Farm My School - Bellarine Secondary College

***If booking for family, Kids are free but please ensure you register on the booking page***

Come and join Farm My School founders, Ben Shaw and James McLennan and be a part of the of the largest and longest no dig event ever to be undertaken in the UNIVERSE ... The Farm My School 24hr No Dig Festival!

The Farm My School team are planning to build a farm in 24 hours… yes that’s right!! But they need your help.

Join Farm My School for a few hours or a whole day

Participants will meet special guest Costa Georgiadis, from Gardening Australia!

There will be coffee, food, local music, and the chance to learn how to build a no-dig market garden.

Bring a water bottle, picnic and picnic blanket and some practical shoes. This is a no waste event.

Farm My School is partnering with Bellarine Community Health and Bellarine Secondary College to create the first Farm My School pilot farm. 

The Farm My School pilot has been made possible through the Victorian Government Engage! Grant.

A no-dig garden is one you don't have to dig!! Also known as a lasagne garden, the process involves layering organic material to build diversity and soil health. Using local and renewable resources such as newspapers, straw, manure, cardboard, coffee grounds, grass clipping etc, this delicious melting mix of goodness results in the perfect growing environment for vegies and herbs!  It also makes perfect sense for a garden which has gutless, water repellent sandy soil, blanket weed, kikuyu, and other undesirable tenants we don't want.

The Farm My School Concept

Established by skilled and passionate individuals, Farm My School is a not-for-profit association, working to transform unused land within schools, into regenerative market gardens providing food to the local community.

With the aim of developing urban farming that connects farmers with schools, the program brings local food production back into the heart of our communities.  The program promotes healthy eating, ecological stewardship and connected communities. By transforming urban spaces, Farm My School utilises permaculture principles, inspiring students to care for the Earth, themselves and the people around them.

The model enables partnerships to be forged between schools and regenerative farmers, creating access to land and a gateway to careers in regenerative agriculture.  The commercially-viable market garden becomes the heart of the community, providing produce to school families through the provision of weekly veggie boxes and supplying food to the school canteen. 

Farm My School is working to mitigate climate change while forming partnerships with teachers, students, farmers, local businesses and communities to create thriving neighbourhood hubs for learning, sharing, and connecting. Our vision is to empower students to embrace healthier lives and become future environmental stewards.

Ben Shaw

Ben is a permaculturist, with extensive experience in designing and establishing permaculture gardens. He has studied and worked on organic and biodynamic farms across the world and now shares his knowledge through facilitating educational workshops. He is passionate about creating connections and resilience in communities and growing food in the urban environment. He has established a permaculture design and consultancy business, assisting the local community and organisations to implement regenerative change.

James McLennan

James lives and breathes environmental conservation, preservation and regeneration. Combined with his passion for and extensive experience in the sustainability sector, he has enjoyed a fruitful history of partnering with schools on education programs. James has a background in permaculture, outdoor and environmental education and teaching. He has worked in various educational roles, designing and delivering a wide array of sustainability education programs to a diverse audience. He also runs his own regenerative education consultancy company, Grassroots Sustainability.