FOOD, FAMILY, COMMUNITY

The Food, Family, Community program was an ‘umbrella’ program including a variety of events, activities and conversations with the aim of connecting people in enjoyable ways at community events and places. Foodswell partners with organisations to produce and hold events that can provide support and encouragement to promote local action to improve food security, social enterprise and social inclusion. The events  celebrate local people and projects and provide avenues to build connections and to access practical support to build upon grass roots projects and activities that may address food insecurity and/or creating culturally safe/welcoming places and healthy environments.

In 2015 Food, Family, Community activities focused in NSW and were made possible with grant support from Australia Post Our Neighbourhood Community Grant and Medibank Community Grant NSW.

Program events and activities included The Big Lunch and Foodswell Tucker Talks and more. The program drew on the expertise of local organisations, Elders, rangers and landcare groups, horticulture and agriculture industry experts, community gardeners and permaculturists and Foodswell Ambassadors. Wherever possible we aimed to connect remote, rural and regional people and projects with like minded community, business and NGOs located in urban areas with whom they may share ideas, skills, resources and expertise.

In April 2015, Foodswell partnered with BEST Employment to co-host the first Big Lunch at the BEST Food Garden, Inverell. Over 150 people came together for a delicious and diverse ‘pot ‘luck’ lunch at the fabulous BEST Food Garden and were joined by Costa Georgiadis, Foodswell ambassador and popular host of Gardening Australia. to read more, view pics and videos from the day see: Inverell Times – The Big Lunch and pics from The Big Lunch, Inverell below.