Lower Hume Street Harvest Project

Bec Murphy- Lower Hume Primary Care Partnership

Background Lower Hume Primary Care Partnership covers

Mitchell and Murrindindi shires. Hume Region Integrated Health Promotion Strategy

2012- Regional Priority Healthy Eating Mapping identified Poor access to affordable food – Food insecurity

2008Victoria 5.6%Mitchell 5%Murrindindi 7.8%

2011Victoria 4.6% Mitchell 5%Murrindindi 14.7%

The Street Harvest Initiative Funding available from Goulburn Valley

Medicare Local to support the IHP plan. Review of the evidence for interventions

identified the Street Harvest Pilot in Wodonga.

Street Harvest Wodonga Foodbank Victoria commenced a pilot of

Street Harvest in 2009. Street Harvest successful in Wodonga in

facilitating the sharing of excess fruit and vegetables from residential gardens to neighbours and emergency relief.

Toolkit developed in 2013 to develop Street Harvest Programs in other areas.

Lower Hume Street Harvest Project One year pilot project commenced August 2013 Work plan developed from Foodbank’s Street Harvest Toolkit. Community consultations identified additional needs and

activities that could be built in and supported to increase sustainability.

3 Objectives1. Increase supply of fresh fruit and vegetables by 50% at local

emergency relief centres by July 2014.2. Develop personal skills relating to gardening, basic nutrition

and food preparation through providing learning opportunities to local residents by 2014.

3. Promote local food security awareness to key stakeholders.

Project Strategies Assess community need- community consultation, food outlet

consultation, baseline survey on Foodshare programs.

Source food donations, recruit and train volunteers, redistribute produce and coordinate food donations

Identify settings to establish gardening and cooking education, provide support to education programs

Promote key messages of the street harvest project, advocate for food security

Project Outcomes Four fruit and vegetable donations received

Flowerdale Primary School have renewed their edible garden and continuing workshops through their Kids Teaching Kids.

Supported Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House to establish a community garden

Toolangi and Castella Community House has commenced a monthly food swap

Developed Murrindindi Fresh Fruit and Vegetable brochure

Challenges Lack of volunteers

Transient communities

Partnerships

Timelines

Community engagement

Emergency relief funding

Enablers Flexible project worker

Partnership with Berry Street and Foodshare

Utilising existing infrastructure

Providing resources and equipment

Supporting other initiatives

Lessons One size does not fit all

Community engagement takes time

Need to encourage and support sharing of food, purchasing from local growers and reducing food miles.

Ongoing education required

Community driven initiatives more sustainable

Questions?

Contact detailsBec MurphyLower Hume Primary Care PartnershipRebecca.Murphy@lhpcp.org.auwww.lhpcp.org.au