Childrens Farm Newsletter June 2011

FARM YARNS 2011 Winter Bonfire

Get your tickets now!

Winter 2011

Collingwood Children’s Farm - Farmland since 1838

Farm Manager Alex Walker The past few months Once again the Farm has been a popular place throughout Autumn. Easter and the school holidays were a busy time, with our popular holiday programme. This was followed by Anzac Day where the Waler Horse Association once again had a display of their horses down outside the stables.

Winter Bonfire The Solstice Bonfire, tickets are already on sale on the web for sale at www.trybooking.com.

We have fire twirlers, drummers and storytelling on the night, as well as plenty of food stall including the Farm BBQ. Bridget Bainbridge is in charge of setting up the Lantern Parade and once again the bonfire pile will be built upon the mound.

St Mary’s Paddock - defending your Farm I have attended all the meetings between CARA (the Collingwood and Abbotsford Residents Association) and the Farm and they have produced positive action. The petition signing at the Market was great and has continued to gather over 4,000 signatures since then. We put signs up on our side of the St Mary’s fence facing the Farm, however someone has stolen them.

There was a public meeting held in the Barn on 4th June to gather public support and keep the fight going to protect the Abbotsford Heritage Farmlands (the paddocks that support your farm). All this hard work has resulted in Heritage Victoria rejecting the proposal. Thank you to everyone that has supported us! However this is the first step in a longer battle to permanently save the farmlands from any development that would affect your farm’s ongoing operation.

Below: Restoration work on the Kreitmeyer House (1857)

So you can take an active part in supporting your farm by jumping on the Melbourne Leader website and adding your supportive comments: http://melbourneleader.whereilive.com.au/ news/story/schools-out-2/ Restoration of the 1857 Kreitmeyer House The verandah restoration and roof replacement work has been completed on the Kreitmeyer House (16 St Heliers Street), this will help to maintain the building in good order. Now will we look at working with community groups to help us fit out the insides.

Above, Below (left to right): Farmforce busy on the farm

Farmforce - all good things must come to an end!

Farmforce is slowly grinding to a halt as the funding finishes at the end of June. By that stage the new reception building will just about be finished. There will be a celebration of the Farm Force project in August were a booklet will be present to DEWER of how the project worked.

State Education Week During the recent State Education Week, the Farm ran tours every day for schools and kindergarten. These tours were all generously sponsored by DEECD.

Above: Mickey the donkey supporting his friend Joe!

TEAM LEADERS REPORT

By Bridget Bainbrdge and Nick Karavokiros

WINTER ANIMAL NEWS 2011 Vale Tripod and Sally In recent months at the Farm, we have been compelled to farewell two very special goats, Tripod and then her best mate Sally. Tripod was the younger of the two, having being born to Magpie Bonita on the 29 Oct 1999 as a single kid. On first sight, Tripod looked perfectly normal and healthy, until staff inspected her closer “she’s only got three legs!” Despite her handicap, Tripod thrived under the love of her mum and was extremely lucky that her one hind leg was not broken when Bella the Guernsey cow stood on it while in the paddock with the goats. Tripod was one of our last goats to be disbudded by the late Raye Carter of St Andrews.

Above: Tripod enjoying a scratch

At a young age, Tripod was threatened with euthanasia, as she only had three legs and could not, morally, be a productive breeding goat. Thankfully, she was saved to live her life at the Farm, after a petition was started by local resident, Mary Natoli, which argued that Tripod was a valuable educational aid to teach people about disability and didn’t deserve to die just because she only had three legs but was otherwise healthy.

Tripod became the maiden aunt to all young goats at the Farm, giving them lessons in respecting their elders and what was good to eat, before they joined the breeding herd. In early 2004, Tripod and Sally came to live together and they stayed together until Tripod passed away on the 26 December 2010 in Pump paddock with her goat friends around her.

For many years, Tripod was active, healthy and quite able to keep up with the herd, until she and Sally were put in a paddock with a 5 month old calf, who chased both of them around until they were exhausted.

