Community interest grows for sustainable living

AN at-capacity regenerative food and farming event at Freshwater Creek’s Common Ground Project is demonstrative of the region’s growing embrace for green living, according to Geelong Sustainability CEO Dan Cowdell.

Over 85 people attended the Tuesday night discussion titled ‘Regeneration: Exploring a regenerative farming and food system’, far above the average of 40-50 people that have turned out for previous ‘Green Drinks’ events held by the sustainability group.

Mr Cowdell said the “huge response” to the sold-out event that has been programmed as part of the Sustainable Living Festival was in keeping with its mission to “accelerate the uptake of sustainable living and address the global climate and biodiversity emergencies.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Common Ground Project to start this important community discussion about the regeneration of our soils. Local food production is an essential part of building community resilience and how we as community members can respond to the challenges of climate change.”

Attendees were taken on an interactive tour of the Common Ground Project, a regenerative farm and social enterprise in Freshwater Creek that also boasts the increasingly popular and awarded La Cantina restaurant.

Weaving through the farm’s beds of beetroots and greens, event hosts spoke of how regenerative farming can be practised on a small-scale farm, the link between soil health and human health, and how community can be brought back into farming and food systems.

The Common Ground Project has been actively working at bringing the community into its farm gates and is now offering school programs for primary and secondary students to learn more about where their food comes from.

The social enterprise has also been running weekly pop-up markets through February where produce from the farm is sold alongside other producers from the region.

The growing interest in the events facilitate “an important community discussion”, Mr Cowdell said, “about how we can become more resilient and local food production is a great way to respond to the challenge of climate change”.

Geelong Sustainability will be holding monthly events throughout 2023 and the next this month will celebrate women in the climate space to coincide with International Women’s Day.

For more information head to: geelonsustainability.org.au