“Our volunteers showed just how tough they are,” said working bee co-ordinator Bree Katsamangos.

“Together they worked solidly for two hours, brush cutting, whipper snipping, weeding, clearing beds, digging and relocating pipes and more. At a time when volunteers aren't able to harvest much from the garden, these volunteers united for good company and the satisfaction of a job well done.

"Summer is tough on the garden, so much so we decided to not plant summer crops between December and February. Keeping them alive in the blistering heat and getting a good product is just too hard. Instead, we elected to rest the beds, keeping them composted and moist to maintain the quality of the soil in readiness for autumn planting. This also gives us an opportunity to focus on other areas of the garden.”

Bree said the next working bee would see volunteers work to further prepare the beds and begin planting for autumn.

“Inputs for the garden are one of the costs we incur, we make our own compost and generate our own 'worm wee' and castings, but we need to purchase additional items like manure, mulch and seedlings from time to time. We have some income from the sale of our garlic, we receive small donations from community members intermittently, but we also value opportunities to partner with businesses like Club Taree.”

Taree Community Garden volunteers will be at Club Taree on Friday, March 16 to host the raffles.

"It's a great night, there are so many prizes on offer and all proceeds from the raffles are donated to the garden. We encourage everyone to come along, enjoy a drink and a meal, try your luck at the raffles and support the garden in the process.”

Taree Community Garden holds regular working bees on the fourth Sunday of each month from 9am to 12pm. This is a family friendly event with no cost for participating. Taree Community Garden is located at 80 Wynter Street, at the rear of the block opposite the Aldi car park entrance.