Delightful December, Farm Friends,
It's the most wonderful time of the year! We're all starting to wind down and look forward to some much-needed R&R with friends and family over the holidays. From all of us at the Farm, we want to say a huge thank you for your support this year! Northey Street wouldn't be the joyous place it is without the support of our wonderful community.
We've got a few things to wrap up the year with, and we hope to see you around the Markets over the holiday break!
Without further ado, our last ENews for 2023.
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SUMMER RAFFLE Only one day left to grab your tickets to our Summer Raffle!
We'll have first, second, and third place prizes worth $500, $350, and $150, as well as a $40 runner up gift pack.
Our prizes are ethical gift packs, which include festival tickets, workshops of your choice, City Farm Nursery vouchers, free coffee cards, NSCF cookbooks, tote bags and reusable coffee cups, plus plenty of other amazing gifts from our friends and stallholders.
We're aiming to raise $3000 from the raffle to go towards making Northey Street City Farm more wheelchair accessible, so not only will you be in the draw to win some amazing prizes, but you'll get the warm feeling of knowing your money has gone to an important cause.
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The Legal Stuff:
The NSCF Summer Raffle is being run by Northey Street City Farm Association Inc, Registered Charity - ABN 16 494 592 971.
Raffle closes 12:00pm Friday 8 December 2023. Prizes drawn Friday 8 December 2023. Prize winners will be notified by phone or email on 8 December 2023.
Open to Queensland residents only. Members of the Northey Street City Farm Management Committee, and their immediate families, are not eligible to enter.
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3 Saturdays 13th - 27th January |
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Serious Backyard Abundance
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Join us for 3 days of hands-on learning, tips and tricks on how to grow genuinely incredible backyard fruit & veggies using serious backyard techniques.
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Saturdays 17th Feb - 8th June |
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Permaculture Design Course
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Learn how to observe and design from natural patterns to create productive gardens & properties while living in harmony with nature and rebuilding communities.
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FIRST NATIONS PART SCHOLARSHIPS
Each of our NSCF Permaculture Design Courses has two part-scholarship positions available at half price (totaling $800 each person) for a First Nations (Aboriginal / Torres Strait Islander) person. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Emma Brindal on edufarm.mgr@nscf.org.au or call the office on 3857 8775.
To apply for a First Nations part-scholarship, complete the application form HERE.
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EDUCATION SURVEY
We're looking for your input on our adult education program! Please get involved in the Education Survey, so we can create an even better program for you at the Farm.
We're also offering prizes of half-day workshops to two lucky responders!
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Summer Gardening in the Subtropics
The recent rain in South East Queensland was fantastic for our gardens, pots and tanks as we head into summer. Hereโs a few tips on how to provide optimum conditions for plant health and pest resistance throughout the seasonโฆ
Organic Fertilisers - Warm temperatures encourage growth, so remember to replenish nutrients in the soil to keep your plants healthy and encourage fruit & vegetable development. This can be done through adding compost, natural minerals (Earthlife) and organic liquid fertiliser (Grow).
Water regularly โ if youโre not sure how often, feel the soil and if itโs dry, water. Remember to focus on watering the soil rather than leaves and if possible water in the morning to minimise fungal issues. If youโre going away, you could use a soaker hose, or install drip irrigation or sprinklers with a simple tap timer, or invest in a โControllerโ that links to an app so you can create watering schedules. You can also apply an organic wetter soil such as Eco-Hydrate.
Mulch โ apply approx. 5cm thick to reduce evaporation from the soil surface, while enabling water to penetrate the soil, reach plant roots and retain moisture.
What to Grow
Fruit and veggies for summer in the subtropics include; Brazilian spinach, capsicum, chilli, corn, cucumber, eggplant, okra, pumpkin, radish, rockmelon, rosella, squash, watermelon, yam and zucchini. Herbs that do well in hot climates include basil, chives, society garlic, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Water plants that stay cool in summer including Brahmi, kang kong (water spinach), Vietnamese mint, watercress and water parsley. We also have a range of bush tucker plants in stock including Davidson plum, finger limes, pig face and saltbush to name a few.
Visit the Nursery Tues โ Sunday mornings to see our extensive range and for advice on how to help your garden thrive throughout the summer season.
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CITY FARM NURSERY
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For all your nursery needs!
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday
8:30am - 12:30pm
Sunday: 6:30am - 12:30pm
Closed Mondays
You can find out more about the nursery here.
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EARTH KIDS HOMESCHOOL TERM 1
Earth Kids Homeschool Term 1 will run from 31st January to 20th March, on Wednesdays, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Earth Kids is all about supporting children to learn from and with the natural world - in a fun and interactive way.
