FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND THOUGHT FOR FOOD, AND FOOD FOR YOU, RIGHT NEAR CDU
There is nothing more satisfying than eating something that you have grown yourself, knowing you have nurtured a plant into an edible outcome, that it has only journeyed a short way to your plate, served simply or creatively cooked into a sustaining dish. Not only, when you grow it yourself, do you know no creature was harmed and an excess of fossil fuels were not burnt for part of your lunch, you connect to your climate and become more aware of the seasons and of your surroundings.
If you can just grow a handful of edibles around your house, on your balcony, or in an already disturbed bit of suburbia - a park, a nature strip or by replacing a lawn, then you will demand less from elsewhere. Elsewhere could be our native landscapes, our supermarkets (yes, you know that duopoly that profits from the hard work of others), or a place far away with a different climate. We can't always have what we want to eat all year, we need to adapt and change with what grows - and the nearer us the better.
If you are new to Darwin’s tropical climate or the idea of growing food, particularly in what can be a climate of extremes, it can be daunting.
My advice is this:
Start with things that are known to grow well.
Ask others that already have knowledge.
Visit or join a community garden and find inspiration.
There is a fantastic community garden right near CDU, the Lakeside Drive Community Garden, which is open to all community members and is especially looking for student involvement.
Come along on Thursdays from 4 - 6pm to meet members, ask questions and buy plants. Volunteers are welcome and new plots will be available soon. Produce grown there is shared by those involved and, during the day, a work for the dole program, where participants can learn growing skills.
Email: ldcgarden@gmail.com
If you cook local food you can get involved with the community project GULP NT www.gulpnt.com or check out recipes and local growers, with further articles and native plants at www.tasteofthetopend.com.
Emma Lupin has been promoting the use of local food for many years and works in conservation, after studying a Bachelor of Environmental Science at CDU.
