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Healthy Soils Healthy People
Did you know
One teaspoon of healthy soil contains more organisms than there are people on Earth! This means soil health essential for growing good food and supporting our environment.
Healthy Soils Healthy People in Schools
Primary schools are invited to participate in Healthy Soils Healthy People!
Healthy Soils Healthy People is a free initiative which aims to support primary schools in Bass Coast and South Gippsland Shire to integrate soil health education into their curriculum.
Healthy soil helps grow fresh fruits and vegetables that are more flavourful, resilient and nourishing. By providing students with opportunities to explore what is happening beneath their feet, we can spark important conversations about soil, food, health and sustainability, in the classroom and at home.
Our 10 hands-on learning lesson guides are aimed at Grade 3-4, but could be adapted to suit Grade 5-6. The main learning area is Science, with additional Victorian Curriculum links to Humanities (Geography), Health and Physical Education, Critical and Creative Thinking, and Sustainability.
Your school will also receive a Soil Your Undies kit to support the delivery of hand-on learning activities.
To request a free copy of the Healthy Soils Healthy People lesson guides click here.
Healthy Soils Healthy People in the Community
We're partnering with Learn Local providers to deliver weekend permaculture courses, covering everything from permaculture ethics and principles to hands-on skills like hot composting, no-dig gardening and seed saving.
Alongside this, short workshops on composting, pruning and tool maintenance are being held in community gardens, helping people turn food scraps and garden waste into healthy soil and keep their tools in good working order.
Together, these programs are building knowledge and confidence across the region, helping more people grow their own food in the backyard and support their soil health at home.
In 2026.....
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About the farm
Healthy Soils Healthy People is led by Buckley Park Community Farm. Founded in 2016 in Fish Creek, South Gippsland, the farm is an entirely volunteer-run project built on permaculture principles, growing organic, chemical-free produce for distribution through a community vege box scheme. More than a food source, it's a place of skill sharing and connection, where locals come together to learn, grow and care for the land as a community.
Soil Your Undies
Launched at the Foster Show in March 2026, locals are encouraged to bury 100% cotton “undies” in their garden or farm and see how they break down over time, revealing how active and healthy the soil is beneath the surface.
It’s something anyone can try at home, whether in a backyard veggie patch, community garden, or on farmland.
Participants can share their results on an interactive map, helping build a picture of soil health across Bass Coast and South Gippsland.
For more information, see out this quick how to guide.
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The Bass Coast South Gippsland Food System Alliance acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands where this alliance is located: the Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, and the Brataualung people of the Gunaikurnai Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and we honour the way First Nations people have cared for the soil, waterways and Country for thousands of years, continuing to guide us in caring for Country today.
© 2025 by Bass Coast South Gippsland Food System Alliance.
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