2017-06-25

In reference to the recent discussion about the future uses of an unused area of land previously home to a railway line. The Grow Slow Garden Group advocates for the establishment of a community garden, promoting a ‘greener Australia’. In the local newsletter, distributed to households in the surrounding area, the Grow Slow Garden Group strongly contends that a community garden is both innovative, productive and healthy and hence should be favoured over other plans and projects including a skateboard ramp and carpark.

Addressing fellow members of the community, the group appeals to the reader’s sense of unity and patriotism to urge everyone to work together when faced with the issue of the proposed land use. Starting the piece with ‘as just about everyone knows’, the Grow Slow Garden Group uses a very personal and relatable tone to draw their readers to view the proposal as a group and community effort. There is a shift in the tone of the piece as the group encourages their critics who view them as a ‘radical group’ to change their opinions and see them as a sincere, responsible and ‘proud’ environmental group instead, whose only goal is to help the community. The juxtaposition between the words ‘extreme’ as they have been labeled with the powerful use of ‘proud’ positions readers who have objected to their group and their proposal to feel ashamed and more inclined to support their fellow community members as well as the rest of Australia, appealing to the readers’ sense of patriotism. This notion of unity if further enhanced by the reference to the ‘second world war’ in which British citizens had to work together in order to ‘feed their families’. Appealing to the older generation who may have children the image of the war poster arouses the readers’ sense of patriotism as well as strikes their hearts due to the smiling faces of the children in the background. The words ‘for their sake’, encourages parents to protect their children and their futures, showing them that a community garden can both protect their children and be beneficial towards them if they ‘grow [their] own vegetables’. The depiction of the boot and shovel also arouse feelings of hard work and effort, which may make readers feel the need to support and stand up for their community and implement the proposal of the community garden.

Moving away from the notion of parental responsibility, the group argues that there is a ‘crisis’ at hand involving all members of the community, especially taxpayers. The use of the word ‘crisis’ has negative connotations of disaster and chaos, evoking feelings of unease and unrest within readers who may face problems if the issue of the unused area of land remains unresolved. Appealing to families who have to feed their families as well as couple and other tax-paying members of the community, the group highlights the issue of packaged frozen and take away being consumed which costs the state ‘millions’ of dollars. Theconsumption of these sorts of foods has led to an overwhelming cost reaching over 350 million dollars as shown in the graph. The easy-to-read visual with the graph that has a scale of ‘millions 4’ may shock readers who are unaware of the ‘hidden price tag’, alarming them and dissuading them from eating parched, takeaway foods. The price tag is also shown on an image of a shopping trolley, further dissuading readers. Hence, the ‘fresh food’ that is ‘less likely to be tossed out for grown from community gardens is more sustainable alternative to unhealthy and wasteful foods and readers feel more inclined to support the community garden and their products. As well as this, the council is also urged to establish a garden which will reduce their spending costs.

Using a familiar and warm tone, the adults in the readership are drawn also to the authors’ relatable anecdotes which promote health and education for children. The sense of community is once again aroused as the Grow Slow Garden Group positions themselves with their readers using ‘most of us’ and referring to our loved ones (‘our Dad or Grandpa’）