Christie McIntosh is a bit of a local food and sustainability legend. In 2019 she joined the Hume Enviro Champions program before going on to complete a permaculture design course to then establish the Hume Seed Library and Transition Streets Sunbury. She’s now the Hume Healthy Kids advisor for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. Christie tells Elsie Lange about why she loves building connections and community in Sunbury.
Tell us a bit about you and what you do?
I have recently joined the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation in the role of Healthy Kids Advisor for Hume. For 20 years, the foundation has been championing fun, delicious, hands-on activities, really connecting with children and young people and switching them on to fresh, seasonal food.
We’re taking the foundation’s innovative food education approach beyond the school gate and reaching out to other areas of the community where families gather including sports clubs, community houses, libraries, schools and after school care.
I’m so excited that I can continue to make positive changes in my own community, but now with the incredible support of the foundation. There is already such a buzz around the initiative among my local networks, people are ready for change and I’m looking forward to introducing the pleasurable food philosophy that the foundation is renowned for. Collaborating with the local community, we hope to achieve amazing things throughout Hume over the next few years.
What’s your connection to Sunbury?
My husband and I have raised our two children in Sunbury for the last 6 years, but we both grew up in the Macedon Ranges – Sunbury was the ‘big town’ for us back then. I took part in the Hume Enviro Champions program in 2019 and since then I have immersed myself in my local Hume community through my sustainability initiatives including the Hume Seed Library, Transition Streets Sunbury and working with the local council to engage and connect our community groups.
What do you like about where you live?
I love our Sunbury community, every day many stories are shared about people helping each other. I have seen all sorts of wonderful community initiatives pop up in recent years like sharing tables and street libraries. I feel incredibly fortunate to have some beautiful nature reserves and grasslands to wander through, and the view from the top of Mt Holden is definitely worth the hike.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
I’m looking forward to seeing the redevelopment of the Jacksons Hill site, it is an amazing opportunity to share some history of our town and I can really see it becoming a vibrant community hub. If you asked my kids they’d probably request a traffic park playground.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
I always look forward to my peaceful morning walks along Blind Creek. A family bike ride to the Nook to splash in the rockpools is one of our favourite summer adventures, closely followed by geocaching or a picnic on the Village Green.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you
Whenever possible I’d prefer to be riding my cargo bike around town, rather than using the car. I can carry both kids plus shopping on the back if needed and it makes the average errand so much more exciting.