The program is for children aged 6 to 12 years. Parents can choose to drop children or stay with the group.
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SURVEYS
Enjoy being with young people and have time to spare? Our Youth Education programs need you! If you like spending time with young people and have some hours and/or skills to share, we want to hear from you! We are looking for people interested in volunteering in the NSCF Child and Youth Education programs in 2024. Please, consider filling out the expression of interest form or sharing it within your network: https://forms.office.com/r/iXL...
A new program for young people over 13 years We are in the process of developing a new program for young people over 13 years old and are currently seeking expressions of interest in homeschooling or school holiday programs. Similar to our current Earth Kids, this new program, temporarily named "Earth Youth", will aim to foster nature connection and stewardship while supporting the development of knowledge, understanding, and skills around Permaculture, local flora, fauna and habitats, bushcraft, and Indigenous culture and perspectives. However, the content and skills shared in the "Earth Youth" program will be more advanced and the participants will be involved even more actively in leading their learning and experience. If your family is interested or you know someone who might be interested in this program, check this link out: https://forms.office.com/r/NF2...
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Free Farm Tours
We also have a free farm tour for individuals and small groups on the first Tuesday of each month at 9:30am.
Please register with Emma via edufarm.mgr@nscf.org.au.
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Earth Arts activities will continue throughout the school holidays on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30am and at the Sunday market from 6am as usual.
Adult Earth Arts are now open for teachers to learn environmental art and music techniques every Wednesday from 9:30am.
All Earth Arts programs are totally free, but Bob does accept donations (whether money or time) on Wednesdays and Sundays for maintenance of the program.
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Earth Arts is a FREE playgroup that runs at the Farm from 9am on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 6am Sundays. Children and adults alike can experience clay making, creative writing, music, painting, and more!
For more information, visit our website here.
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NSCF Community Impact Program Launch
Our new Community Impact Program has launched! This program involves one-day experiences for corporates and other groups to gain an introduction to permaculture, experience how we are implementing permaculture in practice, have an opportunity to contribute to our city farm and have a team-building experience. We are offering a 10% discount for any bookings made this year (including for 2024 visits).
For more information, visit www.nscf.org.au/get-involved/community-impact-program/
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News from the Food Forest
Parts of the food forest has been rejuvenated with understorey plantings of comfrey, native violet, artemesia, pintos peanut, perennial strawberry, gotu-kola, sweet potato and pumpkin. We've also planted out basil, Okinawa spinach, lemon grass, vetiver, day lily, arrowroot and cassava in the shrub layer. Canistel, or Yellow Sapote, has been ripening recently and we've been managing rats and flying foxes who are also enjoying the fruit!
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NORTHEY STREET ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET
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Where your money goes directly to a local organic farmer or small ethical business!
Sundays
(Including Christmas Eve and New Years Eve)
6am to 11am Northey Street City Farm 54 Northey St., Windsor, Brisbane
You can find out more about the markets here.
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SITE HIRE
You can hire our unique site for weddings, parties, book launches and small events.
Contact the Enterprise & Support Manager at enterprise.mgr@nscf.org.au for prices and availability.
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FARM MEMBERSHIP
Did you know you can get a 10% discount at our Nursery by becoming a member of our Farm? We love to see people supporting the Farm by becoming members. You can become a member via our website or at the Nursery.
FARM DONATIONS
The Farm does not rely on government funding for its operations. We operate as a social enterprise running the City Farm Nursery, Sunday Organic Farmers Market, and our education programs. We appreciate the financial support of our community, if you are able please donate by visiting our website.
We also have an Australian First Nations Scholarship Fund and if you wish to donate to this please donate HERE and then contact finance@nscf.org.au to confirm this is where you would like your donation to go.
As a not for profit charity, all donations over $2 to our Environment Fund are tax-deductible.
Pay-It-Forward plant program
Donate any amount to this program to add to the collection of native plants we will donate to First Nations groups on your behalf.
VOLUNTEERS
You can get involved with our vibrant Farm community by becoming a volunteer. Volunteer areas include farming, nursery, food forests and orchards, child and youth education, construction, and kitchen. We also occasionally need people with professional or trade skills (even off-site help, if you canโt get to the farm): building, electrical, plumbing, welding, accounting, legal, to name a few.
On the first Tuesday of each month (except January) from 9:30 to 11.00am, we hold a tour and induction for prospective volunteers. Please register your interest first with Emma at edufarm.mgr@nscf.org.au.
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