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You are here: Home / Archives for YCG History

Meet the New Management Committee

26/09/2019 By

The Yandina community gardens are run by a management committee. Committee members are elected annually by the members of the organisation.  

The 2019/2020 committee members are:

From left: Jono, Donna, Colleen, Robyn, Gayle, Rob and Made

Jonathon (Jono) Holford
Growing up in South East Asia exposed me to a multitude of cultures and practices at a young  age. I have always had an appreciation for different landscapes and climates. Returned home to complete a double degree in business economics and commercial law in Melbourne. Since moving up to the Sunshine Coast I have a new found passion for waste management, particularly dealing with organic waste streams.
I have taken a particular focus on vermiculture and Black Soldier Fly farms. I have only been at YCG since October 2018 and have enjoyed learning from a wide range of skilled members who give their time and energy to the gardens.
Donna Morawiak (Secretary)
Grew up in a small country town in the UK surrounded by the traditional English vegetable garden with turkeys and ducks as childhood pets. After studying ceramics in college moved to Shigaraki, Japan to learn traditional wood firing methods. From here a move back to the UK and starting to work in Logistics for IKEA, 20 years and many moves later to different cities in China, Japan and Australia whilst working for the same company, but now in the field of Sustainability. Passionate about food waste and how we can educate people to value this resource, was naturally drawn to Yandina Community Gardens. Lives with her partner in a Sustainable off grid home in Towen Mountain, after many years moving from city to city has finally found somewhere to put roots down and really connect with the community and environment.

 

Colleen Bichel  (Acting President)
Born and raised in Lockyer Valley. Mum and Dad were farmers (onions, garlic, rock melons, sweet potatoes etc) and had a recycling centre.  Studied exercise science and health promotion and worked for 10yrs in preventative health care.  Moved from Brisbane to Ninderry and completed her Permaculture Design Course with Geoff Lawton.  She is also a trained hypnotherapist and practices Quantum Healing Hypnosis, now the owner of Jeffers fresh produce store in Yandina. Colleen lives with her partner on an organic vegan property and has a menagerie of rescue animals.

 

Robyn Matthews (Treasurer)
“Born in Sydney, schooled in Townsville and lived most of my adult life in Sydney (where my heart will always be).  7 years ago I moved to the Sunshine Coast. I am blessed to have my forever home which has very little flat land but lots of steep slopes and long-term bush regeneration work needed. I’m also involved with Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group and Florabunda Nursery at Woombye. As was expected when I left High School I took secretarial and clerical work and continued for 30+ years.  About 15 years ago I changed to community work and loved working in the disability services field. I am very passionate about everyone being provided opportunities to have the best life possible. I strive for a simple effective life myself and try to practice sustainability (not always successfully). Ethical outcomes are important to me – this includes every person, every animal and all living things. I found YCG when seeking out a like-minded community. I’ve enjoyed meeting a special quality of people with honesty, integrity and respect for others. 
Gayle Richens
Born & raised in Brisbane. Joined an acting group at 10 & opened up a life of creation & litrature. Sewing & Gardening were my childhood passions & still are, Married now separated with 3 grown up Children & grandchildren. Studied fine art & many crafts, over the years have taught Sewing & Creative Art & Craft. Moved to Sunshine Coast 15 yrs ago… joined Noosa Permaculture… then Yandina Community Gardens.

 

Rob Lawrence
I grew up in some of NZ’s most beautiful places. My Dad always had a vegetable garden and orchard. Mum would bottle peaches and we would visit my uncle’s farm to go mushrooming. Dad was a traditional gardener and it took him a very long time to come around to mulching. However he was great at making jam, ginger beer and kiwifruit wine. I became much more environmentally aware while hunting with my friends as a teenager and it lead me on a path of environmental activism and campaigning.  Sally and I began our family in 2006 and we have been navigating our way as environmentally ethically as possible for as long as I remember. We believe in being close to Earth and in co-creating our community, which has naturally lead us to YCG. Having lived on Sunshine Coast for 2 years, we are hoping to develop a deeper connection with the land here and sink down some roots.

 

Mada Brinkman (missing from photo)
Watch this space, Made is currently overseas

Filed Under: Organisation, YCG History Tagged With: Management Committee, management committee members, meet the team, Yandina Community Garden

Honorary Life Member Takes Us Down Memory Lane

14/12/2018 By

Linda Mahony, one of our honorary life members recounts the Gardens history at the members’ event held in December.

In 2001, interested residents requested a plot of land from Maroochy Shire Council to set up a community garden.  On 12th May 2002, this became a reality when Council donated a disused bitumen-covered basketball court and tennis courts to the group as the ‘ideal’ place to set up their veggie gardens, and so, the Maroochy Community Permaculture Group was born. The original membership was 6 active members and 12 financial members. The gardens were also the first permaculture gardens set up on the Sunshine Coast and we’re still the only group that operates as a display/educational garden – all others operate under the ‘lease a plot’ system.

In 2002, the gardens were established on the old tennis courts under the care of a full-time manager. The main entrance was via the gate in the side fence alongside the park.  This area also contained the old tennis clubhouse, which comprised of a kitchen, toilet and shower, and a large meeting room. This shed was in a very sad state of disrepair and needed a lot of work to bring it up to scratch. It was demolished in 2007 due to termite infestation and asbestos.

In August 2003, the ‘Community Jobs Project’(CJP) started work on the ‘little house’ which had been moved on-site on the newly leased block of land across the car park from the basketball court. This house is now over 100 years old and has seen life in a few different streets of Yandina in its time. The “CJP” work brought the house up to the point where it could be used as the new office and training area and, after the paint job on the exterior, it became known forevermore as The Blue House.

In 2003, the original cob oven was built with help from Bob Cameron of Rockcote and it was replaced in 2005 due to termite attack, again with Bob Cameron’s amazingly generous help.

In 2004, the gardens put on a weekend of music, food and artisan stalls, known as Permafest.  It was so successful, that it was repeated the following year.  Because Yandina residents did not know much about the happenings behind all the trees at the Gardens, it was felt that these Permafest events gave the locals the impression that permaculture was all about unwashed, dreadlocked hippies.

In 2008, Council, through a series of workshops held over a number of weekends, built the straw bale structure to replace the old tennis shed. This structure provided kitchen and shade facilities for the workers in the garden.

In 2009, a federal water grant provided for the aquaponics system and water tanks to help ease the reliance on town water.  A grant from Council to make the Blue House more sustainable was also received and this provided solar water and power systems as well as the pergola over the kitchen on the western side of the house.

In 2010, the gardens were the recipients of the Sunshine Coast Council’s ‘Glossies’ award for Edible Landscapes and this award brought in lots of attention and visitors to the gardens.

In 2010 we received a 1-year grant from SCC through the Environment Levy to run free workshops covering all aspects of sustainable living and then in 2011, we successfully applied for a 3-year grant to continue this program – this grant gave the gardens just over $18,000 a year for the three years.

Also, in 2011, Maroochy Community Permaculture Group Inc decided – for legal reasons – to change its name to Yandina Community Gardens, as this was the name most people used when referring to the Gardens.

Over the years, the Gardens has established itself as a premier educational facility and we have been able to entice people of the calibre of Costa Georgiadis, Jerry Coleby-Williams and Annette McFarlane to come and spend the day with us at our Open Days, generously giving freely of their time, knowledge and expertise to our many visitors.

There have been many changes to the original design over the years, and there is now a new plan in place to bring in more changes over the next five or so years. To read more about the strategy click here

Filed Under: YCG History Tagged With: YCG history

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