University of Tasmania
IN-7: Community Garden

SOURCE WHOLEFOODS: Initially established in 2005 by a group of students in the Sandy Bay campus of the University of Tasmania, Source is now a community-driven organic wholefoods cooperative, permaculture design garden, bustling café, catering provider and community meeting space. Situated on a sunny north-facing slope adjacent to a creek, they have terraced garden beds that support vegetables, herbs, an apple orchard, other fruit trees, berries and creeping grapevines that support a pick-your-own shopping experience. Volunteers or ‘active members’ contribute eight hours of their time per month. Many active members complete their hours through weekly shifts either in the shop, café or garden. Source has succeeded in providing staff and students, as well as members of the community, with access to food that is ethical, local, organic, wholesome, vegetarian, good for the body and affordable. Source is a real place for the community to explore what sustainability means, get a taste of what a sustainable food system is, as well as building strong community networks.
UNIVERSITY CITY APARTMENTS COMMUNITY GARDEN: The shared student-public plaza area at the University City Apartments in the centre of the Hobart Central Business District supports a growing assortment of raised 'wicking-style' garden beds growing a variety of herbs, vegetables, berries and indigenous plants. Also in this space are linear on-ground garden beds supporting a citrus hedge with alternating types of citrus that produce fruit in our climate as well as beds supporting rosemary and lavendar. Both students and community members participate in wicking bed construction, planting, and harvesting activities as a way to bring the university and broader communities together.