This information has been compiled by the Sustainability Review Group of the Berry Forum to help the community adopt sustainability practices in their daily lives. The SRG purpose is to coordinate community action to help establish Berry as an environmentally aware community looking to adopt sustainable practices.

If you have any suggestions for improvement, please contact: davidwbrawn@gmail.com.

Sustainable Living:

Recycling soft plastics – If the soft plastic CAN be scrunched into a ball (e.g. bread bags, biscuit packets, wrappers only, paper goods packaging, pasta & rice bags, frozen food & veggie bags, confectionery bags, plastic bags, old green bags, cereal box liners), then you can drop them into the local REDcycle bin drop-off point.
The closest REDcycle bin can be found at Coles Nowra (Cnr Kinghorne & Junction St, Nowra)
Website: REDcycle

Berry Town Crier – Sustainable living
Ideas to help preserve the beauty and sustainability of our environment.
Website: Berry Town Crier

Repower Shoalhaven (Solar)
Repower Shoalhaven develops community solar projects for business and individuals to participate in. They aim to be self-funded through our project development activities once we have a steady stream of projects. However, as with any organisation, we have fixed upfront costs which we need to get our community enterprise up and running, to pay for legal costs, financial advice, and so on.
Website: Repower

Transportation:

Shoalhaven Community Transport
A not-for-profit community-based Service providing transport to people living independently in the Shoalhaven area who are frail aged or have a disability, their carers, and people who are transport disadvantaged. Shoalhaven Community Transport can provide door-to-door transport to medical appointments, hospital, shopping, community services such as support groups, and social/recreational activities. They deliver a culturally appropriate Service to all eligible Service Users.
Website: Shoalhaven Community Transport

Books:

Grow Local Guides (Free)
The Grow Local Illawarra Edible Garden Guide was designed to share ideas and inspiration for successfully growing food at home in the Illawarra. The Grow Local Illawarra Native Garden Guide helps you find suitable native plants for urban and rural gardens in the Illawarra and includes notes on which plants are Bush Food plants. Produced in partnership with Wollongong and Kiama Councils, the guides are available from Council’s Administration Building or can be downloaded for free. You can also request a hard copy by emailing sustainability@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au.
Download: Grow Local Illawarra edible garden guide
Download: Grow Local Illawarra native garden guide

Grow-Me-Instead (Free)
The purpose of this booklet is to encourage the replacement of weedy garden plants with plants that will not jump the garden fence. We aim to empower gardeners to make informed choices about what to plant. By making better choices you can help preserve our native flora and fauna.
Download: Grow Me Instead

Locavore ($)
This book aims to find some of the best small producers and tell their story: how they came to grow or farm their product, and how they like to use it themselves. Produced by Katie Rivers and Amy Willesee.
Buy: Locavore

Gardening eBooks/Magazines (Free)
Shoalhaven Library offers free downloadable Audio Books and eBooks to Shoalhaven Libraries borrowers. You can browse the collection online or download them anytime, anywhere.
Download: OverDrive collection
Download: RBDigital

Markets:

Berry Produce Market
Held every second Saturday and fourth Sunday of the month at Andrew Place Park in Berry.
Website: Berry Produce Market

Kiama Makers and Growers Markets
Held on the 4th Saturday of each month at Black Beach from 9 am – 2 pm. Kiama Makers and Growers Market is a Grow It, Sew It, Make It, Bake It market!
Website: Kiama Makes and Growers Market

Kiama Farmers Market – every Wednesday afternoon
Each week you will find a wonderful selection of seasonal produce being sold directly to you by the farmer or maker. Along with fruit and veg you can expect to find – oysters; local beef; honey; eggs; milk straight from the dairy; gelato made from local milk; fresh cut flowers; cider; wine; mushrooms; cakes & tarts; preserves; sourdough bread; Wagyu beef; coffee fix; plants & seedlings; olives & olive oil; yoghurt; cheese; street food and ready-made meals… and lot’s more!
Website: Kiama Farmers Market

