HOME GROWN: THE RISE OF URBAN FARMING

12 June 2020 #614

Cover Story: HOME GROWN: THE RISE OF URBAN FARMING

“Gardening is cool again,” says Costa Georgiadis, Australia’s favourite green thumb and host of Gardening Australia. “Spending some time in the garden puts your mind into another place, which is the kind of therapy that people need at this point.”
Indeed, the vegie-gardening craze has swept the nation, with seed suppliers reporting a sudden 10-fold surge in custom during lockdown. And little wonder: growing your own fruit, veg and herbs is meditative, sustainable and cultivates community.

In this edition, we speak to the people who are helping us rediscover the joys and possibilities of urban farming and community gardening. And Costa also shares his tips for those wanting to get their hands dirty for the first time.

Also in this edition:

• Since the killing of George Floyd, many around the globe have joined the Black Lives Matter movement against systemic racism and police brutality. Vendors from street papers in the US and The Big Issue share their stories about the impacts of the movement on their lives and their communities.

• With the rebooted AFL season now kicking off, we talk to Yokayi Footy host Bianca Hunt about the show’s fresh look at Aussie Rules from a young, Indigenous perspective.

• Actor Cameron Daddo talks lucky opportunities, second chances and his famous family’s acting dynasty in his Letter to My Younger Self.

• One writer explores the meditative calm and collective joy of knitting with friends, just in time for World Wide Knit in Public Day on 13 June.

•In Big Picture, Sydney photographer Matthew Abbott saddles up and heads to the Kimberley to capture the lives of Australia’s jillaroos.

• And in Tastes like Home, Lara Lee shares her Timorese grandma’s recipe for Chicken Nasi Goreng – best eaten in your PJs.