Grant grows Edible group

Incredible Edible Broome's influence locally continues to grow, with a successful grant application and the visit of a gardening celebrity helping the group to branch out.

The project is run by a group of volunteers and promotes local food growing.

IEB were handed $20,000 from the Department of Local Government and Communities last year, and the money has proven vital to progressing the cause.

The funds have allowed the team to develop community oriented projects aimed at bolstering the capacity for people to participate in gardening and food growing opportunities.

One of these projects has seen the group develop a tool library, whereby members will have the opportunity to loan out a fully portable tool library trailer filled with an array of practical DIY gardening equipment.

Gardening guru and TV personality Costa Georgiadis also visited the town for the Love Broome Expo earlier this month, with the recognisable star helping to spread the good word.

During his whirlwind tour of Broome, he accompanied the IEB team at Broome Primary School and Kimberley Training Institute's training and research facility Balu-Buru at 12 Mile.

During his visit to Balu-Buru, Costa was "blown away" by the growing of local superfood Gubinge using a concept known as Savannah Enrichment - a project pioneered by local horticulture enthusiast Kim Courtenay.

IEB member Mel Howard said Incredible Edible has been a fantastic opportunity to bring the community together to share in the universally valued concepts of food and food growing.

"For me, the project has helped strengthen the Broome of old by providing a platform for people to come together to talk, share homegrown produce, laugh and brag about who has the biggest melons or most fragrant basil," she said.

The IEB crew hold their Fresh Food Share on the first Saturday of each month at Broome CIRCLE.

For more information email incredibleediblebroome@gmail.com.