City of Mandurah staff celebrate the award
The City of Mandurah’s Grow It Local partnership scooped an award for innovation at the Local Government Professionals WA Community Development Awards last week.
Mandurah’s partnership with the Grow It Local program was announced the metro winner for the Innovation and/or Innovative Partnership Award, recognised for fostering sustainability, food security, social connection and healthier lifestyles in the community.
Grow It Local is Australian community initiative dedicated to encouraging individuals to grow, share, and consume food at home. The platform connects backyard, balcony, windowsill, verge and community gardeners, creating a network where members can exchange knowledge, share produce, and access resources to enhance their gardening skills. It makes growing food simple, social, and fun.
In 2022, the City of Mandurah partnered with Grow it Local to bring the program to the community, joining members across Australia to grow, share and eat homegrown food. More than 560 locals (and more than 50 registered patches) are now part of the program, growing a huge variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs. It's like one big community garden group.
Patch by patch, Mandurah is creating healthier communities and sharing knowledge about produce and recipes among new-found friends.
Grow It Local also supports community gardens by encouraging them to register their patch, grow connections and access the program’s online resources.
In March, a special Grow It Local Long Table Dinner was held in Mandurah, celebrating the community's love for homegrown produce and sustainable living. Guests enjoyed a two-course meal made from locally sourced ingredients and shared homegrown produce. Grow It Local participants were encouraged to contribute their produce towards the shared meal, a great example of the ‘patch to plate’ philosophy. A Patch to Plate event was held in 2024, with 40 local residents contributing produce to an afternoon tea.
The program has exceeded targets for food grown, waste diverted and community participation. The City continues to forge vital community connections through this great program with a range of activities, partnerships and events.
The community is encouraged to join the growing number of people participating in the Grow It Local program. Go to growitlocal.com for more information and to sign up.
By joining Grow It Local, participants will get:
• Access to workshops with expert growers
• Seasonal ‘Grow Along’ journeys with heirloom seed delivery
• ‘How-to’ guides to build growing skills
• Support from in-house gardening experts
