So, why plant a vegie patch at The Lodge, specifically? Why not just encourage people to start gardens in their own backyards?

The Lodge is a high-profile property, being the home of our nation’s leader while parliament is sitting. It would provide a highly visible example of what can be accomplished, and show that politicians at all levels of government are taking sustainability seriously. Plus, growing organic fruits and vegetables right there in the grounds will provide the Prime Minister, his staff and guests with the freshest, healthiest, tastiest food possible.

As Peter Cundall said in Organic Gardener magazine (Jul/Aug 2009):

“It becomes a famous garden. It publicises the urgent need for people to grow their own. Let everyone see what can be done and it will inspire them to do the same.”

TV gardening, lifestyle and cooking shows will be falling over themselves wanting to film segments at The Lodge’s new garden. Magazines and newspapers will carry stories, showing what has been planted and how it has been laid out, and how it changes through the seasons. It will be a source of inspiration and motivation for people to start backyard gardens all over Australia.

A call could be put out for Australia’s top garden designers to draw up plans for Kev’s Patch. The various plans could be published as a sourcebook of ideas for people to draw on when setting up their own gardens. The winning designer could then be invited to oversee the setting up of the garden.

School pupils, gardening clubs and community groups could be given tours of the garden to give them inspiration for their own gardening and sustainability efforts.

Kev’s Patch could be a great demonstration of many of the key concepts of sustainability:

• recycling (composting kitchen and garden scraps)
• sensible water use (backyard vegies use much less water than industrially-grown crops, and rainwater collection could be utilised)
• reduced food miles (transport costs of zilch!)
• organic methods (no poisons or petrochemical fertilisers here)
• heirloom varieties (for better taste, longer yield windows, different tastes)
• seed saving (to preserve heirloom varieties and breed locally-adapted varieties)
• permaculture (integrated design to minimise energy and effort)
• biological diversity (no monocropping, and birds/animals/insects incorporated into garden plans)
• hand cultivation (not petroleum-driven machinery)
• ethical animal husbandry (chooks for eggs)
• food security (reduced reliance on transport and retail networks)