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City Farm achievements
Since 1996 Kooragang City Farm has:
- removed hundreds of introduced Juncus acutus weeds;
- planted more than 10,000 indigenous plants, enhancing over 10.5
hectares of the farm to improve biodiversity and add to wildlife
corridors adjacent to the farm;
- protected one kilometre of Hunter River shoreline with 2500 trees;
- created Milham’s Farm heritage site. Restored the fencing
and created gardens to commemorate the history of the early farming
in the estuary;
- constructed dedicated cycleway, pathways and bridges to connect
points of interest around the farm;
- established several research projects in conjunction with the University
of Newcastle and Southern Cross University to investigate sustainable
farm practices;
- developed an 0.2 hectare integrated permaculture orchard with a
wide array of sub-tropical and stone fruit trees;
- produced high quality beef from the farm’s Poll Hereford
herd;
- built new cattle handling yards, holding paddocks and access bridges;
- developed an holistic management grazing strategy;
- gained Cattlecare and Meat Standards of Australia accreditation;
- created an organic market garden with a wide selection of companion
herbs and vegetables;
- held a number of (regular) national and international field days
on the site;
- provided a welcoming and nurturing environment where members
of the community come to learn and participate in sustainable
gardening and farming practices.
Below are two sets of before and after pictures which
dramatically illustrate the improvements brought about by the
sustainable agricultural practices demonstrated on Kooragang City
Farm.
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Pre-City Farm management
– uncontrolled grazing has denuded the swale leaving it susceptible
to erosion. (March, 1995 - a year of average rainfall!) |
The same site on City
Farm today - fencing protects wetlands from grazing. Bush
garden gazebo partly hidden by the wetland plant, Typha. (February
2003 – a drought year!) |
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Pre-City Farm management – riverbank exposed
to cattle, note the grazed mangroves and eroding bank. (March,1995)
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The same site on City Farm today – fencing
has kept cattle off the riverbank. Mangroves, saltmarshes and
grasses have regenerated. (February 2003) |
Watch this space for more pictorial evidence of City Farm's
sustainable farming in harmony with wetlands.
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