OUR COMMUNITY PLOT

We were recently allotted a plot in the Community Garden about 5 metres by 5 metres. We have experience planting in square foot gardening situations. For example at our house we have another space about the same size where we currently have our winter crops planted of garlic, broccoli, watercress, red cabbage, lettuces, rhubarb and kumara (which is just about ready for harvesting).

We went to our new plot to prepare the soil for spring planting. We found a kind of black little maori potato and harvested them along with fennel bulbs and silver beet.

We then planted purple carrots, mini sweet carrots, spring onions, red onions, yellow onions, and an assortment of herbs. Our community plot is gr

eat because it gets all day sun, great for the veggies. We have two very special plants in our garden that were there previously. These are swan plants which are breading grounds for monarch butterflies! We also have a mountain papaya tree or paw paw as they are called here in the land of the long white cloud.

Fairview Organic Farm

Yum yum. The most delicious peaches ever. We decided to take my cousin's and sister to Fairview Organic Farm in Santa Barbara, CA. This was a wonderful experience to learn about organic farming. They will be the next generation that needs to step up in this world that we live in today. The farm has different plaques as you walk through explaining the farm, how it works and the difference between organic and industrial farming practices. This information was quite an education for the youngsters.

This amazing farm functions on the principles of diversity, education, abundance, and honesty. The icing on the cake was that the stall selling the fresh Fairview grown produce is an honesty box. This means that no one is there collecting the money. Prices are on all the items and there is a drop slot for the money.

On an informative plaque about the farm it states that "The farm is on 12.5 acres which produces hundreds of fruits and vegetables, feeds approximately 500 families and employs over 30 people." This shows that organic urban farming practices are sustainable, economically and socially viable.

All in all this farm is a wonderful example and should be replicated in communities throughout the world.