Spring on the farm feels like it goes by as quickly as it came around! We have just harvested the last of the citrus and the winter brassicas, and have started planting all the warmer season varieties.
At Warrah we use tunnels and protected cropping areas to help us produce cucumbers and tomatoes a little earlier, and even later, in the season than we might outdoors. This is also a handy way to protect them from their predator insects, and reduces how much we need to spray biological or botanical insect deterrents.
The other crops we plant at this time of year are chilli, capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, basil, beans, and the usual salads and herbs. The soil is getting warmer and so are the days, so everything will be growing like crazy soon. We enjoyed the winter slumber, but we’re excited to have much more to do around the farm.
One of the usual activities at the farm during spring and summer is planting flowers for Warrah Society’s eager participants to later cut and arrange for selling in the shop. Many more of our participants have now returned to activities on our beautiful campus, following COVID-related limitations, including making produce deliveries for the Farm Shop. It is the most rewarding part of working on Warrah Farm, when we see the contribution and involvement from participants and carers around the farm.
In the last edition we showed the steady progress being made on the pizza oven being built out of mud bricks by the participants completing a TAFE Certificate in Work Education. Here’s the group with their completed oven.