University Visit

Today we had a visit from three classes from Newcastle University, focusing on sustainable agriculture, environmental studies and food security. Their lecturer, Terry Leahy, has been bringing classes out to the farm for the past few years. He focuses on our farm as a model of sustainable agriculture, growing food for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and as an example of an alternative to the typical marketing of food. It is always a pleasure to welcome Terry's students who are representative of a wide range of backgrounds. Many are international students here for a year to do their Masters Degree. Today it was our pleasure to meet some African people, here for 12 months, who were very interested in what we are doing and how it could relate back to their own villages.And in return we learned much of the way things happen for them in regards to village life and food production.

As they were leaving terry gave us a copy of his DVD The Chikukwa Project that he and his sister produced. This is a story of a permaculture project in Zimbabwe, where once the Chikukwa villages suffered hunger, malnutrition and high rates of disease, but now has turned it's fortunes around using permaculture principles.Their degraded land has been turned into a lush paradise.

Next Wednesday 13th November at 7pm the film will be presented by Terry at the Wesley Uniting Fellowship Hall 150 Beaumont St. Hamilton. This is a benefit night for the Zimbabwe Chikukwa Project. The film is inspiring! Well worth a look if you're in the area.