Welcome to the May edition of E-News and we hope there's something here that piques your interest.  We are certainly excited about the prospect of the farm beginning to open up a little more and returning to its pre COVID-19 hive of activity.  A very special shout out to all of our volunteers for everything you contribute to Northey Street and we can't wait to have the whole team back again.  

We are looking forward to sharing many educational events with you in the very near future, including the Permaculture Design Course.  We are also delighted to share the news with you about this years Winter Solstice: Honouring the Air element.  

Enjoy!

Hello to all our wonderful members and supporters from your Management Committee.

We hope you are all well and coping with the necessary restrictions in place at our Sunday Organic Farmers Market and at our Nursery and farm in general. We appreciate your support.

We are slowly opening the farm to engage more volunteers and hope to get back to some semblance of normal in the not too distant future.

The MC is very thankful to our dedicated staff who always give it their best but particularly during the last couple of months. Special shout out to our nursery team who have risen to the unprecedented demand in seedlings and other plants as our community takes the time to do some gardening.

Generally, the farm has managed to stay on an even keel and it’s enterprises are looking in good shape although our normal Winter Solstice event will not be happening ☹. Our wonderful Enterprise Manager, Desi, is working on an alternative. More news below.

Staff are also currently engaged in formulating our strategic plan for the next three years and we are excited about our future. They also have the difficult task of putting together the 20/21 budget.

Until next month, stay safe and keep growing. 😊

Albert (MC Secretary) on behalf of MC.

CITY FARM NURSERY

In June, try sowing broad beans peas, lettuce, English spinach, silverbeet and beetroot, carrots, onions and garlic, cabbages, broccoli, kohlrabi and turnip. In frost free areas, also regular beans, tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants, zucchini, squash, and cucumber.

Vegetables sown in autumn should be coming along. Keep up the water if there is no rain (winter is traditionally our dry time) and apply regular supplemental feeding with a good quality liquid fertiliser.

We are currently still practicing social distancing and reading the Nursery Procedures before you enter is essential. Things to remember:

• Eftpos transactions only
• Please sanitise your hands on entry and exit
  
• We are not selling worms or refilling honey jars right now though we do have some honey jars already prepared here at the Nursery for you 🙂

Thanks everyone for your ongoing support and we hope to see you again soon!

A reminder of our trading hours for June -

OPEN: FRI / SAT 8:30am - 12:30pm SUN - 6:30am - 12:30pm

CLOSED: Mon - Thurs

Online Store: Tuesday 5pm - Thursday 10am.

SUNDAY ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET

Changes to Parking options. From Monday 11 May BCC started soil remediation works for the new Windsor Sport and Community Park. This means that the grassed area between Northey St and Cullen St will no longer be available for parking on market days.

For more info about the park please visit the BCC website HERE.

August 2020 Permaculture Design Course 

Saturdays, 8 Aug – 21 Nov,  8.30am-4.30pm

VISIONS OF AN ANCIENT WISDOM

This unique course, delivered over 16 weeks in Brisbane, gives you the knowledge and skills to observe and design from natural patterns to create productive gardens & properties. You will learn how to grow your own food, apply appropriate technologies, use resources wisely, build on living systems and rebuild communities.

Learn to:

• Build Resilience through Connectivity
• Facilitate Regeneration of the Earth
• Create Abundance through Design

The Permaculture Design Course (PDC) builds from its foundation in ethics and design principles to develop strategies giving you the techniques and tools to inspire critical thinking.

Our skilled educators will give you the attention you need with more time for questions and conversations. We will dive deep into our subjects and have time to discuss your personal projects.

For more detail and bookings click  HERE.

Don't miss out, this is going to be amazing!

EARTH KIDS will be going ahead in the winter school holidays, pending stage 2 easing of restrictions coming in to place (due on June 12th).  Due to COVID-19 we’ll be implementing additional cleaning protocols, having a smaller group of children in total and adapting activities for physical distancing.  It will also be full of all the usual nature connection, bushcraft and permaculture fun!

School holiday dates:

WINTER: June 30th to July 2nd

SPRING: 22nd to 24th September

SUMMER: 15th to 17th December

Earth Kids homeschool program dates:

Friday mornings (9.30am to 12.30pm), October 23rd to November 27th.
For more information and for bookings for Earth Kids go HERE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR EDUCATORS

Outdoor Learning and the Curriculum Webinar
Friday 5th June, 10am – 12pm

This webinar will demonstrate how the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority area of Sustainability can be addressed while taking learning outdoors.

Tickets HERE

Facebook event HERE

*Outdoor Learning and the Curriculum

October 31st, 9am to 4pm

Bookings HERE

We are reopening for tours and school visits pending stage 3 easing of COVID-19 restrictions coming in to place (due on July 10^th). To ensure arrangements can be made, a minimum advance notice of three weeks is required.

For more information and bookings for school visits, go HERE

For more information and bookings for group tours, go HERE

Northey St City Farm has held an annual Winter Solstice Festival for over two decades. It is the Farm's way to celebrate this significant seasonal change and mark the new year. Unfortunately, like many other events, we are unable host our annual mid winter fundraiser and so we are asking our community to instead help us fund raise by donating here.  Any amount big or small will be greatly appreciated. Funds raised will go towards funding things like our future waste free events, artists, event equipment and activities, to make next years festival even more incredible!

The Winter Solstice falls on Sunday the 21st of June and so we have decided to mark the day by inviting people to come to our regular Sunday Organic Farmers Market dressed in your best Winter Solstice outfit!  We will have a fundraising food stall and bar until 12.30pm, a community altar and a space to write your affirmations, which we will read out and burn at a staff bonfire in the evening. Our regular Sunday Organic Farmers Market social distancing measures will be in play.

Our solstice and equinox ceremonies have always had their practice in devotion to the Earth and permaculture activism on social justice and environmental issues. This year the Winter Solstice also falls on the Dark Moon and we thought it very important to mark this significant time to reflect on who we are, where the planet is at and what change we want for a new way of being in this next sun cycle, this new year. You are invited to write what you wish to let go and call in, and to make an offering at the community mandala, which will hold one person at a time.

Thank you for your understanding and we hope you support us to raise funds this year so that we can support artists, creatives, and events in the future.

For the earth.

Events Team

Northey St City Farm

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 on our website, at the Nursery or by contacting the Office on 07 3857 8775 or at info@nscf.org.au.

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 Permaculture Education.  We appreciate the financial support of our community, if you are able please donate by visiting our website.  

As a not for profit charity, all donations over $2 are tax deductible.

VOLUNTEERS

The Volunteer program is still on hold and we are hoping to lift that restriction June/July.  Keep an eye on our social media and website for updates.  We look forward to seeing you all again at the Farm when the program kicks off again.

ALLOTMENTS

If you currently hold one of the Northey Street allotments your annual fee is due in June.  Please let us know if you no longer want your allotment so we can pass it on to someone else.

FARM TOURS Tours are also on hold until around the end of June.  Keep an eye on our social media for any updates.

That's is for May!

Happy gardening :)

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