8 March 2022: The Benefits of Being Involved in Your Community Garden by Sofia Carvajal

Sofia had always wanted to grow vegetables, so she joined Hurstville Community Garden. She fell in love with gardening as she found it a radical and magical process of watching food grow before your eyes.  The food is organic, fresh and the best tasting she had ever cooked. Not to mention seasonal and with a low carbon footprint.  Six months later, she was nominated as the next president of the Hurstville community garden.

Sofia initially balked, as she never been in a community leadership position before. But slowly she came to remember an old quote. “Somebody should do something about that. Then I realised I am somebody.”

In this talk, Sofia will talk about how anyone can be a community leader and the benefits of being part of community-building and outreach programs at a local garden. Gardens are a wonderful place where many generations and cultures meet, grow, share, swap and build resilience in numbers. Community gardens grow food, friendships and networks, strengthening bonds, encouraging mental health exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

The community garden is also an excellent hub for councils, local groups, schools and networks to form, grow and share resources and ideas: the possibilities are endless.

There has been a last minute change to this meeting.  It will now be a ZOOM presentation.  The link will be sent out to all financial members prior to the meeting.