Kat Lavers, avid gardener and Monash Arts alumna, is leading the way for a sustainable future towards self-sufficiency, as she provides some 10,000 followers with a series of free food gardening videos, playing her part during COVID-19.

Graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) majoring in Geography and Environmental Science, Kat went on to design The Plummery. With a background in permaculture, she successfully built a food garden on lead contaminated soil by using raised vegetable beds and other design strategies.

Living at the 1/14^th of an acre block with her partner, regular guests, quails, worms and much more, Kat’s main 12x8m food producing area generates almost all types of fresh produce, enough to feed a two-person household, as well as guests for an entire year. Kat productively makes use of every part of the space, informed by her ethos towards sustainable living.

Kat's passion for environmental food systems and self-sufficiency were a catalyst for her decision to contribute in some way and share her wealth of knowledge and experience online during COVID-19. With stage three restrictions enacted, thousands of jobs lost and many searching for ways to reconcile a sudden loss of income, Kat identified a way she could make a real difference in peoples' lives.

The enthusiastic gardener and Arts alumna demonstrated her drive to help others and support a sustainable future for all. By posting a series of free live videos on Facebook, partnering with local councils to provide more formal learning programs and supporting her neighbours and community with seeds, plants and advice, she promptly responded to an exponential increase in interest surrounding food gardening in light of the pandemic.

The videos have enabled Kat to reach a wide audience base of both first-time and established gardeners. Her contribution demonstrates how Monash Arts alumni are assisting and inspiring others and influencing the ways in which the community live and see the world.