See three new resources Selecting food plants, Building community participation in food gardens, and Snapshots – Successful community garden projects that have been added to Useful Resources on this site.
Welcome
The RIG Network project is a cross-sectoral networking initiative that aims to help connect people who have an interest in the social and economic contributions that local food garden projects and small enterprises can make to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, food security and wellbeing.
Participate in the RIG Forum
By registering with the RIG Network you can share ideas and be part of discussions on the RIG Network Forums.
To join the network Register Now!
“Club Veg” is a gardening club established and facilitated by the Cooktown District Community Centre. Members meet monthly to share ideas, tips, cuttings and seeds. Club Veg also runs a seed bank and is helping set up a number of gardens at local venues including the Aged Care Centre. Its a great network for people in Queensland’s tropical top end to gain practical advice and support. Get in touch with David Cass if you’d like to know more (his contact details in the links below). David forwarded the ‘Club Veg Cooktown Veg Planting Guide’ and ‘What We Do at Club Veg’ to RIG Network to share with people in and around Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal after our workshops there late last year. Check them out!
http://www.remoteindigenousgardens.net/wp-content/uploads/club-veg-poster-2-2.pdf
http://www.remoteindigenousgardens.net/wp-content/uploads/what-we-do-at-club-veg-a3-1.pdf
Growing Food for Healthy Communities – A Workbook for Aboriginal Communities, compiled by Joshua Byrne and Martin Anda, Murdoch University.
This booklet provides practical information for communities interested in growing their own fresh fruit and vegetables for better nutrition. It’s presented as an illustrated workbook and was co-produced with a video that demonstrates the techniques in the booklet. Its a great resource.
Produced as part of an educational package with support from ATSIC and the NHMRC. Murdoch University has kindly provided approval for the material to be used by RIG Network. Many thanks to Rachel, RIG, and Yvette from Josh Byrne & Associates!
You can download the Workbook by clicking on this link:
http://www.remoteindigenousgardens.net/wp-content/uploads/growing_food_for_healthy_communities.pdf
Hi there, at recent workshops there was discussion about the nutritional benefits of cassava - particularly as its a good ‘grower’. Check out our forum discussion for some good information about cassava kindly provided by Dr Julie Brimblecombe, from Menzies School of Health Research.
Late last year, a network member sent the link to this great article on food, sustainability and the need for change given climate change and long term food security concerns (wherever we live!). Check it out - and we’d love to hear about innovative local initiatives from where you are. The article is from Ecos, Dec-Jan 2010 edition.
Launched in September 2009, the Outback Business Network (based at the Desert Knowledge Centre in Alice Springs) works with nine regional officers from across remote Australia to link business people and projects. By networking people in targeted sectors by teleconferences and other events, the Outback Business Network aims to connect small businesses, help reduce marketing and communications costs, and undertake market development projects to increase revenues.
Food – and local value adding – is one of the Network’s target sectors. To learn more or join the network, visit:
Desert Knowledge Australia Local Produce Network http://www.desertknowledge.com.au/dka/index.cfm?attributes.fuseaction=bn_bush
For general information about the Outback Business Network, and contact details for the regional network officer closest to you, visit Outback Business Network at the Desert Knowledge Centre website (www.desertknowledge.com.au/).
RIG Network will join the next tele-linkup meeting of the Local Produce Network that look set to be held in early 2010.
ALEP Learning Guides for Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management students – from Greening Australia
The Aboriginal Landcare Education Program (ALEP) is developing the Green Cadets – Grinwan Geing learning guides. They are for Certificate 2 level units in the Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management training package, and are great resources for anyone working to develop food gardens in northern and central Australia.
www.greeningaustralia.org.au/index.php?nodeId=156
Recognise Plants (2009) Greening Australia (NT) Ltd
Install Micro-irrigation Systems (2009) Greening Australia (NT) Ltd
Plant Trees and Shrubs (2009) Greening Australia (NT) Ltd
(see references to these guides and other great resources for top end gardens in the Useful Resources section – list of books and links).
House of Representatives Inquiry into Remote Community Stores Recommends Support for community gardens
2009 November 17
Findings and Recommendations
The remote community store has the potential to play a pivotal role in improving the social, economic and health outcomes of remote Indigenous communities.
The Committee made 33 recommendations overall in key areas such as health and nutrition, food access and supply, cost of living, regulating governance,licensing of stores, and the future role of Outback Stores.
Recommendations include:
- developing a healthy store policy for every remote Indigenous community store,
- establishing a national remote Indigenous food supply chain coordination office,
- establishing a remote community store infrastructure fund,
- supporting community garden, traditional foods and farming projects,
- commissioning a regional cost of living study for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in remote communities,
- the registration of stores under the Corporations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2006,
- revising the purpose of the Outback Stores model to recognise the two distinct roles—
-as a commercially viable store operator and ensuring food deliveries (where the store is not viable or the regular supply of healthy food is not secured), and - working with individual communities to develop and support a diversity of good store operations or delivery models that recognise the unique needs and situations of those communities.
Bush tucker is not only very healthy, it is also an important part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and way of life. Preserving knowledge of the dreaming stories of different bush tucker plants and foods as well as knowledge on how to find bush tucker, how to cook it and eat it is very important to communities.
To read the whole story – click here
Funding opportunity which could be used for establishing and maintaining a bush tucker garden including supporting Indigenous teams to collect bush tucker and record information and stories for their local community, and trial and produce bush tucker gardens close to communities.
http://www.arts.gov.au/indigenous/ICS
The Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts is currently seeking applications for its Indigenous Culture Support program.
About the Indigenous Culture Support Program
Indigenous culture is a dynamic part of Australian culture and identity. The Indigenous Culture Support (ICS) program supports the maintenance and continued development of Indigenous culture at the community level.
ICS funds activities that encourage culturally vibrant Indigenous communities and contribute to the cultural wellbeing of Indigenous individuals and communities.
The program supports activities that:
- maintain Indigenous culture through community involvement;
- support new forms of Indigenous cultural expression;
- increase public awareness of Indigenous culture, including through the presentation and exchange of culture; and
- support the sustainable development of community organisations involved in cultural activities.