Berry Country Fair – First Sunday of each month. No market in February.
Berry Country Fair (also known as Berry Markets) has approximately 200 stalls selling handmade / hand-produced products, arts and crafts, locally grown vegetables and produce, collectables, books, plants, leather goods, clothing and many other interesting stalls to browse. There is also an animal farm for the children and free entertainment throughout the market.
Website: Berry Country Fair

Regional Food & Garden Related Networks:

The Shoalhaven Permaculture Network
A community group for permaculture enthusiasts in the Shoalhaven area of NSW Australia. The Shoalhaven Permaculture Network Community Garden is on the grounds of the Nowra City Church, which is on the corner of Rock Hill Road and McMahons Road, North Nowra. The entrance to the garden is opposite 4 Rock Hill Road. The group have group working bees on a Monday from 9 am.
Website: Shoalhaven Permaculture Network

Shoalhaven Transition Inc
It’s the aim of Shoalhaven Transition to grow connections with others in our community and together, utilise our energy, resources and creativity to bring ideas-projects-initiatives into reality that effect real and positive change throughout the Shoalhaven. The group hold monthly meetings in and around the Bay & Basin.
Website: Shoalhaven Transition

Produce in South Coast
Harvest Trails and Markets exist to keep farmers in the Sydney basin farming. As a not-for-profit community incorporated organisation, Harvest Trails and Markets helps connect producers directly with consumers to give growers an alternative distribution channel to the central market.
Website: Produce in South Coast

Buena Vista Farm
Buena Vista Farm produce fresh produce, pastured eggs, raw honey, handmade sauerkraut and probiotic kefirs. Classes on traditional cooking skills including sourdough baking, cheese making and fermentation run every week.
Website: Buena Vista Farm

A Taste of Paradise
The ultimate purpose of growing food ethically and organically is better health. By growing and selling our produce locally, our not-for-profit farm and mentoring program is able to continue while contributing to the community’s health and social well-being.
Website: A Taste of Paradise

Slow Food Shoalhaven
If you care about supporting our local Shoalhaven and Australian farmers, producers and fishermen, protecting our food sovereignty and learning more about eating or preparing tasty, seasonal, fresh and wholesome food, or if you are keen to meet some like-minded foodies in our beautiful Shoalhaven area, Slow Food Shoalhaven may be the group for you.
Website: Slow Food Shoalhaven

The Berry & District Garden Club
The Berry & District Garden Club meets regularly to create the opportunity for members and visitors to exchange ideas, keep informed about all things gardening and meet up with like-minded people in the easy-going atmosphere of the monthly meetings.
Website: Berry & District Garden Club

The Food Fairness Illawarra network
The Food Fairness Illawarra network is a voluntary, not-for-profit alliance of community groups, individuals, agencies and government organisations, administered by Healthy Cities Illawarra, committed to good food for all. A Coordination Group oversees the direction of the alliance, and working parties work in specific areas such as policy development, land use planning, and on-the-ground initiatives like community gardens and community cooking classes.
Website: Food Fairness Illawarra

Shoalhaven Poultry
If you are thinking about keeping some chickens or ducks, visit the Shoalhaven Poultry website to find out about upcoming poultry auctions. The Shoalhaven Council has a fact sheet detailing the requirements for keeping poultry and fowl on residential premises that you should have a look at to ensure your family’s health as well as maintain good neighbourly relations.
Website: Shoalhaven Poultry
Website: Factsheet

National Food & Garden Related Networks:

Landcare Australia
For more than 25 years, Landcare Australia has supported the Landcare movement’s role in protecting, restoring and sustaining the productivity and value of Australia’s natural environment.
Website: Landcare Australia
Website: Berry Landcare
Website: Shoalhaven Landcare

Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
The Network connects city farms and community gardens around Australia. It is a community-based organisation linking people interested in city farming and community gardening across Australia. The aims of the network include:

Facilitating the formation and management of community gardens and similar social enterprise by making available information and, where possible, advice.
Promoting the benefits of community gardening and urban agriculture.

