Year 9 excursion – Green Connect Farm

March 17, 2023  

In Year 9 Geography we have been studying the importance of sustaining the planet’s unique biomes. An important element of this is understanding the impact non-sustainable production of food and fibre have on the future viability of biomes.

One organisation in our area that genuinely works towards sustainable practices is Green Connect. We went to visit them Tuesday 14 March as part of our Geography unit and they showed us how to produce food sustainably and ethically. On the farm they grow sustainable produce; they don’t use fertilisers, they care for the soil in which the food is grown, and all produce and animals on the farm have a purpose and are interconnected to help produce the food. Pigs provide food but also act as clearers of the land; alpacas act as natural guards of the farm by protecting all the other animals from foxes. The plants grown are only grown when the season is right for them to bear vegetables or fruit. Plants and weeds are kept as they attract the bees who help pollinate the plants.

We had a fantastic time despite being completely drenched. It poured with rain the whole time we were there. We put on gumboots and rain-jackets supplied by Green Connect and walked through the many different crops, plant areas and animal enclosures. It was great fun despite the rain and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. We gathered eggs for the vegetable boxes, ate wild herbs and plants as we walked the farm, and fed sheep and pigs in their enclosures, all the while having water pool in our boots.