If you've ever dreamt of turning your backyard (or even your windowsill) into a lush garden oasis, Grow It Local is here to make that dream a reality. This Australian startup is more than just a community—it's a plant-powered mission to make life happier, healthier, and more delicious by making growing your own food simple, social, and fun.

Whether you’ve got a sprawling backyard, a cozy balcony, or just a sunny windowsill, Grow It Local is your go-to for all things green and edible. Let's dig in...

Their 'Plant-Powered' Purpose...

Grow It Local’s mission is as fresh as the veggies they help you grow: they’re all about getting more Australians to grow, share, and eat locally-grown foods. How?  through their free workshops they aim to make organic food-growing knowledge more accessible, increase the production and consumption of local produce, reduce food waste by encouraging composting and inspire positive connection to nature.

And let’s not forget, they’re making it fun!

How can you join the Movement?

• Free Workshops:  Sign up for free ‘learn to grow’ workshops that connect you with leading Australian growers, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro. Find them here!
• Put Your Patch on the Map: Add your garden, big or small, to their map of Aussie edible gardens. It’s a quick and easy way to connect with other local growers.

• Seed Service Grow-Along: This subscription service is foolproof. Grow your own veg from scratch alongside top gardening guides and learn how to whip up delicious dishes with your harvest.

Why Get Involved?

1. GROW: Get inspired by what’s growing in your neighborhood and see who else has caught the green thumb bug.
2. LEARN: With free monthly gardening workshops and a Seed Service that’s perfect for beginners, you’ll be growing like a pro in no time.
3. SHARE: Swap produce, recipes, and gardening tips with fellow local growers.
4. EAT: Enjoy the fruits of your labor (literally) with local food experiences that celebrate homegrown produce, chefs, and businesses.

The Roots of Grow It Local

Born from the creative minds behind Garage Sale Trail, Grow It Local started in 2012 as a ‘crowd farming’ initiative that turned local produce into epic feasts. From backyard gardens to a 2,200-person crowd farm at the Sydney Opera House, this initiative took off and has been growing strong ever since. Now, with partnerships with hundreds of councils, they’re spreading the joy of homegrown food across the country.

While we have you...

Grow It Local is such a great community initiative & it reminded us of another green thumb Aussie company that are also helping raise awareness about environmental garden goodness: Share Waste. The app designed to teach you and help you share your composting scraps or put your compost pile on the map too! 

This community initiative helps us reduce our food waste and foster local gardens in your community, how cool! 

1. Find: Open the ShareWaste map and look for a compost host near you.
2. Connect: Send them a message to arrange your first drop-off.
3. Collect: Save up your food scraps that the host can compost.
4. Donate: Bring your scraps to your host and feel good about reducing waste!

With Grow It Localand ShareWaste, you’re not just growing food—you’re growing a sustainable future. We dig it!🌱

For more amazing Aussie initiatives happening near you don't forget to check out our other Happy Earth News stories here! 

Until next week GFZ's, much love! 

GFZ Team xoox