Welcome to the May 2016 News from Northey Street City Farm
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Upcoming Events
World Urban Farm Day
Join us in celebrating the inaugural World Urban Farm Day on the 22nd of May. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy lunch around the mango stage to music from the farm's much loved buskers. Earth arts, farm film retrospective and a treasure hunt will get the kids exploring the farm. Each child that completes the hunt will get eco treasures. This a family friendly free event. All are welcome! To see full flyer CLICK HERE.
Winter Solstice Festival 18 June 2016 - 12.30 to 9.30pm
We are well under way planning our new-look Winter Solstice Festival which will be from 12.30 to 9.30pm this year to give up plenty of daylight for an exciting program of workshops, kids activities and entertainment. We will also be including our traditional ceremony, affirmations, lantern parade and bonfire after dark.
Come along and celebrate seasonal living in the subtropics, tickets are available now through Eventbrite. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
Performers needed
We’re looking for performers for our Winter Solstice festival, being held on Saturday June 18th. If you, or anyone you know, might be interested in being part of this magical community event, please CLICK HERE to register your interest. If you have any questions, please email Donna: allotments@nscf.org.au for further information.
Volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help with preparing lanterns, displays and decorations. If you have a few hours to spare in May and June, please contact Ronni Martin on educationandsupport.mgr@nscf.org.au
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ENTERPRISE & EVENTS TEAM
ORGANIC FARMERS’ MARKET
Sundays 6am to 11am
Stall holders and patrons have been enjoying the cooler weather over the past few weeks, and the market has been especially vibrant.
We are developing a little international corner with several stalls alternating at a site near Granite Belt Organic Growers. We have Cambodian pepper and salt blends, Ecuadorian rose scented dark chocolate and possibly South Pacific vanilla and coconut oil. While we do emphasise local organic produce we love having these products once or twice a month at the market. New stalls coming up include sustainably grown flowers and the fabulous Burleigh crew creating invigorating Golden Latte, a delicious mix of turmeric, coconut milk and chilli.
Delicious snow peas, turnips, persimmons and lots of different greens are coming into season. While Squash, sweet corn and other summer crops are on their way out. At their peak are tomatoes, radishes, apples and beans.
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CITY FARM NURSERY
What’s the best time to plant fruit trees in Brisbane?
Summer: When planting in summer, additional care needs to be taken to keep the newly planted trees cool and irrigated. You may need to consider some protection from the sun and check on the new plant frequently. If you can keep up the water, early summer is a great time to plant tropical fruits like banana, jackfruit, wax jambu and santol, while paw paw is best planted in late summer.
Autumn: When the air cools down but the soil is still warm is the ideal time to plant most, if not all fruit trees. The warm soil gives the plant time to establish before winter without the risk of becoming stressed by very hot days. Trees that are going to do well planted in autumn include nuts, citrus and avocado.
Winter: Bare rooted trees need to be planted in winter but in the subtropics fruit trees rarely come this way. Some deciduous fruit trees do however still seem to benefit from a winter start but be careful not to over water during the period. Berries, figs, grapes, persimmon, stone fruit, apples and pears all do well with winter planting.
Spring: Our dry spring gives plants that don’t like too much humidity a good chance to establish before the summer rain kicks in. Citrus, tamarillo and passionfruit especially will appreciate an early spring planting.
Of course, all potted plants can be planted at any time of year given the appropriate care. Mulberry, mango and olives appear to have no preference whatsoever.
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EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TEAM
Permaculture Courses
The next Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course starts on Saturday August the 6th, running each Saturday until November 19th. There is an early bird discount for full payment one month before the course starts. Book in now!
Permaculture Design Certificate Course dates for 2016:
Saturdays: August 6th – Nov 19th (break for October long weekend)
Intensive: September School Holidays – 17th Sept – 2nd Oct
For more information and to book, please click here
2 Day Introduction to Permaculture: October May 21&22, 9am-4pm
with Morag Gamble
Introduction to Permaculture is a wonderful weekend immersion in permaculture.
