Page 24 - Warrah Annual Report 2021/2022

Warrah Farm
This year’s weather has tested the resilience of Warrah Farm. By necessity we implemented a tight system of preparing beds well in advance and protecting the soil with silage tarps to reduce the impact of erosion caused by record- breaking rainfall. Chris and I would swap daily estimations about the weather, and we kept
a keen eye on the rain radar. Our polytunnels played a significant role in protecting our crops by providing a haven for some select vegetables and ourselves during the wetter days.
“We now have a large, dedicated group of participants working with us each week. With every visit, we see how relationships, trust and the social element of working together impact the work’s success. ”
Participant and Community
Engagement
We are pleased to report that despite the challenges, we’ve managed to progress our strategy of increasing participant engagement on the farm. We now have a large, dedicated group of participants working with us each week.
Farm Tours
We’ve recommenced tours of the farm to visiting school students. On these tours, we explain
the history and purpose of the farm while also discussing the environment, food security and responsible farming methods. The students can also take part in stirring and applying biodynamic preparations to the farm.
With every visit, we see how relationships, trust, and the social element of working together impact the work’s success. We’ve experimented with different methods of undertaking our jobs to involve more participants. We now place value on keeping the farm accessible and adaptable rather than searching out the most efficient way, as these can be ultimately exclusive.
We’ve enjoyed contributing to the Harvest Festival. Harvesting together as a community and later sharing a meal cooked by our participants with the vegetables grown on the farm is very rewarding. We also ran activities
at both festivals allowing us to engage with participants, staff and families that we don’t regularly see on the farm. Finding ways to maintain these connections is something we’ve begun to explore further, and we’re interested in what that could look like in the future.
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