Stepping Stone Urban Farm - Building Opportunity from the Ground Up
February 2026
Thor’s Hammer donated the timber and assembly for the garden bed frame.
Stepping Stone is a work integration social enterprise (WISE) providing long-term employment opportunities and tailored vocational training for migrant and refugee women facing significant barriers to employment. Through their two Canberra cafés in Dickson and Strathnairn, Stepping Stone delivers hands-on training, paid employment, and a supportive pathway into the workforce.
The impact of this work was recognised nationally when founders Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello were named Local Heroes in the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards, acknowledging their ongoing commitment to creating meaningful employment opportunities for women arriving in Australia.
Volunteers filling the recycled timber frame with soil and compost.
Growing Skills Through an Urban Farm
As part of their vocational training programs, Stepping Stone set out to establish an urban farm in Dickson, expanding their offering beyond hospitality into horticulture. The farm will support a new training stream, creating additional employment and skills development opportunities for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds who face multiple barriers to work.
The urban farm is designed to be practical, productive, and scalable, a place where training can happen on the job, in a supportive environment, while contributing directly to the cafés and broader community.
A Practical Brief, A Recycled Timber Solution
Stepping Stone approached Thor’s Hammer to help create a movable timber frame to assist with the establishment of 20 garden beds. Based on instructions from Urban Farm Manager Fiona Buining, our team set about sourcing recycled timber and creating a solution that was durable, reusable, and easy to operate.
The result was a recycled timber frame used as a mould to create each garden bed. Measuring 5 metres by 1 metre, with a height of 300mm and an open top and bottom, the frame could be placed over the prepared site, filled with soil and compost, then lifted and moved to the next location using four integrated handles.
Timber handles allowed the garden bed frame to be moved quickly and easily.
A Successful Working Bee
The design allowed the same frame to be used repeatedly, reducing material waste while speeding up installation. The working bee held on 31 January 2026 was a huge success. With a great group on site, all 20 garden beds were completed in just under three hours, ready for planting and future training programs.
Thor’s Hammer was proud to donate both our time and recycled timber to help ensure the smooth setup of the Stepping Stone Urban Farm. Being involved in projects like this — where skills, materials, and community come together — is something we genuinely value.
Stepping Stones working bee volunteers placing the frame for a new garden bed.
Supporting Our Community
If you’re a registered charity or community organisation with a project where recycled timber or practical support could make a difference, feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to get involved and help our community where we can.
Watch the working bee video below, created by Trent Houssenloge. Documentary Filmmaker Videographer | Camera Operator from Cowboy Hat Films.