This garden is a cultural meeting place that grows unique delicious produce in the aim to connect people, families and communities of different backgrounds.

From maize to African eggplant, the field and garden beds are lined with food that provides a taste of home in Davoren Park.

“The main purpose was a connecting point where we could bring community members together, especially our migrant community,” Chairperson Muhama Yotham of the Amazing Northern Multicultural Services said.

The Amazing Northern Multicultural Services (ANMS) started the community garden project in 2016 with a mission to offer new arrivals gardening and farming skills.

The now well-established space has a committed group of community members from across the globe, who continually work to improve it by planting different crops.

“When we first started it was only a few people and from one community, the Burundian community,” he said. “But it continued to expand with other African communities such as Congolese and Sudanese, and we have now managed to reach Middle Eastern communities.”

Lidia Inarukundo has volunteered at the community garden since it was first established hoping to further develop her gardening skills.

Her favourite place in the garden is the maize field due to its deliciousness and connection to home.

“You can have a lot of variety from maize,” she said. “You can boil maize, barbecue, flour and cook it – that’s why I love maize. “When I started to grow it here, I would send photos back home and they were so excited. “It reminds me I still have a connection with back home.”

Lidia said she felt blessed to have a space like this to learn from others, as well as teach the young people.

Community garden participants often celebrate how produce is different between countries and how it is prepared making use of the whole plant.

“More importantly our kids can learn what we would eat in our home country compared to what we eat here,” she said. “Interestingly everyone from different countries in Africa, when they came here are interested in maize and eggplant,”

Muhama said new members are always welcome with the current garden community providing a wide range of gardening skills and abilities

ANMS is a social welfare organisation which provides support to new and emerging communities in northern Adelaide.

The service’s vision is to reach and transform lives, change mindsets, empower people for independence and impact in every part of life.

For further information visit: https://www.anmservices.org.au/