Queensland Conservation | 166 Ann Street, Brisbane Q 4000
Phone 07 3211 0188 | Fax 07 3229 7992
For immediate release
20 February 2009
Grow your own the way to go
With so much doom and gloom around sustainability and financial crises, Queensland Conservation
is developing an innovative campaign to support people to recession-proof their pantries and
contribute to community sustainability.
The Grow Local SEQ Program aims to increase the production and consumption of locally grown
food in Southeast Queensland. Grow Local SEQ Campaign Manager, Samantha Morris says growing
your own food or buying food off local farmers is not only good for the environment, it’s good for
the hip pocket, and for the hips.
“The personal financial benefits of growing your own food go without saying,” Sam said, “but in
addition to those benefits, consuming food from local farms or your own backyard means people are
effectively bypassing the massive footprint created by food that is transported large distances or
imported from overseas.”
Samantha also says that buying locally grown produce supports more local farmers, which in turn
means better environmental management on those farms.
As part of the regional campaign strategy, Queensland Conservation is also aiming to identify
funding partners for the ongoing resourcing of community gardens and their networks.
“Many people living in cities just don’t have the knowledge, space or facilities to grow their own
food,” Sam said. “So, we want to support as many community gardening networks as possible so
that people can get involved in growing food in communal spaces.”
Samantha says they also want to make sure those community gardens are resourced to cope with
the growing number of people taking to backyard food production.
“It appears that the number of people interested in growing their own food is growing exponentially.
There aren’t many places people can go for unbiased information about growing, harvesting and
preserving their own food and we want to make sure we are supporting community gardens to play
that role,” she said.
Queensland Conservation is bringing together many local food enthusiasts at a community forum
being held on Friday 27 February at Griffith Ecocentre to discuss the regional Grow Local strategy.
To join the campaign mailing list, or for further information about the event, contact
sam@wombatcreative.com.au or phone 07 5538 5109.
NEWS 
