Moorabbin Airport turns to farming in aid of charity

Moorabbin Airport has gifted a 3,000 square metre plot of land on site to a local charity kitchen for growing vegetables.

The initiative with Victoria’s FareShare, a charity kitchen which rescues food and cooks meals for more than 400 charities across the state, is expected to produce 12 tonnes of vegetables such as pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower and capsicum a year, enough for one million meals.

Moorabbin Airport owners Goodman said volunteers will build the garden beds, which is being managed by both the airport and FareShare.

“FareShare needed more land in metropolitan Melbourne. As a metropolitan airport, with a shareholder who knows how to unlock value in land, Goodman quickly recognised the kitchen garden as an important cause and a good opportunity to make a real difference for many Victorians,” Moorabbin Airport Corporation chief executive Paul Ferguson said in a statement.

The land has been gifted to Fareshare until 2048, a period of 33 years. It was equivalent to a $100,000 annual donation, Moorabbin Airport said.

FareShare chief executive Marcus Godinho said the initiative would benefit thousands of people.

“Being able to plant and harvest our own will ensure our 750 regular volunteers have the necessary ingredients to cook nutritious meals for Victorians in need,” Godinho said.

“Every week we receive requests for more food from charities. The only thing holding us back is ingredients. The FareShare Kitchen Garden at Moorabbin Airport will help us expand production to meet growing community need and enable us to cook more than 1.15 million meals this year.”

More information about FareShare can be found on the organisation’s website.