Explore the basics of permaculture principles, design and action. Learn simple and useful skills that will really help you to create an abundant permaculture garden at home, in your street, at school or in your community. Come and get your hands in the earth and learn by doing.
Cost: $200/ 170
For more information and to book, please click here
Permaculture basics: Organic Herbs and Vegies Saturdays
4,11,18 & 25 June, 9am-1pm, with Carmel Harris and Adrian Holbeck
In this practical course, you will learn about understanding and enriching your soil with compost, worms and tonics, and to grow herbs and vegies for healthy, year-round harvests.
Cost: $200/ 170
For more information and to book, please click here
Permaculture Design Course Workshop Series
Our Permaculture Design Course (PDC) has a limited number of places for a few people to join in
for one-off sessions. Here are the upcoming sessions:
Saturday 30th April 7.00am – 6.00pm Visit to Crystal Waters Ecovillage Cost: $85/65
Saturday 7th May 9:00am – 12:00pm Sustainable Housing with Steph Zannakis Cost: $50/35
Saturday 7th May 1:30 – 4:30pm Appropriate Technology with Luke Reade Cost: $50/35
Friday May 6th 9-4.30pm The Cultivated Ecology (Veggie gardening) with Dick Copeman
Cost: $85 /$65
Friday May 13th Seed Saving and Propagation with Krystelle Ellaby Cost $50/35
Friday May 20th 9:00am – 4.30pm Trees in Permaculture with Dick Copeman Cost: $85/65
For more information and to book, please click here
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Sustainable Living Workshops
Saturday 7th May
Incredible Edibles
with Morag Gamble
Learn how to grow, harvest, use and propagate perennial permaculture plants for a subtropical climate.
Saturday 7th May ‘Thinking of a Tree Change’ Lockyer Valley Tour
with Dick Copeman
Get inspired by visiting a number of sites practicing permaculture in the Lockyer Valley.
Saturday 14th May
Table Farming
with Hedrick Kwan
Come and taste different type of sprouts and have hands-on experience in making your own ‘table farm’ anywhere.
Saturday 28th May
Lantern Making
with Nancy Brown
Make a lantern for your garden or special event, using rattan and translucent paper.
Saturday 28th May
Garden to Fork
with Hedrick Kwan
Learn about edible plants and weeds, harvest them and bring them back to the kitchen to prepare a dish with other basic staples.
For detailed information and bookings click here.
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Sat 25th June
10am-4.30pm
Natural Bee-Keeping
with Adrian Iodice
A fascinating and informative day learning natural, organic, biodynamic, bee-centric Bee-care using Kenyan Top Bar Hives
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND GROUP TOURS
Book in now for a 2016 school activity or group tour! Our school activities include: ‘Feeding the World’s People’ for high school students; ‘Cob Oven Cooking’ for grades 4 -12; and ‘Farm Life’, ‘Earth Arts’ and ‘Basic Farm Tour’ for all ages. We can also tailor an activity to your needs.
If you are interested in bringing a group here, visit:
Our School Activities Page
Or the Group Tours Page
Education enquiries: education@nscf.org.au
Education bookings: info@nscf.org.au
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OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday- Thursday 9am-4pm
City Farm Nursery
Thursday - Saturday 9am-3pm and
Sunday 6am-11am
Sunday Organic Farmers Market
Every Sunday 6am-11am
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A Professional Development workshop for pre-service and in-service teachers
Building Ecological Literacy: Outdoor Learning & Sustainability across the Curriculum: Monday 16th May
9am - 3.30pm, with Emma Brindal
This workshop will introduce you to ways in which the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority area of sustainability and simple themes of ecology can be embedded in teaching across the Learning Areas; approaches that you can use with your students to increase their ecological literacy and stewardship; and how these approaches can support students to have the knowledge, understandings and skills to engage in creating a more sustainable world.The workshop is focused on primary school teachers, but the material can also apply to secondary teachers.
Cost: $110 school-funded / $70 student/unwaged
For detailed information and bookings click here
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Management Committee
To find out more about NSCF governance and what the Management Committee does, have a look at our page on the website:
Management Committee
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