Who Are We?
Urban farming by the community for the community
Growing Farmers Inc. is a community-led project that originated in the Merri-keb local government area in Melbourne, Australia. We came together in January 2020 as a group of residents concerned about the current climate and environmental crises. We are passionate about building a stronger, more resilient local food system that is better for the environment and for our community. The Growing Farmers’ mission is to support regenerative farming in urban communities. We do this by assisting aspiring farmers with land, mentoring, networks and business coaching, all while building stronger community connections and providing fresh produce to our local community. It’s a win-win outcome for all of us!
The future of Growing Farmers is in accessing land to provide space and to support aspiring urban farmers. We are grateful to be working with our partners to strengthen the food system in the City of Merri-bek and beyond.
Our Team.
We are passionate about providing opportunities in our local food system and believe small steps can lead to big changes.
Jemma Stefanou - President
Jemma (they/them) is a settler, disabled and queer urban farmer working to build resilience and empower communities through food justice and farming in Merri-bek and Darebin.
Samantha Green - Vice President
KB Baxter - Secretary
Ben Manassah - Treasurer
Clare Kentmann - Committee Member
Thank you for sowing our seeds…
We would like to acknowledge former community members of Growing Farmers whose work inspired, nurtured and grew this community organisation into what it is today. We are grateful and thankful to Alice Crowe, Sally Beattie, Elly Gardner, Leila Alexandra, Frida Komesaroff, Kate Sutton, Ana Spataru, Alice Matthieu, Isabella Schultz, Sarah Kerr, Richard Lee, Lizzie Turner, Emily Conors and Caroline Lambert.
We would also like to thank our community of backyard farmers, farm hosts, urban farmers, partners and volunteers throughout the years for their participation, generosity and spirit.
Our Partners.
We are grateful to be supported by many generous partners, collaborators and donors. Thank you to the following organisations who help us continue to provide space and opportunities for connection for our community.
City of Merri-Bek
Federal Member for Wills, Mr Peter Khalil MP
VicHealth
Open Gardens Victoria
Inner North Community Foundation
Rotary Club of Moreland
Our projects connect urban farmers with local urban land
Backyard Farmers Project
The Backyard Farmers project is a volunteer program for aspiring urban farmers who learn to grow food and run a farming collective in Fawkner backyards, whilst fostering meaningful social connections with farm-hosts and community.
Merri-bek Urban Farm
The future of Growing Farmers is in accessing land in Merri-bek to provide space to support aspiring urban farmers in employment and to connect with our community .