St Joseph’s Primary School is bringing the community together as part of Western NSW Local Health District’s 2025 Building Healthy Communities Challenge. Grenfell was selected as a finalist in the 2025 Building Healthy Communities Challenge along with Manildra by an independent panel and will receive $8,000 in funding and intensive support to deliver and promote their project. The project will run until April 4, 2025, and following the challenge period the independent panel will assess the success of each initiative and crown a champion to receive an additional $4,000 in funding support. Grenfell’s initiative will promote sustainable, healthy eating and physical activity, by building and utilising community garden beds and using local, expert knowledge to build skills around growing and utilising fresh produce. “We are excited to be working with Grenfell Food Hall, Grenfell Multipurpose Centre (MPS), Weddin Landcare, Grenfell Preschool, and Grenfell Men’s Shed to help support people in the community to access fresh produce,” Natalie Caruana, from St Joseph’s Primary School, said. “This project is very much a team driven enterprise, and these organisations give us access to a large pool of knowledge and experience that we can pass onto our students.” Alex Makin, from the St Joseph’s School Community Council, said it will be wonderful to have the students involved in a weekly garden group where they can make a real difference in the community. “There is an opportunity to involve the high school in growing larger crops as well,” Mr Makin said. “We plan to get the parents involved wherever we can with working bees. “I’ve already got my dad growing seedlings,” he said. Stage one of the project will see garden beds built at St Joseph’s Primary School and the Grenfell MPS, along with greenhouses, compost bins, and worm farms. With community involvement to help grow fruit, vegetables, and indigenous bush foods. Gina Chalker, from the Grenfell Food Hall, said there is a definite need from the community for fresh food “It isn’t easy to get fresh produce from our supplier. Because the food we receive must travel overnight, we are usually limited to carrots or potatoes. So, any other fresh produce will be very welcome,” Ms Chalker said. The produce grown in the garden beds at St Joseph’s and the Grenfell MPS will be donated to Grenfell Food Hall and recipe cards will be developed to help promote healthy eating. Emma Stowe, from Grenfell MPS, said a big focus for the MPS is the intergenerational engagement between the kids and the residents “But it also has the benefit of getting the residents outside and keeps them active and moving,” she said. The MPS involvement is to grow seedlings and have a garden bed built in the courtyard for residents to tend. Workshops with visiting schools and daycare groups will also be run to help foster intergenerational connections. Melanie Cooper, from Weddin Landcare, said said it’s great to be part of such a positive project that can bring so much to the community. “We aim to support local wherever we can,” she said. Melanie has been leading Weddin Landcare’s involvement in the project with garden design, plant lists, irrigation plans, and advice on project strategy. Olivers Hardware, Stevens Sand and Gravel, the Grenfell Men’s Shed and the Weddin Community Native Nursery have been engaged. There is enthusiasm to keep the momentum running after the garden beds are established and the working group is looking at the longevity and sustainability of the project through ongoing community engagement. Natalie Caruana said they have established a Facebook page and hope to have more residents come forward to lend a hand. “We would love to see people donating seedlings or produce and helping wherever they can,” she said. “The support from the team at Western NSW Local Health District has been incredible so far. “They are excited to see us succeed with this project in the long term, whether we are successful in winning the next round or not,” Ms Caruana said. “We have had a significant response from the community already. “We are grateful to have received a $500 donation from the Grenfell Food Hall, which we will use for soil. “Other members of the working group have offered shade cloth, star pickets, seedlings and have been very generous with their time,” Ms Caruana said. You can follow the Grenfell Community Produce Facebook page at www.facebook.com/grenfellcommunityproduce. If you would like to join the Working Group, get in touch with Natalie Caruana at natalie.caruana@cg.catholic.edu.au
