“The sheer joy of putting hands in the soil is the best – there’s nothing like it. And it’s scientifically proven to send dopamine (pleasure) to the brain, naturally.”
New lime green shoots reach up towards momentary winter sun. Soil, dark as wet bark. There is colour and much activity, despite the quietness that descends during the coldest season of the year.
Here in the Central Highlands of Victoria, where the frost does bite, the garden is often a place of silent renewal. Of strength.
Lou, the gardens founder, as vibrant as the yellow gazanias and nasturtiums that bloom bold against the grey skies above, loves to tend to the patch. Lou found that pottering in her own garden helped to soothe, calm, restore, ease invisible grief. Such a simple thing, yet it is often the deceptively simple things that get us through: cascading light falling through leaves, food picked straight from the tree, cutting flowers for friends, chatting to a neighbour about a dying plant that has sprung back to life over their shared fence, an abundance of veggies that can be shared with five families, fresh and tasting as real as can be.
What started as someone wanting to share their gardens produce and potential with others, has evolved to welcome the whole community. Food is Free Inc and its expanding green space hold Little Sprouts workshops for playgroup aged kids.
It’s an enchanting place, particularly for children, who see all the growth up close. Within this garden, you almost expect to discover Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men to appear in the burgeoning garden beds. The compost bins look to be something of Costa Georgiadis’ dreams. It is an ever-growing force.
The other opportunities for connection here, regardless of age, regardless of circumstance, are abundant. The garden welcomes all.
We caught up with Lou to learn more:
Being part of Free Is Food Inc- what do you see as the core benefits for parents and carers? Children? The wider community?
It’s definitely an initiative that embraces community and offers a really unique and easy way to look after others within it. Often, it’s not actually about accessing free nutritious food grown in our Green Space and our community members’ gardens, but about actual connection and contact with others. And having a sense of ‘we are all in this together’.
In what positive ways have families responded to this space?
Families love to bring their little ones to our Green Space as it provides an outing for free, and an experience with nature they may not have the opportunity to have. It’s a true joy to watch them running between the garden beds and discussing what they see together. Our Little Sprouts kids gardening workshops are always really popular for many reasons.
What kind of activities do you enjoy with playgroup-aged families?
Working with Playgroup Victoria, local playgroup facilitators Maureen and Louise, the really special interaction with families and little ones, is just lovely to witness. From the very start with the Acknowledgement of Country song, to nature play, to checking out the worm farms together, to story time, to adding creativity into all we do, is really just a wonderful thing to be involved in.
“Talking about nature as just a natural thing, and food being a common bond for all of us, regardless of background is a really unifying thing.”
Hands-on, immersive play. Why is this so important?
I believe with actual doing rather than just standing back watching how things are done, is so much more impactful. And you learn a lot more from the experience. It builds confidence and sharpens your teamwork skills. The sheer joy of putting hands in the soil is the best – there’s nothing like it. And it’s scientifically proven to send dopamine (pleasure) to the brain, naturally. We also use the word ‘play’, as it brings out the fun in everyone – including the parents and carers. Adults forget the joy of play, as they often just stand and watch their child, rather than joining in. It’s all down to building an environment that assists feeling creative without judgement of the outcome. Gardening can sometimes make people anxious as they feel it has to be perfect, we dispel that from the beginning and just let people have FUN.
“I’ve found myself in the middle of a workshop with Playgroup Victoria doing something I’ve not done in decades and feeling so fabulously lost in myself and memories of being a child – allowing me to be carefree – and doing it in a supportive group setting can be very freeing.”
I do hope the parents feel that as much as the kids do. It’s really important for the adults to join in so we actively encourage that. Family fun should be just that – for the whole family. Great memories come from these moments.
In what ways do you inspire families to grow their own produce and nurture the garden?
At Food Is Free Inc. we make our sessions accessible, with the emphasis placed firmly on having fun, and accessible plus inclusive for all abilities. And, most importantly - very cost effective. One of my favourite things is to show people the options out there to not spend a stash of cash on gardening – nature is very happy just doing its own thing, without all the frivolous accoutrements that gardening magazines etc tell us we need to grow successfully. When you see the look on their faces that they get it – they feel much more comfortable with the realisation that gardening is just fun. And nature is forgiving.
The other important part of our spaces is they have educative/fun signage wherever you go, so you are subliminally learning something new about nature each step you take.
What does a connection to nature mean to you Lou?
It means everything to me. And always has. In my Grade Prep teacher report it even mentions that I’m ‘very drawn to nature and the natural world’. I grew up with parents who would explore nature very often, both in our garden and out in the bush. I was lucky for that to be ingrained in me for so long and at a very young age. And the idea of ‘leaving the space better than when you arrived’ has always been a quest of mine after my Dad would say it so often it resonated.
What role does storytelling have in your Little Sprouts workshop sessions?
I think stories is what is the most important aspect of childhood development as stories are always the one thing that is passed down to continue Culture. We always incorporate a First Nations story or two – honouring the very first storytellers.
Your catchphrase is “Together We Can Create Change!” One thing that pandemic lockdowns and restrictions highlighted was the importance of incidental community interactions. Things such as playgroup sessions, visits to the library or chats to the neighbours. The social capital and value came to the fore, as not an aside, but something we need. In what ways do you see relationships build and confidence build, when people come together in your laneway, green space and workshops?
The most telling thing about interactions in our spaces and in our workshops is watching people’s body language when they arrive and noting it as they depart. I’ve seen some very anxious people arriving with body language displaying all the signs of not feeling comfortable (eyes down on ground, frowning, hunched over, hesitant movements etc), to a whole new person as they leave. The empowerment of seeing someone learn a new skill or enjoy a new craft is phenomenal. Confidence growing in front of your eyes is very powerful stuff indeed.
How big of a role do volunteers have?
They sincerely are everything to us. Without them, put simply – none of the magic would happen. They are also a great welcoming face if people arrive and are not sure how it all works. Our volunteers go out of their way to help people and ensure they have a good experience. It’s really lovely to see a group of volunteers in action – all from such different backgrounds, forming real life friendships. We have 80 of the best volunteers a community group could wish for. And our Volunteers Manager Virginia Wilson has such a comfortable rapport with them all, she is our shining guide of what an incredible community leader is.
A simple verge garden- what does this create in communities? What’s the power of the verge?
A garden is a great opportunity to be self-sufficient, keep the costs of living down, and nourish us with nutrient dense healthy food. A verge garden is a whole other level. Whilst it does all of that, it is actually a community conduit, not unlike the milk bars in the 80s when I was a child. It’s where you would catch up with neighbours, exchange information, see a friendly face you know, and connect. The verge garden does all of that as well, as opposed to our gardens which often are behind fences. But the truly fundamental thing it does is reminds people daily that growing your own food is an excellent activity, and with any luck, via exposing people to this so visibly every day, it will encourage others to garden themselves. Having a verge garden, I love watching people naturally gravitate to it to see what is growing on their daily walks. They also teach us to pay attention to what grows well in which season in your neighbourhood and maybe encourage people to eat more seasonally (which is kinder to the planet). But the number one thing it does is sends a signal to all in the ‘hood that ‘I care about you and you are welcome to share my food’. That is a simple but very mind-blowing gesture.
What is it about disconnecting and reconnecting with the earth, plants, the seasons, the elements, that rejuvenates?
It’s a chance to disengage from our life on screens, and hectic pace of modern living.
”To slow down, witness, observe, learn, absorb, and soak up all the goodness nature brings to our mind, souls.”
Learn More About Food is Free Inc. here
Article by Sinead Halliday
Photography courtesy of Food is Free Inc.