Critical Times

The 3rd Annual Australian City
Farms and Community Gardens
Network National Gathering

Putting down roots

Adelaide, March 6 – 9 2006

The Conference

For the first time, Adelaide will be hosting
the national community gardening
conference in 2006. The Australian City
Farms and Community Gardens Network
annual conference is a unique opportunity
for community gardeners (and those who
would like to be) to learn from each other’s
experiences, support and develop their practice,
and renew their connection with the vibrant
and growing national (and international)
movement they’re a part of.

Program

The Conference begins on the evening of
Monday 6th March 2006, with a welcome,
dinner, and evening of stories, photo journeys,
and short films from gardens around the
country.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, community
gardeners and other experts will share stories,
resources and knowledge about growing plants
and communities. There will be workshops
to inspire novice and veteran community
gardeners alike, with streams for
people setting out to start a community
garden
people growing, developing, and sustaining
community garden projects
professionals interested in using community
gardening as part of their health, education,
community, or environment work.

There will also be opportunities to get your
hands dirty with practical activities, and plenty
of space in between for relaxed networking,
checking out displays, and walks with the
koalas! Or if you’re a little’un, you might like to
hang out in the children’s space and join in the
kids’ workshops.

On Thursday, we’ll set out in convoy to explore
some of Adelaide’s established and emerging
community gardens.

This year’s theme

The theme for this year’s Conference is
Putting Down Roots.

For many of us, community gardens are
places where we put down roots and connect:
to community, to our food source, and to
place, whether in a new country, or in a
neighbourhood we’ve dwelled in for years.

The theme reflects the way community
gardening is taking root in Australia, with
gardens in more communities, and increasing
recognition and appreciation for their many
joys and benefits.

We’ve also chosen ‘Putting down roots’ to focus
on the ways community gardens, individually
and collectively, can put down stronger
‘taproots’ to develop deeply nourishing and
strengthening practices to sustain our vision
and work.

The Venue

The Conference will be a residential retreat in
a lovely bushland setting in the Adelaide Hills,
25 minutes from the city. Accommodation
is basic and comfortable, either in 6 – 8 bed
dorm rooms with en suite toilets, or in your
own tent or van. The venue has beautiful walks,
swimming hole, and meeting spaces.

Registration

Attendance is by prior registration and payment
only. We suggest your book early to avoid
missing a place.

Registrations close on 20th February 2005.

Please use the registration form
(download one from www.communitygarden.org.au .
Further
details and directions will be sent upon
registration.

Costs include accommodation, tours, and
delicious local organic food.

| |Bunkhouse accommodation / Camping|
|Government, business, professionals |$160 / $140|
|Community members |$130 / $110|
|Concession/low income |$100 / $80|
|Children 4 – 15 |$40 / $40|

Single day registrations are also available.

Further information

More details, including transport options and
full program details will be available from late
January 2006 as released at the Australian City
Farms and Community Gardens Network
website

Why not extend your stay to join in the
exciting events before and after the conference,
like the ‘Learning in the Garden’ school
gardening seminar on March 4 – 5.

An additional event, _The Learning in the
Garden Seminar_ on the 4th and 5th of March
2006 will focus on kitchen gardens in schools.

Presenters will include Carolyn Nuttall
(pioneering school garden teacher and author of
A Children’s Food Forest), Stephanie Alexander
(author, chef, and kitchen garden patron),
and Jude Fanton (founder of the Seed Savers’
Network, about to launch a seed-to-seed school
garden program).

Further information will be
sent out, and posted on the website, in January.

You can register your interest by emailing
ceres.sa@gmail.com and we’ll send you regular
updates.

For other enquiries,
email ceres.sa@gmail.com,
or phone (08) 8411 4893.

Sponsors

Organisers:

CERES South Australia

Supporters:

Permaculture Association of South
Australia

Australian City Farms and Community
Gardens Network

SA Community Gardening Network