Springbrook Community Food Growers

 Also known as the Gardening Group, these locals meet informal bi monthly to talk about gardening here in Springbrook. The meetings usually incorporate information from the seed bank as well as being able to access the seed banks locally saved seeds. Always lots of reasons to come to a meeting.

Welcome to the new year of gardening on our beautiful mountain. Our group is growing every day and our regular meet ups provide an opportunity to commune, share and check out each other’s gardens. 

Growing food is such a revolutionary act these days. We have become so used to consuming we have forgotten how we are quite capable of supplying some of our own foods needs. It also has the added benefit of knowing where your food comes from and eating it at the most optimum time. 

At our meet ups we share an afternoon tea with some lovely food that we all bring along to share We also share seeds, (from our own supplies and from the Springbrook Seed Bank), cuttings, seedlings, plants, knowledge and produce. You can share or sell your produce at the meetings, and this year we will try to establish who is growing what and when and maybe have a more regular meet up to trade/sell produce. Any ideas around this will be welcome.

 All this is possible and more so please come along to our next meet up and give your two bobs worth on how we can evolve as a group this year.  Any questions please call me, Gina Winter on 55335061. I look forward to meeting with you :) 

There is no formal membership - just a gold coin donation when you turn up and if you'd like to share seedlings, plants, produce, jam, cuttings, you are more than welcome to bring these and add them to the buy or giveaway tables.

The group shares an afternoon tea - bring a plate style - and a cuppa. 

Meetings are held at the Mens Shed from 2pm to 4pm if its raining or at a local garden if its a nice day. Check out their facebook page and join in the conversation about what grows well on Springbrook!

https://www.facebook.com/SpringbrookcommunityFoodGrowers

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now. Chinese Proverb  

Back Story for new residents and Garden Club members…. Without local seed banks, exchanges and networks we would have lost most of the varieties of our cultivated vegies, herbs and flowers, and other rare and endangered plant species. 

Multinational corporations have gained control of our food plants via patenting, hybridisation and genetic modification (GMO’s) meaning that seed saved from these plants is sterile or mutant and unsuitable for growing on. So whatever traditional and heritage open pollinated seed and perennial varieties we save for ourselves is what WE have control of.... and this means self-sufficiency and resilience for us as a community. 

Food security is a major issue now. The impacts of climate change on our massive monocultural agricultural systems means food supplies for large population centres are extremely vulnerable. Locating and exchanging heritage seed varieties which perform “true to type” without being dependant on expensive biocides and chemical fertilisers is one aim of our seed bank. The other aim is to generate seed stocks of varieties that are locally adapted to our specific climate and conditions. Over time our saved seed from each grow-out up here will be the best suited, hardiest, and most vigorous performers for our elevation, rainfall patterns, light, soil types etc.

This volunteer run project initially got up a massive head of steam with amazing support and contributions from our community. Then came Covid ...totally restricting our capacity to meet, share and learn via Garden Club meetings and Seed Bank maintenance days. 

Where we are now….Education is key for the getting of seed saving skills… and for food production! My focus for the new year is a “demonstration garden”… Nothing can beat direct observation of all the stages of growing and harvesting food, and then of letting plants grow on for seed production.

From a garden with “something always going on to see and do” I can then be effective with workshops, demonstrations, and building up our viable seed stocks for our Bank and community. 

To get on our email list contact dee.kempson@gmail.com or phone Gina on 0755 335 061. Any level of interest or involvement is welcome !!! 

Keep your sense of Humous. Bee Happy. Keep Growing and Many Blessings Upon You. 

Gina x