Website: Australian city Farms & community Gardens network

Kitchen Garden Foundation
Kitchen Garden Foundation offers programs in food education. Food education is currently delivered in more than 800 Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program Schools and in a growing number of Kitchen Garden Classroom members, across Australia.
Website: Kitchen Garden Foundation

OzHarvest
OzHarvest is a charity that rescues excess food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to those in need. OzHarvest is the first perishable food rescue organisation in Australia that collects quality excess food from more than 2,000 commercial outlets and delivers it, direct and free of charge, to more than 900 charities.
Website: OzHarvest

Ripe Near Me
A searchable map that links individual buyers, rather than food swaps, with producers of food that is in excess to be sold, traded or sometimes given away free of charge. Some foraging sites are also listed.
Website: Ripe Near Me

Veggie Swap
This is an online means to connect home gardeners to enable them to swap or sell their produce – listing specific products as well as mapping locations of growers.
Website: Veggie Swap

Grow it Local
This website has a map of home and community garden sites (including balconies) and what they are growing. An e-newsletter publicises local food sharing events.
Website: Grow it Local

Sustainable Table
Sustainable Table is a young and innovative not-for-profit organisation that empowers people to use their shopping dollar to vote for a food system that is fair, humane, healthy and good for the environment. Globally, they support projects in developing communities that help to restore the natural environment and improve food security. Sustainable Table is working to build an engaged community of people who want to learn about sustainable food production and how they can support a fair food system for all.
Website: Sustainable Table

Local Harvest
Local Harvest is a national initiative aiming to help people find local sources of food and grow their own. Local Harvest is a website resource featuring a national directory of farmers’ markets, co-ops, food box systems and more. Simply enter your postcode to locate good food near you.
Website: Local Harvest

Seed Savers Network
To develop and promote:

Educational programmes for the preservation of open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds and the genetic diversity of plant varieties;
Non-profit seed exchange programmes;
Agricultural and horticultural programmes with emphasis on the propagation of open-pollinated plant varieties;
Preservation gardens for open-pollinated plant varieties;
Seed banks for non-hybrid plant varieties;
Scientific research relating to the above matters, either alone or in conjunction with a public university or other institution.

Website: Seed Savers network

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
Love Food Hate Waste aims to raise awareness about the environmental, economic and social impacts of food waste in NSW and reduce the amount of good food being sent to landfill. The program is run by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and delivered in partnership with NSW businesses, not-for-profit organisations, local councils and community groups who share a commitment to reducing food waste.
Website: Reducing food waste at home

The National Center for Home Food Preservation
The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation.
Website: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Shoalhaven City Council:

Shoalhaven Council now provides free mulch for your garden to save water, help reduce weeds and provide habitat. The council also offers bulky waste pickups from your property, such as garden tools, small pruning’s, grass clippings etc. The service costs $25 per 1 cubic metre (the equivalent of a level 6×4 trailer load). You are also able to use a valid no-charge tipping voucher*, presented at the time of collection.

SCC offers free workshops in household sustainability covering topics such as Bokashi/Probiotics, Healthy Soil, Healthy Life, composting, worm farming, natural cleaning, organic veggie gardening and Love Your Leftovers. The workshops are offered at various times throughout the year and are available for all residents in the Shoalhaven. Bookings to all workshops are essential.
Website: Free mulch
Website: Bulky waste pickups
Website: Sustainable workshops

* The no charge tipping vouchers are issued with your rates. Ratepayers receive two vouchers per annum. The vouchers are only valid from1 August until 31 July (financial year).

Shoalhaven City Council Sustainability
Shoalhaven City Council sustainability website that has lots of ideas for things to do to reduce your footprint.
Website: Shoalhaven City Council – Sustainability
Website: Sustainability living

Grants:

Office of Environment and Heritage
Website: Office of Environment and Heritage

Shoalhaven City Council
The Community Grants Program enables community groups and organisations to design, implement and complete projects that support and enhance the lives of residents of the Shoalhaven. (Grants will be offered up to a maximum of $2000)
Website: Community Development Grants

Schools, kindergartens and youth groups are eligible to apply for Junior Landcare Grants to assist with environmental projects.
Website: Advances to Community Groups (Interest-Free Loans) – Up to $20,000.

Landcare Grants
Landcare Australia works with governments, corporate organisations and donors to facilitate funding opportunities for Landcare, Junior Landcare and Coastcare groups.
Website: Landcare Project Grants
Website: Junior Landcare Grants