Compost and Worm Farm
Gradually the farm's hard, compacted back clay soils are being turned into fertile community beds with the help of many worms and the rich humus from our compost-making efforts. We have also been trailing different green manure cover crops to help up-scale the remaining growing area.
Beelarong Farm is a Community Composting Hub, meaning that members of the public can bring their food scraps to the farm and place them in our designated compost bins. This initiative is supported by the Brisbane City Council. Read more about it here.
Cob oven
A much loved addition to the farm. Firstly the base was constructed with bricks and concrete. Using a combination of clay, finely cut straw and sand, layers were then placed around and over a temporary frame. After a short drying period, the oven was ready to cook yummy breads and pizzas.
The oven is used for numerous activities which are run at the farm and of course to feed the hungry workers.
Raised garden beds
Close to the meeting house a raised bed has been built for people to access without bending. Disabled people in wheelchairs can tend this garden in the shelter of a shade cloth roof. Being under shade, the plants require less water and are not subject to the full force of the sun in the middle of the day. In a natural environment, trees would provide this shade.
In recent years we have also built a number of raised garden beds that can be rented for private use.
Rain Tanks
The farm has four rainwater tanks. This has many advantages: reducing demand on our water supplies, reduces water pollution, captured rainwater is free of the salts and pollutants associated with ground and surface water, the natural temperature of rainwater doesn't shock plants, rainwater contains no chlorine and it's free!
Solar power
The farm uses 100% renewable energy with a solar and battery storage power system that is completely independent of the main power grid. It powers the electricity points for our shed, the pump for our toilet, and the three solar street lights on the farm. Additional solar panels were recently installed thanks to a grant from the Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor's Community Sustainability and Environmental Grants Program.
Seed bank
Nature is abundant. It hasn't taken long for the Beelarong Community Farm to produce an abundance of seeds. Our members are kept excited and busy swapping, planting, growing and eating many different varieties of fruit and vegetables.
We attempt to save and use our own locally adapted non-hybrid seeds, be it at our community farm, in member's backyards or with seeds from Brisbane Organic Growers Inc..
Herb spiral
The herb spiral is a highly productive and energy efficient, vertical garden design. It allows to stack plants to maximise space with the centre of the spiral at the highest point. Using the natural force of gravity, the plants on the outside of the spiral will be left with more water. Therefore, we can grow plants that prefer different growing conditions all in the one space. The stones used to build the spiral retain heat absorbed during the day and insulate the spiral at night, keeping it warm when the temperatures drop.
Beelarong Community Farm | Cnr Beverley and York Sts, Morningside, QLD, 4170 | info@beelarong.org.au | 0401 168 657