Growing food that is good for those who eat it, those who grow it and the planet.
Project implemented: January 2014
More jobs, less waste and fair food. To provide good jobs with fair wages to young people and former refugees, reduce waste by composting and offering package-free produce, and to sell fresh, healthy, pesticide-free food to the local community.
This project shows how fruit, vegetables and meat can be grown without pesticides in a local community while offering good jobs with fair wages to do it.
Find a site to establish a farm on and use permaculture design to plan out market gardens, food forests, animal areas, etc.
Set up waterways, paths, build market gardens (paying attention to soil quality), plant food forests, build a "hub".
Vegetables and herbs grow fastest. Promote the project to the local community, sell a weekly veg box.
As the farm grows and trees come to bear fruit, add new products into the weekly veg box.
Invite the community to visit, do training and workshops, learn, appreciate and copy what we do.
Staff have increased confidence and purpose
Staff have increased employability
Staff have increased financial independence
Staff and visitors have increased connection to community
Green Connect is a not-for-profit social enterprise that employs young people and former refugees to do work that makes the planet and our community better, including running an 11-acre permaculture farm in Wollongong. At the Green Connect farm, we have been growing fair food since 2011, using organic principles, and the site is flourishing. We grow fruit, vegetables and herbs as well as free-range pigs, chickens and sheep. Customers can buy fresh produce, eggs and meat from us directly so that they know where their food comes from and how it was grown, and that they’re supporting fair wages for the young people and former refugees we employ.