Above: Sally doing one of her favourite things - eating

Since then, Tripod’s movement became impaired due to arthritic changes brought on by the calf chasing her. We dosed her

with a non-steriodal anti-inflammatory for about a year to alleviate the pain, but this was discontinued except for extreme lameness, as long-term use can cause stomach ulcers. Then in June 2009, as the weather cooled and her arthritis flared up, we started her on daily Glucosmine capsules, kindly donated by Julia Smallwood, until she passed away. Tripod also wore a waterproof dog rug in the coldest part of winter to keep her old joints warmer.

Sally was one of twins born to Saanen 1 on the 4 Nov 1997. Her sister Sonia tragically ate herself to death in one week due to her ignorant/uneducated new owner. Sally and Sonia were separated from their mother to be bottlefed at one month old, as they were draining her energy. Sally never lost her love for the bottle and would do just about anything to drink goat’s milk from a bottle or bucket. She would happily and with great delight, even drink her own milk from a bucket or jug.

Above/Below: Tripod and Sally help (themselves) in the garden

Sally and Sonia were rather smart goats who happily worked as a team to get through wire fences in order to enjoy the many culinary delights to be found on the riverbank and then return to their paddock for a drink and their dinner. Once Sonia was gone, Sally developed into a professional escape artist, making use of the inattention of Farm visitors to exit her paddock through the gate. Her record of 7 escapes in one day was achieved on a weekend from the Barn paddock.

Sally had five pregnancies before we retired her from breeding, due to the difficulties in stopping her producing milk in her capacious udder. But for all the fun we had in trying to top Sally producing milk, she never had clinical mastitis once we had weaned her kids off her. Sally kidded Saraswati and her brother first, followed by twin boys, then twin girls, next came the very painful triplet boys, (the first born tried to come out with his hocks and rump first) and she finished with triplet girls.

In the last years of Sally’s life, she battled against re-current udder cancer, a lung infection and the consequences of her front teeth wearing down to her gumline and her molars much reduced. It was with much discussion and regret that we made the difficult decision to have her euthanased on the 5th March 2011, to stop any pain and distress she was experiencing or would experience in the near future. RIP Sally and Tripod.

Great news - it’s a girl!

In much happier news, we were able to celebrate on the 5th March, the long awaited arrival of a healthy female Ayrshire calf born to Heather with veterinary assistance, as she, the calf, was malpresented. Saturday, as she was named by Alex Walker, Farm Manager, had had her neck and head bent back in Heather’s birth canal, which was preventing a normal delivery. After some concern about her inability to stand well by herself, she began to feed off Heather and has grown in strength with every day.

Currently, she living with Lily and Petunia, the Jersey calves from Timboon and enjoying 6 litres of her mother’s milk by a bottle every day.

Meanwhile, Heather is back to being our public milking cow and she is enjoying all the extra food that entails, while simultaneously delighting and revolting the public with her displays of high volume urination as she is being milked.

APIARY UPDATE

By Bridget Bainbridge

Farewell to Summer at the Apiary Like people, bees are most active outside during the warmer seasons. Now that Winter is approaching the bees will not be able to collect as much food and they will need to consume more of their stored honey to keep themselves warm.

At the apiary, the beekeepers help the bees to survive Winter by making sure that they have enough stored honey and by removing some of their boxes which otherwise they would unnecessarily have to keep warm. This year, honey production at the apiary has been much lower than normal. This is probably because our much wetter Summer reduced the time that the bees could collect nectar from flowers.

Above: Over last Summer, rain often prevented the bees from collecting nectar from flowers

The main tasks for the beekeepers over Winter will be to check that the bees are not starving and to make sure that there are enough good quality hive boxes to return to the hives when spring arrives. This latter task will be greatly assisted by the new roof on the equipment shed which now no longer leaks and which allows light inside.

The Farm’s apiary of beehives is managed by the Victorian Apiarists Association Inc (Melbourne Section). The apiary is open to visitors on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Visitors can view the bees behind protective glass windows in the bee display caravan. They can also borrow protective clothing and join the beekeepers at the hives. Photos and descriptions of the apiary open days can be viewed at www.photoblog.com/collingwoodbees/

Above: Visitors can observe bees from a protective window

Movies about the apiary and beekeeping can be viewed at www.youtube.com/collingwoodbees Above: At the apiary, visitors can also learn how to care for bees

ANIMAL NEWS (continued) We have a new horse, “Flame” at the Farm. He is already winning hearts, and he’s only been here for three days as I write this. He is a pure bred Arab, whose stud name is Rathmore Amir Mystery. He is 14 years old, and 14.3 hands high. He is very beautiful (being an Arab), but also a Chestnut with four white socks and a blaze. He is settling in well to his new home.

Above, left: Our new Flame!

Above, right: Zac and April, two of our Walers

ANNUAL EVENTS On Anzac Day, the Waler Horses came down to Melbourne to show people the horses that took Australia to war around the start of the 1900’s (with the Light Horse Brigade). Their owner were here to talk about their heritage, and display their animals. Zac and April, the two Farm Walers, were here as well. Zac will be staying for Term 2, but April will be leaving us, as she is going to be bred, and have a foal.

DONKEY DAY 2011 We celebrate Donkeys on the First Sunday of May. Here are some photos from our latest day.

YOUNG FARMERS PROGRAM The Young Farmers took some sheep to the Strong Wool Show at Benalla again this year.

This year we stayed overnight at the home of our lovely shearer and his family. We took five sheep, three of last years lambs and two older ewes. We have been teaching the lambs to lead in a halter. They have been teaching us all the things you can do if you are a reluctant sheep who doesn’t want to play the leading game.

We had a great time. We received four placings in the Novice Handler section, including a second place with the very difficult Sheep 303 (Damon handling), a fourth in the “Ewe over 2 years” (Sheep 501 with Mark handling) and a third place in the enormous and very strong class of ‘Ewe under 1 year’ (Eleanor handling). Congratulations to Selina for managing to show a sheep that quite often had slipped out of its halter!

We managed first, second, third, AND fourth place of the Junior Handlers Competition, and we also swept the board in Junior Judging Competition. As if that wasn’t enough, we learnt heaps about presentation from the Grand Lady of Showing English Leicester Sheep, Ethel Stevenson, and her extremely helpful and generous sidekick, Genevieve. In the Photography Section, Leonie Greiner seemed to take out at least half the awards, and in the junior section there were a fair few taken by Young Farmers participants including Adeline D, Georgie H. and Lillian G. Well done everyone!!

Finally, a huge thanks to Brian and Helen Harker, from Benalla, and Brian’s mother, Francis, who put us up for the night in great comfort and style, gave us brekkie and a shower and generally made the trip possible. Thank you VERY much for having us on one of the busiest mornings of your year.

Community Gardens

By Toni Phillips COMMUNITY GARDENS NEWS There is a new, permanent Garden Plots gate, even after the new Reception is finished this will still be the Plotters Entrance.

Above: Your new Plotters Gate (centre, left) - ride your bike or use your feet to get there!

We hope that after everyone gets used to the new gate you will enjoy the peacefulness of not being at the main entrance. Many of the plotters that were originally at the “front” of the plots are now very happy to be at the “back” and those that use the bike track are very happy as it is much easier. Please remember the Farm Manager insists no-one is to try and use the old gate - ever, and also no climbing the fence thank you; and remember we are continually trying to educate the public on where and how to access farm areas. The gate at the top of the plots near the chickens is temporarily blocked until the building works are completed and will be in use again when it is safe to do so.

MAINTAINING PATHWAYS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Above (left): Katie busy doing the right thing, clearing the pathway to continue easy access for everyone, even when it is wet and slippery.

FARMLANDS HISTORY PART ONE

By Andrew Phillips

The history of the local farmland Did you know that the Children’s Farm cares for the oldest continually farmed land in Victoria?

That’s right, for almost 175 years the Abbotsford Precinct Heritage Farmlands (APHF) have been used to support a wide variety of farming activities. And not just when the Sisters of the Good Shepherd arrived (in June 1863), but since April 1838! Amazingly, Melbourne had been founded only three years earlier (in 1835) – so there’s been farming happening here for a long time. And of course before European settlement, the land was utilised and cared for by the local Wurundjeri people. We acknowledge their deep connection to the land.

Over the next few Farm Yarns, we will be detailing a series of historical references outlining farming activity on the APHF. So please enjoy learning about your Farm’s incredible history!

1840’s – “beautifully perched on the top of the rising bank ... surrounded by the dairy, stables, hayloft and other convenient outhouses. A beautiful slope ... was laid out in kitchen, fruit and flower gardens.”

1855 - the St Heliers Street lots (Northern side) were advertised as: “the allotments all along this terrace discover Gardens of Delight where, woods and vallies (sic), orchards and meadows, present a thousand beauties” 1863 - “... a tempting garden by the Yarra’s bank, with fine fruit trees, peaches, pears, apricots, apples, lemons, grapes and mulberry trees.”

1876 - “Out of this there is the farm-yard, where we find, in the stalls, a dozen patient kine, being milked by a Sister ... who has charge of this department. In the styes (sic) we see some fine black Berkshire pigs; and a brown retriever, which welcomes us. Near here are the cottages of the gardeners ... three gardeners ... have all been in the Convent service for some years. The Reverend Mother and Sister – kindly walk with me around the pleasant gardens, which are chiefly devoted to the culture of useful vegetables.

A quantity of lucerne and maize is also grown for the cattle. Here there are some fine mulberry trees, the luscious fruit of which is ... for jammaking purposes ... I have no doubt capital jam is made in Abbotsford”.

Above: The APHF (painted pre-1863)

As stewards of the APHF, we proudly continue to farm Berkshire pigs at the Farm as part of our Rare Breeds program. So that’s 135 years of Berkshire’s!

Plant News

By Toni Phillips .

Plant News Winter 2011 Winter is here again, and the best time to really plan your garden to maximize use of space and resources. This is most easily achieved by grouping plants with similar needs. Make sure that garden beds have a high amount of organic matter in the soil as healthy plants have more chance of survival. The best way to add organic matter to the soil is to add lots of compost - this will help with soil structure, water retention and nutrition for plants. Compost added to the soil will help nearly every soil type, as it helps to breakdown clay and adds life and love to sandy soils.

Winter - Plant whenever and wherever you take something out Now is the time to plant leafy greens, these are easiest to grow now as they require regular watering to avoid tasting bitter. Plant all sorts of lettuces though loose leaf lettuces will have quicker growth in the cold, spinach, rocket, raddichio, silver beet, parsley, European brassicas, cabbages, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc all take quite a bit of space and time to grow. If you don’t like to eat much of these don’t plant much, all the Asian brassicas; mibuna, mizuna, pak choi, bok choy, choy sum, etc are much tastier (personally speaking) and produce far more over time per space, because you can continually harvest like non-heading lettuce. Broad beans, snow snap and climbing peas, onions, leeks and garlic, also some potatoes, radish and swedes can all be planted now.

Green Manure Is a wonderful and easy way to add Above: Cannas - loved by people ... nutrients to the soil, by planting oats, buckwheat, legumes, vetch, clover, lupins and/or broad beans and digging them into the soil. Young succulent plants provide quick nutrients to the soil if dug in before the plants flower, then wait 3 to 4 weeks for the soil to digest it before planting crops. If you plant crops earlier there will be less Nitrogen available as it will be tied up in the micro-organisms. Green Manure plants that are left to finish their cycle and die before being dug will not decompose as quickly. Green Manure reduces weeds and soil pests and improves the tilth of the soil and the availability of nutrients to the plants that you want.

Plant Profile - EDIBLE CANNA (Canna edulis and Canna edulis indica) Commonly known as Queensland Arrow-root, this plant is far superior to the environmental weed, Ornamental Canna. It is a very useful landscape plant, providing quick shelter and windbreaks, and a tropical look. Canna edulis are native to South America and Queensland, and Captain Cook had the crew eat this on the way back to England to prevent scurvy after they had finished all the cabbages. Canna edulis indica is native to India with only real difference is wider leaves with a red tinge on the leaf margins. These cannas are often used as a thickening, arrowroot and silage. The tuber can be roasted or fried as chips. The leaves make very enviro-friendly (no-washing up) plates, just feed them to the chickens or pigs, or else the compost will love them. All the animals at the farm will eat these cannas.

Above, left: Cannas - loved by our pigs too!

Above, right (Top to Bottom): Chickweed/Chickens tucking into Chickweed/ Sunlight striking the Bay leaf arch in the Nursery Garden

Supported Volunteer Program

By Julia Smallwood The concept of a supported volunteer program is unique to our farm. Originally it was known as the Disability Program, but we prefer to focus on abilities rather than the lack of them … just like the renamed RDA riding program! You may ask why the program exists and what are the benefits of it to the participants and the farm.

In the case of special school students, both in class groups or as individuals, the answer is easy and measurable. We provide an opportunity for students to develop work skills, learn to work as a team and develop independence, confidence and a sense of purpose. Having been a teacher bringing such groups to the farm in the past I am able to appreciate how important it is to have a practical way to use skills we try to teach in the school situation. The farm benefits through having a range of tasks done such as cleaning enclosures, weeding the garden and helping with chores.

The adults from various disability programs may also be working groups, or may just use the farm as part of their weekly program, getting their clients out into the community in a safe place. We try hard to offer tasks that give suit their abilities no matter how limited.

The area less easy to evaluate involves the growing number of individuals who are coming to us through a variety of agencies and community groups. These are people outside the generally accepted area of “disability.” They are people who for any number of reasons have been isolated from the community or feel unsafe in an unfamiliar environment. Often they cannot commit to any set times, or even come regularly to begin with. The fact that we can be flexible in our expectations is often a surprise to those referring clients as many other places have more prescriptive requirements. Jobs are chosen to suit the needs of the person at each stage of their volunteering. The farm staff provides a supportive environment that shows acceptance and tolerance. Many of the individuals are able to work as a group with others who have similar problems and find it good to be able to talk about their situations. Others prefer to be alone doing a task, often with a staff member for support. The often fragile state of these volunteers puts a lot of responsibility on staff to keep everything on a positive note!

The biggest problem for us is not to feel we have failed when a volunteer stops coming. Rather we should acknowledge that in most cases the farm has done its job and the person is ready to move on, get back into a wider community situation. Sometimes this is not the case and we have to take the view that any time at the farm was positive but not appropriate at the time for the person’s needs. However the door (or rather the gate) is always open for someone to come back, something that happens quite often.

I think the staff would agree that we are very proud of our volunteers who overcome their many doubts and fears to become an important part of the farm community.

Caring for our animals - Guinea Pigs

By Julia Smallwood Safety for our smallest animals … Guinea Pigs Our guinea pigs are great favourites with many visitors and usually are handled well. However accidents do happen despite numerous signs and staff advice.

One such accident happened to Ginger, one of our new young guinea pigs, and as a result she was unable to use her back legs when discovered later in the day in her hutch. Thanks to the generosity and professional curiosity of our Vet Andrea, and Chiropractor Fiona she is well on the way to recovery. She has had three weeks rest, special exercise, good food, and a lot of care … all on the equivalent to a guinea pig National Health Scheme! She is now using her legs quite well and is back at the farm, but not out for cuddles yet.

So just a reminder about guinea pig health and safety If you do drop an animal, or in any way accidentally harm any of our animals, please let a staff member know as quick intervention can often make the difference.

The Five Steps for keeping our Guinea Pigs healthy 1 Only adults are to take Guinea Pigs from the hutches 2 Pick the animal up with support under it, not dangling or being squeezed 3 Feed only fresh grass… not everything green is good! Celery and carrots are fine too.

4 Be careful putting Guinea Pigs away as they do tend to jump back into their hutches 5 Remember they are fragile little creatures so please take care when you cuddle them Left: How to safely hold a Guinea Pig by using both hands (thanks Ginger!)

Collingwood Children’s Farm PO Box 80 Abbotsford 3067 Farm phone: 9417 5806 Email: enquiry@farm.org.au Website: www.farm.org.au

Family Fun Days First Sunday of the month (no fun day in Jan)

Farmer’s Market

Thethe concept of Saturday a supported held second volunteer program is unique to of our every month for beautifarm. Originally it was fulknown fresh,asquality produce. the Disability Program, but we prefer to focus on abilities rather than the lack of them … just like the renamed RDA riding program! You may ask why the program exists and what are the benefits of it to the participants and the farm.

In the case of special school students, both in class groups

Also enjoy hay rides and pony rides, and other farm activities all for price of entry.

St Heliers Street Abbotsford Melway Ref 44G5 Open every day of the year

Entry: $16 Family $8 Adult $4 Child

Phone:

9417 5806

Email:

enquiry@farm.org.au

Web site:

www.farm.org.au