Backyard Farmers Project

We’re so proud to announce The Backyard Farmer’s Project is another one of our new Giving Program recipients.This is a program run by 'Growing Farmers' that matches aspiring urban farmers and volunteers with under utilised backyards in Fawkner. Here are some words from its founder:

Growing Farmers is a community-led organisation passionate about building a stronger local food system that is better for the environment and for our community. We came together in January 2020 as a group of residents concerned about the current climate and environmental crises.  The aim of Growing Farmers is to develop regenerative farming capacity in urban communities and to support and enable a new generation of aspiring urban farmers.

Our pilot ‘Backyard Farmers Project’ matches aspiring urban farmers with homeowners (‘farm hosts’) who have large, underutilised gardens, to develop local market gardens. This project is supporting the community to increase food production in their own neighbourhoods, as well as building stronger community connections and providing fresh and affordable produce to our local community.

The Backyard Farmers Project has been running since November 2020. Our first two farms are readying for their second spring/summer crop (after lots of learning last season!). The food grown has been feeding the farmers, farm hosts, neighbours and friends, and is beginning to contribute to a local food relief vegetable box program.  Our farmers are coming together to learn from each other and from the community of passionate local food growers.

We are so pleased to be partnering with Open Gardens Victoria to grow more urban farmers in more backyard gardens.

You can follow our journey and get involved at https://www.growingfarmers.org.au