For the Love of Bees
first model/teaching farm
OMG
It has now been integrated into a larger project run and managed by the FTLOB original head farmer and Earthworker Alumni.
OMG 257 Symonds Street, Central Auckland
The OMG site is on steep ground, previously covered in rubble. Over six years FTLOB demonstrated how it is possible to turn a challenging piece of land into a high yield market garden.
With advice from Regenerative Agronomist Daniel Schuurman and a system of microbial supports from BioLogix NZ food production is restoring life within the soil on this site.
OMG uses knowledge intergrating permaculture, biointensive, biodynamic, organic, regenerative, synthropic disciplines and emerging soil science to grow an abundance of organic produce from this small site modeling what we teach in the Earthworkers course.
The vision is to enable growers across the country to have access to the Earthworkers education to help them build the capacity to produce food in a way that helps heal the planet and develops resilience on their farms.
OMG on Seven Sharp
What is Community Supported Agriculture?
Instead of growing food to sell at farmers markets or supply to supermarket chains, a CSA farm is supported by seasonal subscriptions from the local community.
CSA members essentially buy a ‘share’ in the farm’s yields for a season. The OMG Farm offers Veggie Box subscriptions that last the 13 weeks of Summer, Autumn, Winter or Spring. We also have CSA subscriptions for Seedlings and Compost.
Why do we encourage a CSA model?
Biodiversity
At OMG we model how a small farm can grow a diverse variety of species using min-till biology-first regenerative horticulture.
Security
A CSA model gives growers the security to pay farmers a good wage and helps them plan each season with more certainty.
Farming can be unpredictable. Sudden changes in weather and fluctuations in the price of produce don’t just impact incomes, these factors can take a toll on the mental health and well-being of the people growing our food. Farming has been listed as one of the ten most stressful occupations in the world and if we want food security, this needs to improve. By using a CSA model growers are able to reduce some of the unpredictability inherent to farming.
Community
Having a have a closer connection to how our food is grown benefits the well-being of us all.
Local growers can keep their community updated on what is growing on their farm becoming a community connected space that demonstrates innovations, models and enables what is possible. Local small scale growers rely on a vibrant community to collectively help catalyse the transformation of Aotearoa’s food systems.