Justin Calverley has been teaching our Complete Urban Farmer course for 10 years. When he is not taking groups of budding green thumbs through all manner of garden know-how, he runs his own Horticultural Consultation Design and Education business, Sensory Gardens. Justin‘s approach is to encourage interaction and understanding of the natural world’s systems via a mix of theory and practical sessions which see his students gain hands-on skills and knowledge. The Complete Urban Farmer course also explores industry skills which has seen some students be inspired to make Horticulture their life-long career. Justin is a regular broadcaster on 3RRR’s “Breakfasters” and ABC “Evenings”. He is also the author of “The Urban Farmer”, available at CERES Nursery.

Lizzie Bickmore grew up in a family that gardened and her first memories of gardening were creating fairy gardens, turning compost and eating home grown raspberries. Lizzie moved from Canberra to Melbourne in 1998 to study the Certificate IV in horticulture at Burnley college. Growing more environmentally conscious, Lizzie then went on to complete a bachelor of ‘Social Science-Environment’ and realised the great potential to bring gardening and people together to make the world better. Lizzie has spent much of the past 20 years working towards this through a variety of projects and organisations. Working in Landcare, Green Corps team leading, local neighbourhood greening projects, community gardens, family-based horticultural therapy programs, food swaps, Edible Eden Design, composting projects. Lizzie has also worked in a range of nursery settings, including, the Victorian Indigenous Nursery Co-operative (VINC), Fitzroy nursery and is currently at CERES Nursery from Tuesday to Friday.