Introductions and Farm Tours

My first few days at Northey Street City Farm (NSCF) were filled with introductions, a blur of people I was sure to not remember, and a sneak peek into what the rest of my time on the farm would be like. Adrian, Northey Street's Education Coordinator and my main supervisor, was stepping down within a week of my arrival and I was introduced to Murray, my new supervisor. Adrian and Murray put together a weekly schedule that would allow me to experience different aspects of life at Northey Street while also giving me freedom to learn on the farm.

My schedule is beginning to come together and has me working about 20 hours a week until I am due to leave Brisbane.

Fridays: My Friday's are scheduled to be spent with Simon, the Farming Director at NSCF. I would be working around the entire property and dealing with compost production, creating no dig beds, the planting and harvesting of crops, and other day to day farm tasks. By working with Simon I am able to learn more about the processes that are involved with large scale compost making and organic farming. Designing beds, planting, and harvesting will help me better understand the actual act of growing food.

Saturdays: Saturday's are to be spent with Peta in the NSCF nursery. I was already able to spend a day with her, learning how to propagate seedlings and create clippings. My plant knowledge will be put to the test by customers and time will tell how much I am able to learn during my time with Peta.

Sundays: The Sunday Organic Markets are the highlight of the week at Northey Street. Sundays are going to be spent helping out in the farm's market stalls, selling fresh produce from the Market Garden or cooking up food to raise money for the farm. I am excited about this aspect of my internship because I will be able to connect with the local community about fresh food, organics, and nutrition.

I have already spent a good amount of time in the different areas of the farm but I am excited to have my first full weekend working at Northey Street. I have gone on a number of farm tours and may even be able to start leading a few in the next couple of weeks.