Farm My School launches fundraiser

THE team behind the Farm My School pilot program at Bellarine Secondary College has started a new fundraiser, as they work towards launching the acclaimed initiative at a second local school.

Tickets are on sale for the fundraiser’s online raffle, with a five-night luxury Royal Caribbean cruise for two – including world-class restaurants and a wide variety of complimentary onboard experiences such as rock-climbing and a surf simulator – up for grabs.

The prize was donated by Farm My School director and co-founder James McLennan.

McLennan was named Food Entrepreneur of the Year at celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s inaugural Australian Food Hero Awards in November last year, where he was presented with the luxury cruise prize.

Every ticket purchased as part of the fundraiser will act as a donation to Farm My School, whose ground-breaking food education model transforms unused school land into regenerative market gardens with the aim of feeding and connecting communities.

“Every bit counts when you’re talking about a non-profit, social enterprise that’s working on shoestring budgets, but having huge impact,” Mr McLennan said.

While he is unable to share too many details at this early stage in the project, Mr McLennan confirmed the second school would be located close to the Farm My School pilot site in Drysdale, allowing collaboration between farms.

The expansion forms a crucial part of the organisation’s goal to increase food security, as well as community resilience and food resilience across the region.

“One farm is great, but to have multiple farms in an area to actually rely on and support one another is really profound,” Mr McLennan said.

“That’s not only on a food production level, that’s in terms of knowledge, that’s in terms of equipment sharing, it’s in terms of the many different forms that we can collaborate, not only with Farm My School farms, but also other regenerative growers as well.”

The winner will be drawn live on the Farm My School Instagram page on Thursday, February 20 at 6pm.

Community members eager to support Farm My School in its mission are also encouraged to get behind its other programs, including its veggie box subscription program and school education program.

To learn more about Royal Caribbean cruises, head to royalcaribbean.com

For more information on Farm My School’s fundraiser, or to purchase a ticket, head to bit.ly/4gtH6M5