Locals invited to share their harvest

The community is invited to swap excess produce at the Wangaratta Community Garden’s monthly Food Swaps on Sunday 23 August from 10am at the community garden on Wills Street. Bring along excess home-grown and home-made produce including fruit, veggies, herbs, eggs, seeds, jams, pickles. sauces, cakes and more to swap with likeminded growers, creators and producers. Wangaratta Community Garden president Julie Wilkinson-Flores said the response has been very positive since the food swaps began in April. “We started with some new people, and word of mouth has helped it grow, and we now see a great mix of people from all different walks of life coming along,” she said. “Two examples are a single mother who came along to our first food swap to introduce healthier foods into her two teenagers’ diet while also helping to ease the cost of her grocery bills, she went home with home-made boysenberry jam and Worcestershire sauce, lettuce and herbs. “Another example is a couple of pensioners who are keen gardeners but did not find enough people to swap their excess produce with. “They swapped their oranges for a very large Queensland blue pumpkin they turned into soup and shared with their kids and grandkids. “They have since become regular attendees at the swap.” Everyone is welcome to come along, regardless of what you have to bring. Social media manager and volunteer committee member Meg Autin said even if you don't have anything to swap, they always have excess produce from their community beds or members’ gardens to give to people. “If you are on a tight grocery budget or want to eat healthier food but don’t know where to start, or you are an experienced gardener who wants to meet like-minded people and share stories around food, then you will be in the right place,” she said. “We have seen a great diversity in the produce people bring along. “This winter, for example, we have seen an abundance of lettuce, cakes, kale, oranges, lemons, pomelos, silverbeet, celery, pumpkins, preserves, all kind of fresh culinary herbs, honeydew melons, herbal tonics and teas, kefir grains, seeds - and even handmade wooden spoons." Meg said it is about sharing food and knowledge around that food and how it has come into fruition. “Things like berries, greens and herbs, which can have an expensive price per kilo in supermarkets, are relatively easy to grow and share,” she said. “Some of the gardeners at the garden have grown kilos and kilos of pumpkins. “We often joke that we can’t stand eating one more pumpkin. “Well, food swaps are great for that: you can swap your excess pumpkins for something else and not have to buy it.” Julie said there has not been a single gathering at the garden where there hasn’t been talk about food, tips for growing a particular vegetable, recipes, or shared life stories. “It is a place where people, and plants, grow together around a common passion,” she said. “Building community around food is the core mission of the community garden. “This regular event is demonstrating it in action.” For more information or to keep up to date with upcoming events, follow the Wangaratta Community Garden on social media, they host the Food Swap every fourth Sunday of the month at 10am.

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