Located in the park-like grounds of St Francis College in the inner-city suburb of Milton, the urban farm project, Baroona Urban Farm, officially launched in March 2020 has a vision to ‘grow food and community with and for the nutritionally vulnerable’.

A ministry of the Anglican Church of Southern Queensland, Baroona Urban Farm believes all people should have access to fresh and nutritious produce. Through the hard work of committed volunteers the first wicking beds were installed on an unused tennis court at St Francis College in April 2019. Baroona Urban Farm has since grown from the initial 10 wicking beds to 160 which has increased its capacity to produce up to 350kgs of produce annually.  Our St John’s community contributed to that growth in 2022.

The goals of Baroona Urban Farm are :

1. to build and nurture a welcoming and inclusive community,
2. to grow food for those who have limited or no access to fresh produce,
3. to utilise sustainable and organic urban farming practices, and
4. to educate the community in sustainable gardening and living.

One of its greatest strengths is the creative partnerships developed with community, councils, various organisations and parishes. The farm collaborates with primary partner the Romero centre, which supports refugees and asylum seekers in Brisbane. Refugees offer  advice on the planting of culturally-desirable food, as well as contributing to ongoing garden care, harvesting the produce and are valued members of the volunteering team.  St John’s College students have also enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to the volunteering team. Other partners include the Brisbane City Council who provided the Composting bins for the composting hub, Indooroopilly Uniting church hub, Oz Harvest and St John’s Cathedral.  

Baroona Urban Farm has appreciated and enjoyed the support from St Francis College which  generously provided the space, water and tools necessary to sustain this project.  The Farm has added to the life of the College and provided theology students with opportunities for ministry.

However, with a new development on site at St Francis College set to begin later in the year Baroona Farm is looking to find a new home (or homes) and is currently seeking a new site (or sites!!) to continue this important ministry. There is some significant work to be done once an alternative site is determined to facilitate relocation. It is anticipated that financial and in-kind support will be needed.

Financially, the farm relies on cash donations and sale of vegetables. Each cash donation of $25 funds covers the cost of seedlings for 12 months for one garden bed, producing 80 servings of nutritionally-dense vegetables over a 12-month period. With 160 wicking beds, the farm can supply the equivalent of 4721 servings of vegetables, supplementing the diets of many individuals for 12 months. Such a small donation goes a very long way. With relocation costs anticipated cash donations will also contribute to minor infrastructure works like fencing etc that may be needed depending on the new location.

Baroona Farm Working Group thanks the Cathedral community for their previous and ongoing support enabling many people to enjoy the vegetables because they fresh and nutritious and certainly in the case of refugees, they can access food they are used to eating and are often difficult to access.

Can we support Baroona Urban Farm by donating $1,500  Outreach envelopes for July are available at the Outreach Board in the Narthex. Please place your donation in an Outreach envelope and give it with your offering, place it in the Donations Box, give it to a cathedral warden, or to the Cathedral Office Monday-Friday. Using electronic banking, make a bank transfer to BSB 034 003 Account No:385378;  please narrate your deposit “Outreach 07” and email Outreach@stjohnscathedral.com.au so that we can include your donation in the monthly total. Cheques should be made payable to ‘St Francis College Baroona Urban Farm’. For other forms of payment, please phone the cathedral office [(07) 3835 2222] during normal business hours Monday-Friday. Thank you.