Gateway Island Community Farm seeks Albury site for growing demand

The Gateway Island Community Farm has reached capacity with more than 100 family plots and shared gardens spread over about 1.5 hectares.

But as more families want to join such an activity, help is sought from the wider community to establish an additional site in Albury.

Started about eight years ago by members of the Bhutanese community with support from Parklands Albury-Wodonga, the farm formally became a social enterprise in 2015.

These days the multicultural venture welcomes gardeners from many backgrounds, but pandemic border closures limited some people's access to the Victorian site.

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About a dozen Albury locations have been considered over the past year but planning progress has stalled.

The Parklands Albury Wodonga board withdrew its latest development application in East Albury and now hoped others could assist.

Community ranger Ant Packer said the farm's success had been a team effort.

"It's responded to community needs," she said.

"Initially it was an aspiration to have a farm that generated money but now it's really a place where people can gather and garden, share culture and food, socialise and connect with others."

Bhutanese Association in Albury president Kedar Sapkota said the multicultural gardens grew vegetables from different countries and gave people who were older or had a disability an outing to enjoy.

"It's a good community engagement and socialising for the people with some depression or some cultural isolation issue," he said.

Mr Sapkota said the not-for-profit gardeners learned more about different countries' vegetables and also donated to food charities.

"Whatever they grow here, they take to their home and they then offer to their neighbours," he said.

"We share with each other, we share culture, it's so lovely."

Anyone able to help can contact Parklands Albury Wodonga initially on (02) 6023 6714.

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