The Bhutanese Community Farm is located on the banks of the Murray River on Gateway Island, Wodonga. It was established in 2015 by the Bhutanese Association at Albury with support from lots of partners, including Parklands Albury Wodonga, National Environment Centre, Riverina TAFE and E-Works Employment Solutions.
The initial farm enterprise is an organic market garden, producing vegetables and herbs not commonly available locally.
The long term vision is to make the community farm sustainable by diversifying from vegetables to fruit, goats, chooks, honey, mushrooms, catering and other value adding enterprises to create opportunities for economic participation for our refugee community as well as the wider regional community.
Objectives:
1. Strengthening of physical and mental health and well-being
2. To provide education and training to the Bhutanese community in gardening and farming in a new country (Australia)
3. To grow organic vegetables
4. To provide volunteering opportunities for both the Bhutanese community and the wider regional community
5. To share traditional Bhutanese farming skills with the community and learn about new technologies and ways of farming.
6. To build relationships with the local community and farming groups
7. To show the talents and skills of Bhutanese community people in the farming sector
8. To keep a healthy environment through organic farming
9. To create positive learning experiences for young people and those interested in farming and gardening
10. To build a happy and friendly growing community
Where are we?
We are tucked away in a quiet paddock next to the Murray river – a little bit hard to find! We are on the right just 300m from the Lincoln Causeway on Lemke Rd, with the Gateway Lakes park to your left. Access is via a chicane gate just before the first houses on the right. Park on the roadside, go through the chicane gate and follow the mown path across the paddock to the farm. It is advisable to contact the rangers via Facebook before visiting.
Want to get involved?
Join us between 8am and 3pm, Monday to Friday at the community farm. Tilak or Rohit will be around to help show you the ropes.
Looking for chemical-free produce? We offer weekly “vegetable boxes” delivered around Albury Wodonga during the harvest season, and market direct from the garden. Please contact us via our Facebook page if you wish to be added to the customer distribution list or would like to arrange to purchase fresh vegetables.
Want to help us market the farm produce? Your assistance would be greatly valued.
Interested in partnering with us to farm goats? Please get in touch.
- Tilak Chhetri or Rohit Khulal
- https://www.facebook.com/www.bhutanesegardening.com.au/
- farm@parklands-alburywodonga.org.au
