Joining the CGP Education Team
Every Tuesday at Common Ground Project in Freshwater Creek, you can volunteer on the farm for the day. Unaware that this would lead to future employment, my first day volunteering began as I woke up early to find out that I didn’t have class on that particular Tuesday. This would be the first time I had a free Tuesday to volunteer with Common Ground Project. Despite being slightly nervous to turn up to the farm on my own, I knew that I wanted to properly check out this regenerative farm that I drove past every day.
The volunteers were gathered in one of the greenhouses, where Clarrie, the Farm Manager, was demonstrating how to push individual seeds into the seedling trays. While a few people continued with this, other tasks on the farm included digging, planting, weeding, watering, shifting worm castings or compost and moving the chook tractor. My first morning as a volunteer was a real pleasure, spending time outdoors while learning the tenets of regenerative farming and meeting great new people. This was followed by a beautiful lunch shared by volunteers, staff and farmers in the Common Ground Project Cafe. The lunch was prepared by the ladies from the Staying Grounded program which provides training and employment pathways in farming and hospitality for women from asylum seeker and immigrant communities. The food was so beautiful. This first day of volunteering led to me meeting Bella, the Cafe Manager, and working there very soon after.
One of the great things about the team at CGP is how open to new ideas they are and their willingness to allow staff to take initiative. I am currently studying Early Childhood Education and Care, and immediately after expressing interest in an opportunity to participate in environmental education and kids programs with CGP, I was given an open opportunity and plenty of creative freedom to come up with ideas and to try things out at our Fun on the Farm tours with children and their parents. I am now part of a team that takes groups of children on tours of the farm, feeding the animals we have on site (chickens and goats, and we are soon to welcome some Shetland ponies!) and facilitating various farm activities including arts and crafts. The children get their hands dirty in the garden beds, helping to harvest excess produce, picking off the ‘ugly’ leaves or picking weeds to feed to the animals. The chickens will eat from their hands and our four goats race toward the group as it approaches, enjoying a feed and a scratch, climbing up on the fence and occasionally butting each other!
The kids and their parents learn about the basics of regenerative farming and its benefit to the health of the land and soil. They are shown things like how to harvest various plants properly and where to walk along the furrows of the garden beds. Prior to working for the education team, I took my niece to a School Holiday Program. Lachy, CGP’s Education Coordinator, pointed out to the kids the difference in appearance of our regenerative farm compared to the adjacent bare, dry, yellow grassy paddocks that are most often identified as ‘typical of a farm’. In contrast, the Common Ground Project is lush and biodiverse, with creatures dwelling in every nook and cranny. The soil is enriched and as a result captures carbon. As well as the goats and chickens who enjoy the scraps from the cafe, other waste goes toward our hot compost piles and to our happy worms.
I have very much enjoyed finding farm craft activities for the groups to try, as this aligns with my studies in Early Childhood Education and Care and interest in planning learning opportunities and physical experiences for kids. So far we have made hanging mobiles from natural materials, gumnut people, newspaper pots, painted banana leaves, leaf rubbings, seed bombs, cloud dough dyed with farm produce, salt dough holiday ornaments and dried flower art.
I could not be more pleased that I attended CGP to volunteer six months ago. In fact, the various jobs and opportunities that I have had in the past year have begun with me volunteering in spaces that align with my values, such as Common Ground Project. I am thankful that I decided to volunteer that Tuesday and I am looking forward to various future farm craft activities to try!
Fun on the Farm tours run Thursdays and Saturdays from 10:30am-12:30pm
Volunteering on Tuesdays from 9:30am
