The initiative was funding by a $7000 Mumbulla Foundation grant and will provide a valuable source of native food, traditional medicine, and cultural education. 

“We want to use it as an educational resource so school groups can come through and taste, touch and learn,” Twofold Bay Aboriginal Corporation care program manager Alison Simpson said.

The garden will include two “learning centres” which will provide opportunities for students to investigate the journey of native food stuffs from “plant to plate”.

“The garden will form part of our Healing with Knowledge program,” Ms Simpson said.

“Students will receive set recipes and have the opportunity to choose one. They will then need to grow, pick and prepare the food on the recipes ingredient list.”

Twofold Aboriginal Corporation Cook Chloe West is thrilled to be part of the program that will incorporate her culinary skills and love of food.

“I’m extremely passionate about real food. I love cooking and growing food and am excited to see the garden happen.

“I’m really looking forward to working with kids, community members and visitors to share what we think will be amazing,” she said.

Ms Simpson said that overtime, they hope to have a well-established garden that can yield plants and seedlings for future dissemination and propagation.

Ms Simpson said that they hope to have the plants in the soil and growing within the next three months.