Farm Garden News

Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve contributed to the newsletter — there’s been so much going on.

Even though our planting regime has been a bit out of whack lately due to the amount of time spent on creating our new chicken home, it’s pretty impressive just how many plants have self-sown! We’re particularly impressed with a self-sown Brussels sprout plant. Last year we tried to grow Brussels sprouts but only ended up with tiny, hard, pea-sized sprouts. We thought that perhaps our winters are too warm for them to be successful, so we didn’t sow any this year. Lo and behold, a big, bold self-seeder popped up and is producing super well. Hopefully the seed from this plant can support a decent crop next year.

Another garden treat has been students searching for lucky 4-leaf clovers. Today, a 5-leaf clover was found.

Class 6 Weekly Produce Stall

Class 6 were straight back into it during their first week back. Come and check out what’s for sale on Wednesday afternoons after school.

Water Garden

This project hasn’t progressed, as I’ve decided that the frame we have for the bath is too wonky to handle the weight of the water. Does anyone have an unused bath sitting in a strong frame at all?

Chickens

Our new coop — and some new chickens — are bringing much delight. At the working bee on Saturday, we dismantled the old coop and will now be able to prepare soil for planting out a chicken forest.

Thanks to whoever dropped off all the grain! We’re learning to ferment this grain in order to increase the nutrient content and other health-promoting properties.

Our Introduction to Backyard Chickens workshop last term was super well attended, and feedback was extremely positive. Nicky was a super knowledgeable and fun facilitator, and we might see a follow-up workshop in the future — there’s so much to learn!

Keep an eye out for a Citrus Care, Pruning and Integration into Chicken Runs Workshop we’re hoping to run next month. I’m currently negotiating with the wonderful Alex McClean. More to come.

Contributions to the Garden

1. Just a reminder that I’m up for extra help in the garden! If anyone’s interested in working alongside me, I work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Pop in or give me a call on the number below. Also, if you’d like to take on a task that you can do at your leisure, just let me know. Thanks for the different contributions so far.
2. School Gardeners WhatsApp Group: If you’d like to be added, please send your contact details.
3. 2025 Garden Working Bees: Please pop these dates in your diary and feel free to come for as little or as long as you can:

Kaz contact details: 📞 0427 461 047📧 gardener2@alicesteiner.nt.edu.au