Mullumbimby Action Group -> moviechannel -> guerilla_garden

Guerilla Vegies: Community Food Production on Public Land Launch

On Saturday morning of the 4th of April, ABC TV’s Gardening Australia presenter Jerry Colby-Williams came to Mullumbimby to launch the Byron Shire’s first 'Food Production on Public Land' initiative in the garden surrounding the Byron Council chambers.

A huge and enthusiastic crowd attended the event despite the rainy weather.

Jerry said, “You would be one of the first communities in Australia to legitimise 'guerrilla gardening',” he told the enthusiastic crowd of locals and their children who had turned up for the inaugural planting of fruit trees and herbs in the garden around the Council Chambers.

Jerry continued, "This is perfect timing because the cheap supermarket food that we have taken for granted  is going to go. We need to pass on our gardening skills to our children who face a future of expensive and scarcer oil reserves."

Jerry went on to say that school gardens are blossoming all over the country, leading to a growth in food production and the explosion of gardening expertise.

Also present were representatives and members of the Byron Hinterland Seed Savers Network and members of the Mullumbimby Community Gardens' volunteers who had prepared and served scrumptious home-made refreshments.

There will be monthly working bees so the community can keep the project alive. These will also be a great place to meet people and learn gardening skills and build networks.  Mayor Jan Barham mentioned during Q&A time that she was hoping the Byron Shire Council website could become "interactive" so that gardeners could share their expertise and local knowledge.