Harvesting Health: Bass Coast South Gippsland Food System Alliance Blossoms with Major Grant!

Imagine a region where fresh, affordable, locally grown produce is within easy reach for everyone. Where skills in growing and preserving food flourish from childhood to adulthood. Where communities are healthier, fairer, more sustainable, and resilient in the face of challenges.

This is the ambitious and vital goal of the Bass Coast South Gippsland Food System Alliance.

We are thrilled to announce the formation of this powerful new partnership, dedicated to transforming our local food landscape. And we have incredible news to kickstart this journey: The Alliance has been awarded a significant Vic Health grant of over $750,000, spanning three plus years! This crucial funding is a testament to the strength of our vision and the power of collaboration. Adopting the Food First approach reimagines the food system. It puts health before profit and backs communities, like us, to lead change across Victoria. 

More details on the Vic Health Local Partnerships for Food First can be found here.

Our Goal: Rooted in Community Wellbeing

Our mission is clear: to dramatically increase access to affordable, fresh, local produce across Bass Coast and South Gippsland while empowering residents of all ages with essential food-growing skills.

As part of the Vic Health Food First Initiative, we are committed to:

- Building healthier, fairer communities: Ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food.

- Creating food resilience: Strengthening our local food system against future shocks.

- Supporting local growers: Valuing and boosting our region's food producers.

- Connecting people with local food: Fostering a deeper appreciation for where our food comes from.

How We're Cultivating Change: Four Key Actions

This substantial Vic Health grant will fuel four interconnected strategies designed to make our goal a reality:

1.  Mobile Fresh Food Access: Bringing affordable, fresh local produce directly to neighbourhoods and towns currently underserved, ensuring no one is left behind.

2.  Establishing Vibrant Local Markets ("To Market - To Market"): Creating accessible markets that connect residents directly with seasonal bounty and provide vital outlets for our local growers.

3.  Community Food Preservation Skills: Teaching techniques like preserving, fermenting, and drying to reduce food waste and make seasonal harvests last year-round.

4. Healthy Soil Healthy People - Education: Equipping local people, of all generations, with the knowledge and skills to grow nutrient-dense food using practices that heal and enhance our precious soil.

Together, these actions form a powerful ecosystem: improving access, supporting producers, minimising waste, and building long-term skills for a truly resilient local food future.

The Power of Partnership

The Alliance is a testament to what we can achieve together. We are proud to unite the passion and expertise of:

- Bass Coast Health

- Bass Coast Shire Council

- Buckley Park Community Farm

- Community College Gippsland

 - Gippsland Region Public Health Unit

 - Gippsland Southern Health Service

 - Grow Lightly

 - The Commons/Leongatha Community Garden

 - Manna Gum Community House (Partner Organisation)

 - South Gippsland Hospital

 - South Gippsland Shire Council

Spotlight: The Pivotal Role of The Commons

This Alliance and the successful Vic Health grant application have strong roots in the dedicated work of The Commons (Leongatha Community Garden). Members of The Commons played an instrumental role in initiating the conversations that led to the Alliance's formation, bringing key stakeholders together around a shared vision. Their deep understanding of community needs, and food systems was crucial in crafting the compelling grant application that secured this transformative $750,000+ funding. Looking ahead, The Commons will be central to driving the "To Market - To Market" initiative, leveraging their community connections and practical experience to establish vibrant local markets that are the heart of action and ensure people of all means are able to access affordable healthy nutritious food with ease and dignity.

Growing Forward

The Vic Health grant provides an unprecedented opportunity. Over the next 3+years, we will draw on the legacy of earlier efforts, the vast local passion, knowledge, and enterprise within our communities across Bass Coast and South Gippsland and forge new partnerships to cultivate a food system that nourishes everyone in Bass Coast and South Gippsland.

Get Involved!

This is just the beginning. We invite all community members to follow our journey, participate in upcoming programs, Town Hall community sessions and support local growers. Together, we can grow a healthier, fairer, more sustainable, and resilient food future for our region.