Meet the man helping to create a sustainable food future

ONE of twelve young people to be chosen for VicHealth’s Youth Food Systems Leadership and Employment Program has said while he is proud to be doing such work, he is uncertain about his future in the food industry.

Ethan Loosmore, who now works for Bendigo Foodshare, said he was doing casual gardening work during his year 12 in 2022 when he connected with the manager of Golden Gums Farm in Strathfieldsaye.

He’s since worked at the farm, selling its produce at markets, and doing educational outreach to local schools through the program for about a year, and training sessions about three times each month.

Last year VicHealth announced it would invest $4 million across seven Food Hubs around Victoria over three years as part of its Future Healthy Initiative.

“With that [the funding] we’ve made the farm, and we’re selling at markets, and we’ve funded a couple of markets to start up,” said Mr Loosmore.

“We’re also going into schools… I’ve been to quite a few school lessons talking about food insecurity and giving them cooking skills.”

He said Bendigo Foodshare is working with groups such as the Karen community to grow vegetables less common in local shops such as okra.

Although Mr Loosmore said the experience had been positive overall and that he could see its impact on the community, he had concerns about its long-term financial viability.

“The funding was given to us in the hopes that we’d be able to be self-sustainable at the end of it, employ people and keep them employed and keep this going for multiple years,” he said.

“The reality of it is that it’s not really, and [for] every other food hub that has been given funding, it doesn’t look very hopeful that they’re going to be self-sustainable.

“The reality is, it’s hard work and the amount that you work doesn’t always reflect the amount that you get paid.

“I mean, I would like to be doing something like this, but maybe in a few more years when the food system’s a bit more developed.”