Food org future forged with celebration

ORGANISERS, and volunteers gathered with community at Barkly Square over the weekend to celebrate a decade of battling food insecurity.

After a week-long birthday program, non-profit community food security sharing and education space Food is Free’s 10th anniversary was rounded out with a big bash on Sunday.

Taking place throughout much of the day, Food is Free founder and director Lou Ridsdale said it was a monumental day of sharing memories.

“It’s been a really beautiful thing because everyone’s come for the right reasons and it’s been a really great sharing experience,” she said.

“Whilst we’ve been reflecting on the past, which is really important, we’ve turned it into a really great idea of what the future’s about to behold.”

During a presentation inside the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council’s Welcome Hall, two future developments for Food is Free were announced.

Plans to launch a $2 million urban food farm at Britannia Reserve were revealed as well as an impending name change to “Grow to Give.”

Food is Free chair Caire Huntington announced the developments and said they will mark an exciting period of expansion for the non-profit.

“The urban food farm is the culmination of 10 years of work and the final piece of the puzzle in which we can really start to make a difference,” she said.

“It’ll be three stages. The first stage will be about getting the garden established. The second stage will be where we grow it into a training and facility hub. The final stage will bring it together with a market place and commercial kitchen.

“We think it’ll be a five-year project and we’ll kick off next year.”

The event began with the official launch of the First Nations Women’s Yarning Garden, a collaborative project between Food is Free and Women’s Health Grampians.

ABC presenter Costa Georgiadis was special guest for the event, and hosted planting demonstrations throughout Barkly Square.

“This is an acknowledgement about the fact this is a project that had such humble beginnings and listened to what was needed in the community,” he said.

“I love to recognise and be part of shining a spotlight on the steps and the milestones of 10 years. A lot of people and a lot of effort has gone into getting it here. For me, these moments are the real moments of calibrating forward.”

Food is Free’s name change is meant to signify the organisation’s expansion, and is expected to be adopted formally by the new year.

The event was preceded throughout last week with a volunteer meet and greet and workshop, a mixed media exhibition, and the launch of the Grow and Thrive Garden created with BRMC.