As apartments become increasingly popular and backyards are no longer viable, community gardens have become an outlet for Canberrans.
Andy Hrast is the president of Canberra Organic Growers Society and noticed since the pandemic an increase in applications for plots - a space someone can grow their own fruit and vegetables - with over 50 people on a wait list.
"It grew quite dramatically during COVID. At one stage we had something like 100 people on our waiting list, which is quite massive for an organisation of 500 members," he said.
The Organic Growers Society has 12 gardens across the ACT, which Mr Hrast said were always busy with people tending to their plots.
"The gardens are about community as much as producing food ... we don't set up our gardens to maximise food produce, we set up our gardens to maximise the number of gardeners that can participate in growing their gardens," Mr Hrast said.
The 2021 census found the proportion of people who lived in flats or apartments in the ACT increased to 19.4 per cent, up from 15 per cent in 2016.
While 63.2 per cent of people still lived in separate houses, this was a drop from 2016 when 67 per cent of Canberrans lived in houses.
At a separate community garden, Catherine Stafford has been managing the Kingston Organic Community Garden for 15 years.
The garden is hosted by the Canberra Baptist Church and Ms Stafford said their wait list of more than 30 people trying to get a plot just kept growing.
"The wait list is now 34 people and they start to get a bit cranky ... but why would anybody give up their plot? There's just not the turnover," she said.
"I can't tell people how long it's going to be because everybody who's got a plot loves their plot."
Ms Stafford found most people with plots had apartments, including herself after downsizing since a knee injury.
"If you've got your garden at home, you don't need a plot. My husband and I used to have a huge garden but have since downsized because of my knee surgery and his cancer," she said.
Sharon Blight, a member of the Kingston Garden, said it had "created a community gathering point" since she downsized to an apartment.
"You can come at any time and do useful things to grow produce. Even on the coldest day ... we celebrate birthdays and all the things that we do," she said.
"I don't know anyone who's in a house, we're all beyond houses in this area. If you have a house you've got a garden."
These initiatives have been recognised by the ACT government and could grow as a part of the capital food and fibre strategy, which is set to release a draft strategy later this year.
ACT Minister for the Environment Rebecca Vassarotti has been heavily involved in consulting with both commercial food producers and hobby producers on how organic agriculture can build in the Canberra.
"What I think that the consultation phase has really show that there's some choices to be made and I think that's what we're sort of working through in terms of developing the draft strategies where we do want to prioritise ... urban agriculture," she said.
"We're a progressive community that wants to have a community that's connected, has access to all of the resources that lead to people having good lives and I think that a certain part of strategy should really have those principles at their heart."
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