Grow the Future is a social enterprise working with young people in the Bega Valley

What we do

Grow the future grows food and cares for land. We create space for young people to grow.

We work with young people looking for hands-on, supportive, project-based experiences in an inspiring environment, that includes youth experiencing education and training challenges.

Together, we grow food for our community and regenerate the land where we work.

At the heart of what we do is to have a positive impact on 12–24-year-olds, their communities and our environment. We aim to build confidence, capacity, and a sense of meaningful connection.

Our Market Garden

Grow the Future produces fresh vegetables, herbs and eggs for sale to the local community through our urban market garden. We grow our produce using regenerative practices, with a zero-waste ethos.

Our practices include minimum till soil preparation methods, composting for soil health, strategic plant rotation to avoid pest and disease issues, maintaining biodiversity along the periphery of the farm, and high rotation and free ranging of poultry.

We sell our produce through a weekly farm gate sale, and to many retailers and cafes throughout the Bega Valley.

Experience our farm

Driven by demand, we have also begun to deliver fee-for-service activities, such as group tours and programs.
Alongside farming work, young people can engage in land regeneration, both onsite in our biodiversity restoration zones, and more broadly in our local landscape through our community networks.

We partner with our community, collaborating to maximise our impact and sustain our operations into the future.

Explore our programs

GTF Values statements

Collaboration

We all work together to get the job done with the time, skills and materials available to us.

We are collaboratively resourceful.

We use the skills we each bring and resources that we have available.

Respect

GTF is a place people come to for many different reasons. When we are onsite together we expect different things of each other. Show respect to yourself and those around you by doing your personal best.

Hold respect by striving for personal excellence and honouring the diversity of those around you.

Creativity

A farmer’s best friend is being innovative with what you have – there are many ways to do things and we want your input.

Contribute to our collective creativity through your input. Following the farmer’s ethos of ingenuity, where innovation thrives through necessity.

Reciprocity

Put back what you take out – environment, food, production cycles etc.

Mimicking the cycles in nature and in our farm operations.

We uphold reciprocity by replenishing what we consume.

The young people we work with

Grow the Future is a diverse team of young staff members, students, and engagement program participants. We aim to keep our door open to all 12–24-year-olds in the region and we mainly work with young people facing one or more barriers to employment and education.

These barriers include mental health, socio-economic disadvantage, disabilities, learning barriers, behavioural challenges and physical isolation. We engage young people in all aspects of running Grow The Future, as staff, training participants, board directors and engagement program participants.

Mission, vision, purpose

Our
mission

Through growing food and regenerating the landscape, Grow the Future offers engagement, training and employment opportunities, in a hands-on, project based, support setting.

Our Purpose

To create space for young people to grow.

Our
vision

A better future for young people and the Bega Valley

Our Board

Our Directors are value aligned, community oriented, and between them possess a diverse range of skills and experience to help Grow The Future flourish.

Having youth representation on the board ensures we are guided by the perspectives of young people right across the organisation.