3 adults and 2 children planting using small pots made from newspaper.

19 March 2023

Jigamy Syntropic Agro-Forestry & Bushtucker Project

Twofold Aboriginal Corporation is creating a garden and food forest for the community.

Grant Amount: $45,000

Region: Eden, NSW

Delivered by: Twofold Aboriginal Corporation

Year funded: 2022

Project status: Complete

The Challenge

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first farmers on this land and have been living in reciprocity with Country for thousands of years. However, as a result of colonisation, First Nations communities have faced substantial systemic economic and social barriers to food sovereignty and security. Additionally, their communities and cultures are strongly connected with native bushfoods but unfortunately, rarely are they compensated fairly for their knowledge or benefit from the production of these foods.

The Innovation

Twofold Aboriginal Corporation, in collaboration with an extensive team of specialists, will secure its community a Cultural Gardens and Syntropic Food Forest Project. Seven diverse ecologies will incorporate a 200m interpretive path and will model best practice Indigenous bush foods production, regenerative permaculture and peri-urban agriculture. Sustainable Table has funded the first phase of this project.

The key objectives are:

To secure its community a comprehensive integrated garden project with a view to provide its community cultural, economic, agricultural and social outcomes.
For this ecological asset to encompass and convey the cultural heritage of its Indigenous membership on the country of-for-and-by its peoples.
For the project to continue supporting its community through the provision of locally grown foods and to engage & educate as many people in its production.
For the production to model regenerative and sustainable practices that also create opportunities for cross-cultural healing, self-determination and care-for-country.

This project is ongoing and continues to seek funding and delivery partners.

Why did Sustainable Table fund this project?

Twofold Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal-led organisation with strong ties to the community. In partnership with Eat Dirt Permaculture, there is a strong capacity to deliver on this project. Our team also highlighted that this project has the potential to be replicated elsewhere, has likely outsized impact relative to the amount of funding we are providing and most importantly will grow cultural understanding of bushfoods in the local community.

What were the outcomes of this project?

This stage of the project has been completed and we will share the outcomes soon.

To help us support more projects like this and regenerate Australian food and farming, please consider donating today.