Oakhill Food Justice Farm

Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung Country, Preston, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Brief

In Melbourne during the winter Covid-19 lockdown of 2021, we were tasked with helping establish the Oakhill Food Justice Farm. First, we led a community co-design process, collaborating with RMIT and TAFE students to engage local councils, schools, community organizations, and residents. We adapted Garden Juju’s sense of place, visioning & design activities online, capturing ideas that influenced the farm's concept plans.

Second, we helped establish the site, repairing the vandalized vicarage, converting a shed, clearing overgrown vegetation, creating garden beds, and developing teaching and co-working spaces. Gradually, students, volunteers, and contractors transformed the space, making it a positive, healthy, and hopeful place again - a thriving community hub and headquarters for Sustain Australia. Check out the Oakhill Food Justice Farm Documentary by our friend Marcelo Paternoster.

Challenges

• Covid-19 lockdown
• Limited budget
• Short-term lease
• So much garbage
• A really run-down & sad site
• Many stakeholders

Design & Implementation

What emerged from conversations with students, volunteers, business owners, teachers and the co-design process as a whole, were the following community needs –

Feeling safe, sharing skills, having a place to go to a sense of place, mentoring and practical learning, a garden sanctuary, a community hub & perhaps most clearly – healing.

As we repaired and cleaned up the site and starting establishing the gardens and facilities these design imperatives guided us. As resources and skilled people joined the project they wove into the fabric of Oakhill. All this was done by hand on a very limited budget. Things were recycled, generously donated, made by people with goodwill, and so on.

Even with all the challenges it faced Oakhill Food Justice Farm is up and away! Great to work with Nick, Kelly and the rest of the Sustain team. Great to spend time getting to start to know and feel the energy of Preston the community and place. Back soon hopefully.

Ideas in Action

• Food justice
• Urban farming
• Community co-design
• Healing people & place
• Regenerative approach

• Online community engagement
• Innovative design
• Place as sanctuary
• Community gardening
• Circular economy

Outcomes

Oakhill Food Justice Farm, after all the challenges of the lockdown is up and running now. The local community is embracing the opportunities that Oakhill offers.

For us at Garden Juju it’s been great to engage with this part of Melbourne – this interesting and vibrant community. Thanks!

“Charlie & Garden Juju Collective were asked to consult and contract to help incubate our Oakhill project both on site and in terms of community co-design. They have done this, and more, with energy, skills and commitment.”

Nick Rose

Co-founder & Executive Director of Sustain, the Australian Food Network

Oakhill Food Justice Farm

Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung Country, Preston, Melbourne, VIC, AUS

Oakhill before (upper left) and after (upper right).

← Back to Portfolio