Armidale Local Food Group is focussed on developing community food infrastructure and promoting the multiple benefits of local community food systems. We’re focussed on how to do this in Armidale and surrounding districts.
Expressions of Interest are currently open for the 2026 Home Grown Garden Tour (HGGT) on February 14 and 15. If you have a garden (small and humble or big and sprawling) that grows food that you consume in the home using non-chemical methods (doesn’t need to be certified organic, but needs to be attempting some kind of permaculture-adjacent or chemical free growing) please contact us at armidalefoodgroup@gmail.com to arrange a visit and chat.
Food Group’s main activities are:
- A regular stall at the Armidale Farmers Markets. Food Group collaborates with the Community Garden coordinator Jo, to provides a wide variety of local chemical free produce from the Community garden and backyard gardens, for sale to the community.
- Since the early 2000s, a Biannual Home Grown Garden Tour (HGGT) opens up backyards to the community and runs workshops/events to promote growing your own. The HGGT aims for a variety of gardens from mini-hobby farms to small kitchen patches. Anyone growing in the area who tries to use chemical free and sustainable gardening methods can express interest in being included in the program.
- Throughout 2026, the Food Group is also planning to run some community meals to explore and develop local sustainable food supply chains, in collaboration with the Armidale Climate and Health Project and UNE. This project workshops will be held in areas of interest including composting, planting and garden tours with the possibility to include pruning, seed saving and poultry care.
Current members of the food group are: Kade, Lauren, Nikki, Aggie, Sally, Sujata, Kate and Jen.
The next HGGT will be on the weekend of 14th and 15th Feburary. In 2022, local filmmaker Mike Terry made a video of some of the gardens and gardeners:
