What we do

Firstly, we acknowledge the custodianship and deep care of land, human and non-human beings undertaken by Darug and Gundugurra people for over 60,000 years on the land we grow on. Their sovereignty was never ceded.

We run and co-design nature-based social health programs for high school aged young people that focus on care-full transition to regenerative ways of being and growing. Our pilot project and social enterprise in the Blue Mountains started in 2019 and continues to thrive. 

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Farm It Forward is a youth organisation that facilitates the usage and redistribution of already cleared available land for soil regeneration and food growing. It does this by matching residents and public institutions who have unused land, with younger people with skills and passion to grow local fresh food in an earth-friendly way. 

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We are dedicated to empowering young people through sustainable food production and nature-based well-being programs. Our vision encompasses fostering mental and physical health, providing education in regenerative agriculture, and enhancing community well-being through in-school socio-environmental initiatives for high school aged young people.

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The Growing Together project includes a space for hands-on, action research into socially just trauma informed nature-based learning programs for young people in the areas of regenerative food growing, socio-environmental care, First Nations-led bush regeneration, and ways to practically apply the concept of caring for Country in our every day lives. 

This includes:

- an enclosed grow tunnel space on Katoomba High school grounds growing organic vegetables, propagating native plants for onsite bush regeneration, and running an affordable fresh food program for school families.

- a ‘Nature, Craft and Connection’ program at Katoomba Highschool with Student Support Officer Viktoria to equip young people with a self-care and community-care toolkit of creative nature-based mental health first aid, and providing avenues for positive, restorative action and mutual care

-  assisting and taking part in the  ‘Birriban’ bush regeneration project on Katoomba Highschool grounds, to learn about caring for Country, managing watersheds and waterways and bush regeneration. A section of the grow tunnel will be dedicated to learning to grow and propagate native plants for Birriban

- assisting local elder Uncle Lex Dadd in the garden around The Shed where he facilitates hands-on environmental education/bush foods/Caring for Country site in Wentworth Falls for Blue Mountains youth. 

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Our team of young growers and volunteering high school students have expressed a strong will and passion to work alongside First Nations people, learning about cultural practices, bush foods, and growing local endemic plants to use for bush regeneration.

This project takes place in two main environmental education sites: 

• Katoomba High School in our grow tunnel market garden, communal space and plant nursery.

• Birriban at Katoomba Highschool: Birriban is a First Nations led bush regeneration project on Katoomba Highschool grounds. One of our team members assists at Birriban each week.

Wherever we have set up regenerative food growing areas, we have always been passionate about caring for local surrounding bushland, growing and tending to native plant habitat and food sources for local insects and wildlife. This project will allow us to work alongside aligned local organisations to make a significant impact in the areas of mental health and environmental education for young people.