and how they will access and use the garden      The provision of adequate, secure, shared and conveniently located storage for garden tools, materials and

compost is essential in community garden designs.       Design accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities must be considered. Raised garden plots, to about

450 mm, are easier to access and provide a sitting edge for working the plot. Waist-high gardening 'tables' for those with mobility problems can also be incorporated. These should be considered where there will be a need for them.

       Access for unloading soil and compost materials needs to be incorporated in the design. Ensure placement of garden plots will allow easy access for truck deliveries of soil, planting mix, straw for compost and other material. Not only must there be adequate delivery access from the street, but the design of internal garden beds also needs to accommodate large deliveries.

       Gardens should be located to receive good solar access to all plots.       Garden design needs to take into account accessibility throughout the garden and between the plots.       Design and provide seating areas within and near the gardens for enjoyment of gardeners and passers-by.      Adequate water sources need to be provided throughout the garden. Adequate infiltration & drainage needs to be

provided.        Good quality soil provision is essential – this soil can then be enriched with composting and appropriate

fertilisation. Ensure provision of composting facilities for use by gardeners, and education about composting and recycling, so that this can be done effectively.

Tips for supporting the development of community gardens

Policy principles for community and housing workers Recognise that there are different models for garden layout/organisation (ie separate

allotments for each class, common gardens etc). Involve the community at the outset – the gardens must be led and fuelled by community

desire for a community garden. A garden foisted on the community by those in aa teacher or management role is doomed to fail.

      Ensure community ownership of the project – this will naturally follow from a community-led project.

       Maintain communication between stakeholders at all stages of planning, implementation and development of the garden.

       Provide opportunities for community review during the planning and implementation process.

       Look for opportunities to include marginalized and special needs groups (for example, people with disabilities; NESB; youth; children) in the gardens. This may require strategically targeting specific groups and the provision of a supportive infrastructure (for example, translators; culturally appropriate meeting places; education and motivational programs).

       Develop cultural and social understandings of diverse gardening needs, dreams and hopes of the different groups in the garden (for example, the cultural relevance of gardens to different ethnic groups and how this is manifested in gardening activities).

Recognise the unique dynamics of each garden and that there are multiple ways of managing and supporting different gardens and gardeners.