Grow.

I love going outside every day and spending time in our garden. When we moved to this house at the start of last year, our garden was terribly neglected and out of control. Since then we have worked slowly and consistently on transforming our space.

We have cut back trees, fixed fences and gates, relaid garden edging, weeded, pruned and mowed. And then we have planted, built garden beds, created space, planted vegetables and natives, invested in chickens and a worm farm, and grass has started to regrow.

I love our life - when we eat, we are constantly able to consume the food we have grown. This morning it was eggs from our chickens, and sauce we made from our harvest of tomatoes. This evening it was roasted beetroot and steamed broccoli from our garden.

Do you GROW your food? Do you think about who has grown it for you? Is it important to you to eat organic or locally produced vegetables? Do you know the chickens that have laid your eggs? There is something incredibly profound about getting your hands dirty in the soil, and watching your seedlings spring to life. There is something incredibly rewarding when you can enjoy eating vegetables that you have worked hard to produce.

Here in Australia we have so much choice when it comes to food, and with our lifestyles. We don't have to worry about if we eat, but what we will eat. Our health problems are not because we are undernourished, but rather because we over-consume. There is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone, yet nearly 1 billion people face hunger every day. We need to GROW and make changes, not only in our own backyards but also in the backyards of our neighbours, and in our communities and throughout our cities and across the land and seas. We must share our wealth and resources, our food and land, our knowledge and time.

We all have the capacity be making, producing, creating and contributing. Read about Oxfam's GROW campaign, and consider you part in our global community. Make choices to not consume more than your fair-share. Think about the hands that laboured for your food and goods, and be sure that the choices you make support those people that need it the most. I urge you to invest in fairly traded, environmentally friendly, sustainable, local and handmade food and goods. We have been given an incredible life - be sure to share the love around!