Community Bank supports innovative school farming

Farm My School is a new model of food education that transforms unused school land into regenerative market gardens. In a partnership with Bellarine Secondary College, they are piloting a 1.5-acre farm on a disused school soccer pitch.

The farm is an outdoor classroom that offers a variety of learning opportunities. This includes land care, growing and cooking food, healthy eating, volunteering, leadership and job skills, plus a farmer incubator program for school trainees. In its first year it engaged the community, introduced hands-on learning and cultivated a regenerative market garden.

While many schools have gardens and agricultural pursuits, their canteens and their curriculums are disconnected to food education. There is little emphasis on seasonality,  regenerative practices or alignment to environmental and food security challenges.

The transformation of unused land to sustainable market gardens that feed, educate and connect communities, takes approximately two years and must be maintained by staff all year round.

Community Bank Bellarine has co-funded the second and third years of the pilot, which will allow the farm to continue working to financial sustainability. The funding will contribute to wages of staff while the soil becomes fertile and income streams are developed.

The Community Bank’s support allows the pilot to hire a dedicated regenerative farmer, trial a veggie box program and develop subject curriculum, set up a community food hub and propagation nursery, improve school canteen meals and provide workshops to families designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

Community Bank Bellarine’s Manager of Community Engagement, Chris Niven says the project’s outcomes encompass most of their Community Impact Strategy pillars which support education, social inclusion, economic benefit, health and wellbeing and food security. It’s part of their community investment program which has so far returned more than $3.5 million to local community groups and organisations.

“This is a very rewarding project. We’ve seen first-hand the passion, innovate thinking and massive effort that’s made it happen,” he said.

Watching ABC’s Gardening Australia, Growing School episode

Apply for community investment funding with Community Bank Bellarine.