Gembridge enjoyed a day of adventure and volunteering at the Food For Change farm on the Mornington Peninsula. The weather radar was colourful, but added to the experience as we planted and harvested under stormy clouds, drizzly rain, patches of sunshine and a beautiful rainbow… many seasons in one day!
L-R Matt Donovan, Michelle Varcoe, Jenny Nicholls, Jenni D’Orival and Troy Varcoe... At the end of the day!
Founder Matt Donovan welcomed us to the farm and was so generous sharing knowledge, stories, passion and aspirational plans, and of course some regular volunteer leaders. Working alongside us were dedicated Food For Change volunteers, Darren and Sebastian, plus Anna Ham, the IGA Partner Co-ordinator who directed us throughout the day to ensure quality and safety, plus straight planting lines. Thank you!
Our day on the farm was amazing, and gave us the opportunity to:
Connect as a team while planting garlic and harvesting rhubarb, spinach and silverbeet
Spend a day in the outdoors - mud, sunshine, rainbows and drizzly rain
Wellbeing benefits - no screen time, nature and fresh air
Get our hands dirty
Make a difference
See the impact of our partnership
Jenni D’Orival, Recrutiment Manager harvesting leafy greens
This beautiful produce was collected by local charities on the same day. So fresh & impactful!
Food For Change was established in 2016 on the belief that nobody in Australia should go hungry, and has since grown 358,563 meals, rescued 2,219,556 meals and provided 191.530 meals (so far!), and this continues to grow with their various programs and partnerships including IGA and food relief organisations around the country who are feeding hungry Australians.
People & Partnerships
Like many partnerships, ours started with a conversation, curiosity and connection. Over an initial Zoom call during COVID a few years ago, we learned about their expansion plans including the start of their Briars Farm (Mornington Peninsula) and their amazing impact, as well as the challenges of being a small but mighty charity with limited resources.
From a few proposed options, Gembridge invested in the Orchard Expansion Project and Production Rows, and look forward to continuing to learn and grow together.
If you are inspired to learn more about Food For Change and get involved, reach out!
L-R Gembridge (Jenny, Jenni, Troy & Michelle) and Food For Change (Matt & Anna)