Page 44 - ALG Issue 3 2019
P. 44

  diggers
down under
It is 11am on a hot Sunday morning
at the end of January, and I am on
the plot. Unseasonal weather for Suffolk, I hear you say, but no – this
is the Beelarong Community Farm in Brisbane, Australia. I was there with my son and his family, who live a few streets away. They do not have a plot but my granddaughter likes to feed the chooks. There was no one about on this fine 32° morning, but I imagine most
of the hard work is done in the South Queensland winter when the weather is similar to a British summer.
The following is information from the website with my own observations
and photos. The farm was started in 1997 as a result of a needs survey, which identified social isolation in
the community as being a problem. Brisbane City Council allowed the
use of the land as it was flood prone. The site was built by volunteers, and ‘work for dole’ schemes, using various grants. The Farm is now a not-for- profit association being funded through membership fees, the running of courses and events and produce sales. Major projects are possible due to grants from the Council, from whom the land is now leased.
The soil is hard clay, which has been improved over the years by the addition of compost. There are communal composting areas where everyone can leave their waste. This is then fed into
compost tumblers with grass clippings provided by mowing contractors, and turned at regular intervals. It is also a ‘composting hub’ and the public can leave their food waste in designated bins. Composting and mulching is important here as there are long periods of hot dry weather. The rain tends to come all at once, and when
it does it can be very heavy. To be
able to make use of this water, there are four large rainwater tanks for storage. The Farm has solar panels with battery storage, which provides 100% renewable energy. This powers electricity points, the pump for the toilet and solar lights.
Most plots measure 4m by 2m, which makes them relatively easy to keep tidy, but does not allow much room for large crops. Popular crops seem to be carrot, aubergine, tomato, lettuce and sweetcorn. Beans may be grown on
a low trellis. There is the occasional banana plant and papaya, so different to our apples and pears. There is a separate bed of Australian fruit trees
in which is housed an insect hotel, providing pest control and pollinators. There is a raised bed under shading
for disabled people and wheelchair users, where many herbs are grown. Organic practices are used throughout, and control of pests is by companion planting, and mulching to suppress weeds. Many birds visit the site, and it is home to lizards, which feed on pests.
The farm was started in 1997 as a result of a needs survey, which identified social isolation in the community as being a problem
            44 Allotment and Leisure Gardener














































































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