Our story begins with Coll Link (an Inter church funded project, linking people living in Collingwood) and their two passionate employees, Gail Bailey and Basil Natoli, who worked to connect the Collingwood community through arts and gardening activities. Mainly supporting the pop up gardens created by the tenants of the Collingwood Public Housing Estate, Basil was astounded by the enthusiasm and joy these spaces bought to the community, and so his focus turned to securing ongoing state government funding for community gardens on public housing estates.
Basil's tireless and tenacious lobbying led to the successful development of a long-term plan for public housing community gardens and recognition of the importance of gardening for people living in high-rise public housing estates. In 2000 Basil commenced as the first Community Garden Project Manager with the Department of Human Services (DHS).
During this time a group of local, urban agriculture enthusiasts and volunteers also began to meet regularly to discuss community gardening and urban food initiatives and through links with Basil formally took on the name Cultivating Community. With funding from DHS, Cultivating Community advertised its first paid position working to support gardeners on a handful of public housing estates and to teach kids to create summer gardens in their own homes. Thanks to this role opening, another Cultivating Community legend was found. Peta Christensen was employed in 2000 and to this day continues to strengthen community through leading our Food Systems team.
Laying foundations for healthy communities
Cultivating partnership
2000
Hired our very first paid staff member as DHS funds Project Worker for Summer Garden Project, Collingwood College Kitchen Garden and Public Housing Community Garden support
2001
Held inaugural Community Gardeners weekend bush camp
Celebrated Harvest Festival on Collingwood Estate
Completed food garden at Collingwood Neighbourhood House
Partnered with Stephanie Alexander to establish a school food garden and cooking program at Collingwood College, the now iconic Collingwood College Kitchen Garden
2003
· Became the largest community garden organisation in Australia
Our staff grew to five team members
Maribyrnong Detention Centre Gardening Program
Employed 15 public housing tenants for landscape/gardening
Attended 'New Shoots' textile exhibition where our banner was made
Dirty Hands, Happy Hearts conference
· Produced the 'Good Practice Guide for Community Gardens'
2002
Granted funding by DHS for 14 Public Housing Community Gardens
Our staff grew to two team members
Developed ‘The Green Map’, a resource showing all the community gardens and school garden projects across Melbourne
Established a seed bank at Highett St Community Gardens, providing gardeners with a sustainable supply of seeds year-round and surplus seed to be sent to East Timor.
2004
DHS increased contract to 17 Public Housing Community Gardens.
Staff team of six
Commenced the Atherton Garden Fruit and Veg market in Fitzroy with BSL, a volunteer-run fresh food market bringing affordable fresh produce close to public housing estates.
Highett St Community Garden featured on ‘Vasilli’s Garden’
2005
Staff team of eight.
Highett St Community Garden part of Open Garden Scheme
Highett St Community Garden featured on Gardening Australia.
Gardeners feature in book ‘Celebration: the People,
Plants and Recipes of our Community Gardens’
Gardens for Veterans project.
Partnered with HTAV to run a 12 week Community and Therapeutic Gardening Course.
2006
Hosted 250 people at the Edible Classroom Conference
Our Kitchen Garden Workers in three schools.
Partner with HTAV run a 12 week Community and Therapeutic Gardening Course for a 2nd year
2007
Now supporting 20 Public Housing Community Gardens
4th annual City Farms and Community Gardens Conference: ‘Cities Feeding People – Grow it Where you Live’
Involved in Neighbourhood renewal program for Seymour and West Heidelberg.
Our Edible Classroom program in seven schools
2009
Richmond garden part of Grow! Eat! Save the World! Fringe Festival.
Won VicHealth Community Cultural Development award.
Growers and Eaters forum with Slow Food Melbourne.
Plenty Valley Community Health Project
22 PHCG
Yarra Urban Harvest Swap commenced.
2008
Staff team of 13.
Continued involvement in Kitchen Gardens in Schools Course at Melbourne Uni
Local Food project with City of Yarra commences.
Lennoxt st garden part of Australia’s Open Garden Scheme.
CCs Community Fresh Food Markets has customer base of 120
2010
DHS fund garden improvement projects.
Growers and Eaters forum with Slow Food Melbourne
Highett st gardeners got creative and designed unique art work depicting their favourite plants- now signage in the garden.
CC presents at Melb West Water forum on water wise gardening.
Gardens Impacted by multiple years of drought.
Compost Mates project, linking community and school gardens with local cafes and restaurants in Fitzroy.
1st Community Garden Bike tour.
2011
The Composters’ Composium
VicUrban Docklands community garden project
Compost Champions project
City of Yarra Community Composting Centre partnership
City of Yarra Neighbourhood Composting Centre project
2012
Winner of Yarra’s Sustainability Awards in the Community Action category.
11 schools in our school food garden program
Compost Champions project at Collingwood PHE Compost Crew project for residents and the establishment of a large scale compost hub at the Collingwood Children’s Farm in Abbotsford.
‘From the Ground Up: A Community Food Directory and Guide to Growing Community Food Projects in the City of Yarra’ published.
2013
in partnership with the City of Yarra and the Victorian Government’s Metropolitan Waste Management Group (Metro Waste) we formally launched the new Food Know How project in April 2013.
Putting Down Roots project for Asylum Seekers (in partnership with Red Cross and CERES)
Sunnyfields Community Garden in Northcote (in partnership with Northcote Baptist Church and the local community).
2014
Awarded DGR status
The Fitzroy (Atherton Gardens) Community Kitchen project
Food Know How winner of a United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day award in Sustainability Education
Footscray FOODpath: creating a pathway to food security, health and nutrition, skill development, community connection, and social inclusion
2015
Dandenong Urban Farm and Education Centre
Healthy Parents, Healthy Communities Project, Dandenong
Compost Cyclers an enterprise that offers residents and businesses a user-pays bicycle pickup service to process food
2016
establishment of a community garden at Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre.
In-Vessel Composting Research
Darebin School Gardens project
Love Food, Hate Waste training manual written
Darebin School Gardens project feasibility study
2017
Qualified as a Good Food Organisation
Commenced LMCF Fund Community Food Centre Expansion Project
Undertook LMCF Fund review of School Food Garden program
Deakin Uni studied the social impacts of Public Housing Gardens
Partnered with Housing Choices (St John’s Place & La Trobe Close) to reinvigorate edible garden spaces
Darebin City Council Community Gardens
2018
Partnered with STREAT to provide access to horticultural expertise for training disadvantaged young people.
Co Health Williamstown
Celebrated 20 years of CC with over 100 gardeners, past and current staff and board and stakeholders
2019
Guided the reactivation of the Floyd Lodge Community Garden.
Spotswood Primary School 'Pick my Project Grant' with 3000acres to create and carry out an edible garden design.
Welcomed Park Hill Primary School back to our program
RACV Community Foundation Grant funded our 'Strong
Shoots - Growing Healthy & Cohesive Communities through Food Gardening at School' project were we worked with three Primary Schools, a local kindergarten and a community high school located near public housing.
Collaborated with Cubbies Adventure Playground
(Save the Children) so children at Sacred Heart Primary School have access to green play space
Launched Melbourne's first Kitchen Equipment Library
on the Carlton Public Housing Estate through
City of Melbourne Social Innovation grant.
Launched High Rise Community Baking Group Fitzroy.
After School Cooking Fitzroy celebrated five years cooking with kids!
