By Parker McKenzie
The opening of applications for another round of the Victorian Government’s Business Chambers and Trader Groups Program has been announced, with grants of up to $20,000 available.
One of the previous recipients is the Belgrave Food Garden, which received a grant alongside the Belgrave Traders Association to develop a food exchange program.
Head of the Belgrave Food Garden Committee Ellie McSheedy said the food exchange program was currently an informal affair.
“Yarra Ranges scores really highly on most of the health and wellbeing metrics as an LGA, but where it doesn’t score well is food security. That is dramatically rising as the costs of food and generally life increases,” she said.
“There is a lot of embarrassment, shame and stigma around it. We’ve been really conscious to do our food exchange in a way that is easy, to be honest. Our garden is open 24 hours a day for anybody to come to pick food that is ready.”
Money from the grant was also used to help fund a community composting initiative through the local traders association.
The Belgrave Traders Association’s Jeremy Angerson said the grant helped support and enhance what the Belgrave Food Garden was already doing.
“Expanding their capacity through their volunteer support base and also with some education programs that they run through there,” he said.
“We were just working with a few traders and trialling a recycling program where some of the kitchen scraps and waste are then turned into compostable components that are then recycled back into the garden beds.”
Ms McSheedy said next growing season the garden would look to partner with local charities to supply food to those in need.
“We’re doing a lot more than just the food exchange program, which really is a cornerstone of what we’re trying to achieve at the garden,” she said.
“We also want to empower people to be able to grow their own food and have that confidence and education. We actually run workshops which are either free or low cost.”
In late September the garden will host a six-week gardening basics course and will host a spring family picnic on Saturday 17 September at 1pm. The dates and times for the course will be announced in the next two weeks, according to Ms McSheedy.
Up to 60 eligible business chambers and trader groups can access grants of up to $20,000 through the $1.2 million fund. The program has already provided $5.6 million through more than 230 grants.
Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford said the State Government is backing business chambers and trader groups to bring small businesses together and support them to thrive in their communities.
“By investing in small businesses, we’re backing them to succeed,” she said.
“That growth fuels the economy.”
For information on how to apply for the third round of grants visit business.vic.gov.au/businesschambers
