Food for thought

When Clarence Bruinsma and Adam Byrne met at an Aboriginal community gathering six years ago, they realised they both had a passion for bush foods and a deep desire to ‘care for Country’ and ‘give back to mob’. At that time, neither could forsee that their shared ideals would lead them to start a business together, and that it would take shape as a thriving social enterprise nursery, a learning hub and a gathering space for both Aboriginal people and the wider community.

When you consider the professional backgrounds of this energetic duo (Clarence is a school education officer, and Adam has a background in graphic design and landscaping), and their cultural aspirations, plant-obsessed natures and empathetic mindsets, you can see how it led to their Bush to Bowl enterprise on Garigal Country, in Terrey Hills, Sydney.

Here, Adam and Clarence grow about 35 types of bush food, including climbers, groundcovers, shrubs, grasses and small trees that provide roots, leaves, fruit, nectar, berries, herbs and legumes.

“We established the nursery to provide meaningful jobs for Aboriginal people in a culturally safe environment, doing work that they enjoy,” says Clarence. “They are caring for Country… they help customers add more native plants to their gardens, which adds nutrients to the soil, reduces water usage and provides food and medicine.

“Customers really enjoy connecting with our Aboriginal staff, hearing about their various Cultures, and how we traditionally used and continue to use bush foods today.”

Growing up on Yaegl Country (around Coffs Harbour, New South Wales) gave Clarence a front-row seat to understanding the many benefits of bush foods. “I’m careful about what foods and how much I put into my body,” he says. “Our native plant foods are packed with essential minerals, vitamins and protein, so you can eat less but still get all the nutrients you need. Kakadu plums, for example, have 100 times the vitamin C of oranges, while saltbush and coastal plants such as warrigal greens and sea purslane contain fibre, protein and antioxidants. They’re flavoursome and store salt in their leaves, so we can swap out normal salt for nutritious plants instead. People who are open to trying these new flavours and textures always want more!”

Garigal man Adam’s main focus within the business is teaching and, in particular, sharing his plant and Cultural knowledge with schools and organisations, but with his landscaping expertise, he’s the go-to man for those customers who are looking to create a bush food or Cultural garden.

In his designs, Adam showcases endemic flora and eschews the use of chemicals and unnecessary hardscaping. He focuses on creating usable, engaging spaces where kids and adults can smell and touch the plants, pick some fruit and simply enjoy being outdoors.

“Regeneration aspects and softscaping align more with my values of caring for Country than traditional landscaping. These bushland-style gardens bring local wildlife in, too – the lizards, insects and birds.”

For Clarence and Adam, creating these kinds of gardens speaks to the Aboriginal values and philosophies around caring for Country that are inextricably linked with the environment and their lives. “We need a lot of Country to be healed, and more plants in the ground is a good thing,” says Adam.

For Australia’s First Nations people, the physical and spiritual interconnectedness between plants and animals is overlaid with more than 60,000 years of observation.

“The golden wattle is part of the whale story from this area,” says Adam. “When they’re flowering, the whales are migrating, chasing mullet and prawn. This meant that at this time, a lot of the Saltwater mob
would fish and catch a feed.”

Cultural knowledge like this – about all aspects of the environment – is shared through songlines. These auditory ‘maps’ of features of the land were memorised and sung by travellers moving around for trading or ceremonies. They include an intimate understanding of the medicinal and edible qualities of plants, which Adam and Clarence enjoy learning about from relatives, and sharing with others – albeit, often with a contemporary twist!

“Warrigal greens in tempura batter is delicious,” says Clarence, who likes to experiment with cooking bush foods. “The roots of the bulbine lily are used like potato. Back in the day, mob cooked them on a fire, but I love frying them in a hot pan with olive oil or butter.”

Adam and Clarence may be busy, but they’re dedicated to sharing knowledge of their Culture and plants. Whether they’re leading bush tucker tours through nearby bushland, conducting Cultural workshops or advising volunteers, their appreciation of connecting with others shines through.

“We have incredible volunteers that inspire us and create a feeling of kinship,” says Adam. “Some travel from far away, they bring their bubs, and come from all walks of life. Everyone deserves to learn about the traditional culture of the land. Mob benefit from these connections, too – it’s a part of the journey of healing and it makes my spirit get stronger.”

Header image credit: Sue Stubbs