Growing Together

Growing Together

Over the next two years, Farm It Forward Inc will embark on its Growing Together project

The Growing Together project aims to partner up with local First Nations leaders and our local high school to provide transformative learning programs for young people in the areas of regenerative food growing, organic plant propagation, and First Nations-led bush regeneration and caring for Country. 

This will include:

- an enclosed market garden grow tunnel space on Katoomba High school grounds Vegetables and native plant seed raising, and food growing, and running a fresh food program for school families

- a ‘Nature, Craft and Connection’ program at Katoomba Highschool with support unit coordinator Viktoria to equip young people with a toolkit for nature-based therapy, and providing avenues for positive, restorative action 

-  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 farmers 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 2 year project will take place in two main environmental education sites: 

• Katoomba High School where we will be setting up a market garden area and regenerative plant nursery supplies to grow vegetable, fruit and nut seedlings as well as local endemic native plants to use for bush regeneration

• ‘The Shed’ in Wentworth Falls, where we will assist Uncle Lex Dadd in setting up an accessible learning space for young people to learn about caring for Country, bush crafts and growing and cooking healthy food

Wherever we have set up regenerative market gardens, 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.