Approximately thirty people turned out on Saturday morning to take part in a brainstorming session to move City Farm forward in the most creative way possible. Participants broke into four groups, and their ideas have been captured here below:
1. Engaging with the Masterplanning process
- Form a sub committee for process which looks after who goes to masterplanning meetings and who reports back to the committee
- Approach Council with the idea of a short-term interim ‘lease’ on the site
- Look for more direct financial sponsorship – for support and web maintenance etc.
- Research the councilors – the issues and their perspectives
- Develop a communication pack/document that addresses common concerns in advance – for example the business plan and financial sustainability prospects
- Put some signage for Sydney City farm out on the road at front of Callan Park to show our prospective existence at the physical site and within electorate
- Get elected to Council or support a candidate.
- Get a regular column in the Inner West Courier to promote SCF and the associated activities that are synergistic with the Farm within the electorate
- Connect with local schools (Montessouri, see Anne Sloane)
- Erect a permanent sign in Callan Park saying “We want the Sydney City farm to be here.”
- Look to a variety of levels on which to engage with the Masterplanning process eg. Masterplan meetings, meetings with the councillors, and be aware, co-ordinate and engage synergistically with other interest groups to build widespread support. (Create a list/document that outlines this three-pronged approach)
- Improve email communications about meetings and attendance
- Generate/develop RSVP email notices to ensure attendance at meetings
- Research all possible grants at local, state, and federal level as well as philanthropy.
2. Finding a new site for the Sydney City Farm
- Contact councilors and private developers
- Look at vacant land that is privately owned
- Tackle sites with a limited number of stakeholders
- Avoid anything that would take too long
- The new site should be ‘as well as’ rather than ‘instead of’ Calla Park
- The new site needs to be a 3Ha minimum. Q: How far is too far away?
- Site options might include smaller sites in Leichhardt, Sydney Park or Hyde Park Barracks
- At a TAFE? Railway land? The Botanical gardens? The Domain?
- Need to be able to have animals as well as vegies ultimately for it to be considered a farm – but interim just with vegies?
- Contact other councils. Ask Leichhardt for an alternative site, then start asking the next surrounding councils
- Look at leasing/borrowing private land for a period of time until no longer available
- Ask developers – they would know which sites are available and how long they might be abandoned for (before construction starts)
- Q: Should we be dividing our energy in seeking another smaller site?
3. Maintaining enthusiasm for the Sydney City Farm
- Approach SHFA re making use of the nursery on-site to grow seedlings for distribution to schools to provide resources for “kitchen school” gardens.
- Monthly public meetings to maintain community involvement
- Regular emails to members to maintain interest
- Have a weekly Orange Grove stall manned by volunteers to maintain face to face contact and perhaps sell locally grown vegies
- Host regular discussion or film nights showing how city farms work across the globe
- Encourage letter writing to SMH, local papers and the Telegraph
- Develop a media plan
- Research Randwick Council program of providing free seedlings and tools to those who plant on the nature strip and ask Leichhardt to do something similar.
4. Working with NGOs already on the site
- Start gardening in temporary boxes (such as Earth boxes) that can be easily moved and offer free sets to the NGO’s to house on their site that we would maintain with as much or as little participation from the NGO’s
- Conduct needs analysis of the NGOs. Look at what’s in it for them and from their perspective (Talk to Douglas Holmes)
- Just start gardening and get those who participate to sign a disclaimer to avoid legal issues
- Write a list of the NGO’s on the site – who are they and what do they do?
At the end of the meeting it was decided that it was time to open up City Farm to monthly public meetings. The next public meeting will be held on Saturday the 2nd of May. All are welcome. Prior to that, the committee will review the outcomes from the brainstorm meeting and decide which ones are priorities and can be made into immediate action points to be designated at the public meeting.