Test plots of garlic may secure the financial viability of Taree Community Garden.
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Six weeks after planting tips of garlic press through thick mulch and Darren Harrison looks to the progress and celebrates the likelihood that a crop of garlic will reap thousands of dollars for the garden.
Darren sits on a bench in the garden arbor to speak of his hopes for the garden, his desire to ensure it succeeds and the need for members of our community to get involved for their physical and mental health.
The garden is located in the heart of Taree and continues to be a hub of construction as the Australian Government continues its investment with a Work for the Dole project. The hard infrastructure is almost complete, the garden beds are full of produce and there is growing number of volunteers keen to weed in exchange for a feed. The project is thriving and Darren is keen to ensure it continues to grow in the absence of government funding.
“The problems come when funding finishes or is cut and the project cannot hold its own financially,” Darren said.
“I want this place to hold its own. I’ve been growing garlic for years in Elands and so I decided to put in a test crop of different varieties.”
His hope is that Taree Community Garden will “become famous for growing incredibly tasteful garlic”.
“If we were to grow 150 kilograms of garlic and sold it for a minimum of $20 a kilo that’s a couple of thousand dollars and also gives seed for next year. It would be wonderful if this garden could be sustained by an annual crop.”
Darren says ongoing funding is critical but also cites the need for the community to claim the garden to ensure it thrives.
“Gardens need daily attention. It is easy for a garden to fall into disrepair and when that happens people will lose heart, they’ll look to the space and think it’s too hard and over time it can be abandoned.
“This garden has everything. It’s absolutely amazing – location, location, location. It’s here and our town and community needs what it offers and that's not just food.
“A garden creates community. Around 20 people came to the garlic workshop in May and a group of those people now keep in contact online; they are talking about where they can sell the garlic, what varieties they can get from Gloucester, it brings people together on so many levels.
“The connection with gardening and mental and physical health is the primary reason we should do it.
“Local community service providers now bring service users into this beautiful space to give them the chance to get their hands dirty, to get back to basics. I think that’s really important and it is what’s missing in the high-paced lifestyles that we have created.
“I grew up with sayings like, ‘you are closer to God in the garden’ and ‘to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow’. I’ve taken that into my life after moving to Elands and getting a farm and now I just want to share it. Doing something like this in a shared space and to help make this amazing garden financially sustainable is important. Hopefully it will be able to take on a life of its own and the garlic crop is part of that process.”
ainslee.dennis@fairfaxmedia.com.au