The thud, thud, thud, of a fork turning soil beats a rhythm to work to.

Chatter and laughter flies between the little square gardens like butterflies carried on the gentle breeze.

The feeling of wellbeing and community is palpable. 

With a growing urban population relying increasingly on a dwindling regional population to grow their food, there is a trend towards programs that give people in towns and cities access to fresh, healthy food. 

Across Tasmania there has been an explosion of community and school gardens. 

“I think its a growing phenomena,” University of Tasmania research fellow Ben Wills said. 

He credits the growing trend with people wanting to connect more with the food production process. 

“At a bigger picture level people have a desire to feel like they have a little bit more control over the food system,” Mr Wills said. 

“There’s not a lot of clarity about what's gone on with the production of that food so getting involved with something like a community garden or an urban agriculture project can give people that bit more of a sense of control over what they're eating.”

There are also a host of other benefits to community gardens beyond just providing people with their greens. 

“I think there’s a lot of benefits from a social side of things so if we look at bringing people together and providing a space where people can get to know their neighbours and community members in a non threatening space,” Mr Wills said. 

“[Also], there’s a lot of evidence to support the therapeutic benefits of working in green spaces and doing physical work in a garden environment.”

This is something the participants of the Heritage Forest Community Garden know first hand. 

Started about two years ago, the community garden is a partnership between the Migrant Resource Centre and not-for-profit Youth Futures. 

Migrants have access to plots of land and work for the dole participants, through Youth Futures, maintain and develop the site and infrastructure. 

What was a few years ago an overgrown, disused space has been transformed into a productive hive of activity.

Neat rectangular garden beds lie row on row, to a backdrop of grape vines and neatly pruned apple trees. From a distant corner you can ever hear the buzzing of bee hives, kept by a Bhutanese migrant who sells the honey and honeycomb.

The vision for the community garden started back with community stalwart Gus Green, whose passion got the project off the ground. 

He approached the Migrant Resource Centre to see if they would be interested in partnering with him for the garden on City of Launceston land, after which Youth Future was brought on board. 

Migrant Resource Centre community development officer Alister Mackinnon said the garden, which is open to the community as well as migrants, has been a great tool for community integration. 

“Because it’s open to the community in general you inevitably have that mixing of people from all walks of life and cultures and backgrounds,” he said. 

“There’s great opportunities for sharing skills and learning from each other, there’s some amazing ideas that our new arrivals bring with them from their countries of origin like Bhutan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, the Congo and they love to share what they used to grow.”

Mr Mackinnon said it is empowering for recently arrived migrants to be able to contribute positively to society. 

“A lot of our clients have experienced different levels of torture and trauma in their home country and through the refugee camps that they were staying in … so then when they come to Launceston they certainly do feel empowered to be able to contribute in some way that's positive,” he said. 

“It helps them settle in the community and feel that they belong and that there’s other local Aussies rubbing shoulders with them and sharing the same ideas and vision. 

“It certainly gives them a really positive experience where they may be really struggling from things that have happened to them in the past and giving them hope.”

For the Youth Futures participants as well it can be a self-esteem boosting experience. 

“We have people here who have never started a lawn mower in their life and now they get to start a lawn mower and even drive a ride on mower,” Youth Futures project manager Bert Eilander said. 

Mr Eilander said for many, it is the first time they will have grown or built something.

“Theres something satisfying about seeing the result of your own labour and some young people don’t get an opportunity to do that, it’s too easy for them to disengage at schools,” Youth Futures workplace supervisor Sam Wood said, adding that the participants respond well to the program.

Mr Mackinnon said another important aspect of the garden was providing fresh, local, healthy food to people who might otherwise not have access to it. 

“Food security is an important thing for many people,” he said. 

“Having that secure food that can be grown can save them a lot of money, which will help them with their home budget where they might be struggling financially. If they can save by growing their own food that’s awesome.”

For all those involved the garden can be a learning hub of sorts Mr MacKinnon said. 

“Community gardens play a very important role in helping people learn how to grow their own food and develop skills,” he said. 

“It’s not necessarily that you may get a huge volume of food being grown, but it’s equipping and skilling people to learn how to be more confident, which they can do at their own home or farm or market garden.”

Despite the rise of the community garden and urban agriculture with things like the market garden, Mr Wills doesn't think it will take over the role of established large-scale agriculture. 

“I think that the efficiencies that are there in broad acre agriculture, especially in a country like Australia where we have a lot of space, are likely to make that style of farming where the majority of people’s food comes from,” he said. 

But that’s not to say there are no benefits to smaller urban agriculture, market garden or community garden projects. 

“The produce is fresher and you get a better idea of where you come from and there’s potentially a social element to it as well where either you're involved with it yourself or you know other people who are involved with it,” Mr Wills said. 

For those in the Heritage Forest Community Garden, the benefits are clear. 

There is also a future of possibilities for developments, Mr MacKinnon said. Already they have been approached by local vegetable retailers and markets about supplying produce. 

Mr MacKinnon is keen to hear from anyone who has a vision for the garden. Sponsorships are also welcome, and have been crucial to the development of the program and site so far. 

Anyone interested in finding out more or becoming part of the community garden can contact either the Migrant Resource Centre on 6332 2211 or Youth Pathways on 6331 6176.