from seed to plate

Uniting Communities Aged Care from Aldersgate Felixstow, SA are finalists in the 2019 HESTA Aged Care Awards

Recognised for developing the ‘From Seed to Plate’ gardening program, giving residents a renewed sense of pride and purpose through growing and harvesting the food they eat.

After installing garden beds in one of their residential units, staff noted the positive impact gardening and harvesting home-grown vegetables to use in meals had on the health and wellbeing of aged care residents. Seeing this impact, Aldersgate introduced the ‘From Seed to Plate’ program across their nine houses allowing 115 residents to take part.

The program brings residents, their families and staff closer together by fostering community spirit and focusing on resident wellbeing by growing and harvesting nutritional food. The Aldersgate team plan to build covered and sheltered gardening areas so the program can continue throughout the year regardless of the weather.