Kathy grew up on a small mixed farm in south western NSW. Out of necessity, the family was fairly self-sufficient in their meat, eggs, milk and vegetable needs.
Having grown up in this environment and living in a small rural community it was a natural progression into a tertiary education in Agricultural Science, majoring in economic Horticulture crops such as fruit vegetables and cut flowers
In 1993 she ran her first community vegetable gardening course and over the years has delivered courses and helped set up vegetable gardens at many schools, community centres and community gardens.
Since leaving home at 18, Kathy has lived in a variety of housing options, but has always had some sort of food production.
These include a share house-with a small veggie garden, bedsit again with a small veggie garden, a 2nd storey unit with pots of every conceivable shape and size (at one count there were over 100 pots over 2 balconies), a suburban back yard with a veggie patch, a few chook and mandatory lemon tree to a small acreage with a large veggie garden, herb garden, cook run, orchard and various other food producing plants, all set within an 2ha ornamental garden.