Northey St Feature

NORTHEY St

Eating fresh nutritious food is vital in these pandemic times of high stress and focus on our health. Growing your own vegetables at home is the easiest way to be sure that they are fresh and nutrient dense. The many Community Gardens and City Farms around the country provide space for you to grow your own fresh vegetables even if you don’t have space at home. Many of them also run educational activities which can give you the knowledge and confidence to do it.

Northey Street City Farm aims to help people in Brisbane to live a healthy and sustainable life by providing the inspiration, information, and the materials they need to begin that journey.

The Farm is a green oasis in inner – city Brisbane and the place to learn more about sustainable living, to buy plants and supplies to grow your own fruit and vegetables from the City Farm Nursery, or to buy them direct from the farmers at the Sunday Organic Farmer’s Market. The Farm has 1500 mature trees and shrubs, around 80 raised garden beds, worm farms, chicken runs, native and European beehives, and demonstration plantings. The plantings include a native cabinet timber woodlot, native useful plants windbreak, riverine rainforest, a variety of bamboos, and subtropical and tropical fruit trees.

Northey Street City Farm provides education for people of all ages. For adults we offer Sustainable Living Workshops most Saturdays, with experienced and inspirational presenters. Gardening workshop topics range from beekeeping, to growing mushrooms, to growing vegetables seasonally. For more in-depth information we offer Permaculture Design Courses and other short courses on weekends. Our youth education program operates mostly on weekdays and consists of school visits, home-school programs and the Earth Kids program during school holidays. Informal playgroups with Earth Arts activities for pre-school aged kids are on site twice a week.

Community Gardens and City Farms welcome volunteers and members. So even if you are not ready to grow your own vegetables, you can learn more and meet likeminded people by volunteering at a community garden. At Northey Street City Farm, volunteers do all the regular activities like maintaining the site, making compost, keeping bees and chooks, and growing food in the forest gardens, allotments, and market garden. Volunteering at a community garden is a perfect way to get out into the fresh air and get exercise while learning.

If you don’t have the time to grow your own vegetables or to volunteer, the next best thing is to buy your produce direct from the farmer at your local Farmers Market. The Sunday Organic Farmer’s Market at Northey Street City Farm supplies certified organic, fresh fruit and vegetables, groceries and other items to help you live a healthy and sustainable life.

Consider getting involved at your local community garden to learn about growing food, get some productive exercise, meet people, and have fun.

For more information on Northey Street City Farm see www.nscf.org.au. For more information on community gardens see Community Gardens Australia www.communitygarden.org.au