Green Connect

04/09/2026

Today we’re remembering Wendell Berry — farmer, writer, poet and one of the most influential voices for small farms, local communities and caring for the land.

Berry spent much of his life asking us to think more deeply about the relationship between people, food, farming and place.

He challenged industrial agriculture and the idea that food could ever be separated from the health of the soil, the wellbeing of farmers or the strength of the communities around them.

For those of us working in local food and sustainable agriculture, his words have shaped generations of thinking about what farming can — and should — be.

Perhaps his greatest lesson was a simple one: that caring for a place matters.

Caring for the soil.
Caring for the people who grow our food.
Caring for our neighbours.
And leaving the land in better condition for those who come after us.

Wendell Berry died this week at the age of 92, but the ideas he spent a lifetime writing about feel as important as ever.

We are grateful for the questions he asked, the values he defended and the reminder that agriculture is about much more than producing food.

Vale Wendell Berry. 🌱

1934–2026

03/09/2026

We often get asked, “Is the farm open on the weekend?”

Well… once a month, the answer is YES! 🌿
Join us on Saturday, 12 September for our monthly Farm Picnic Day!

Come along, explore the farm, meet the animals and enjoy a little country-in-the-city time with us. 💚

🎟️ Tickets are available here:
https://green-connect.com.au/product/play-picnic-days/

We’d love to see you there! 🌻

02/09/2026

Where will we be this Friday and Saturday? 👀
SO glad you asked!

🌿 Nature Shake is back at Wollongong Botanic Garden! 🪲💦🌱

We’ll be creekside with our dip nets at the ready, exploring the water and discovering the fascinating little creatures that call the creek home. 🦐

It’s the 3rd year for this wonderful environmental initiative and many thanks to Wollongong Botanic Garden and Wollongong City Council for having us back!

📚 Friday is for schools, however Saturday will be open to the public from 12-4. 💚

See you there!

01/09/2026

🍄 Look what popped up in our compost!

These little mushrooms are a lovely reminder that compost is much more than a pile of old plant material.

It’s a living ecosystem.

Fungi, bacteria, insects and other tiny organisms all help break down organic matter and turn it into something incredibly valuable for the farm: healthy, nutrient-rich compost.

Fungi are especially important decomposers. They help break down tougher materials like wood, stems and leaves, releasing nutrients that can eventually be returned to the soil.

And that’s one of the things we love about composting.

Instead of treating food scraps, plant waste and other organic material as rubbish, we can turn them back into a resource.

Good compost helps us:

🌱 Add organic matter back into the soil
💧 Improve the soil’s ability to hold water
🪱 Support a diverse community of soil life
🌿 Slowly return nutrients to growing plants
♻️ Keep organic material out of landfill

These mushrooms won’t last forever, but beneath the surface the work of decomposition keeps going.

Nature is very good at recycling.

Sometimes our job is simply to give it the right conditions and let it get on with it. 🍄🌱

25/08/2026

🐝 Not all bugs are bad news.

We recently spotted these tiny cocoons on one of our brassica leaves.

They belong to parasitic wasps — and despite the slightly terrifying name, they’re actually very welcome guests on the farm.

Parasitic wasps are beneficial insects. They help control pests naturally by laying their eggs in or on pest insects, which can reduce the need for other forms of pest control.

So when we found these cocoons, we left them exactly where they were.

That’s part of the way we like to farm at Green Connect.

Rather than trying to eliminate every insect we see, we try to understand what role it plays in the ecosystem and work with nature wherever we can.

A healthy farm isn’t a farm without insects.

It’s a farm with balance.

Predators, pollinators, microbes, pests, plants and people are all part of the same system.

Sometimes the best thing a farmer can do is simply recognise when nature is already doing the work for us — and get out of the way. 🌱

25/08/2026

What a great way to look back on A Waste of a Saturday! 💚

We loved seeing the farm full of people learning, sharing ideas and getting hands on with everything from pickling and composting to microgreens and reducing waste.

Days like this only happen because lots of people get involved. A huge thank you to our workshop leaders, panellists, stallholders, volunteers and everyone who came along and made the day what it was.

And thanks to The Illawarra Flame for joining us and sharing the story. 🌱♻️

On August 22, Green Connect opened its farm gate to visitors wanting to learn how to reduce waste

22/08/2026

What a day! 💚

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for A Waste of a Saturday, and to all the wonderful people and organisations who helped make it happen.

We loved seeing people learning to pickle, growing microgreens, talking compost, exploring the farm and sharing ideas about food, waste and stronger communities.

Thanks to our friends at Woonona Community Garden for coming along and for Lindy and Rod’s (Rod also works at Green Connect as our Market Garden Coordinator) contribution to the discussion panel. Days like this are even better when we get to share them with people who care about the same things we do. 🌱♻️

21/08/2026

♻️ Tomorrow’s the day!

After months of planning, A Waste of a Saturday is finally happening tomorrow at Green Connect Farm. 🌱🎉

And despite the name, we promise it won’t be a waste of your Saturday. 😉

Come along for a day of good food, practical workshops, composting, gardening, interesting conversations, our $5 pop-up op shop and plenty of ideas you can actually take home and use.

You can learn how to pickle vegetables, grow microgreens, start worm farming, preserve lemons, make better compost and even create a starter garden to take home.

There’ll also be lunch from Balinese Spice Magic, coffee, tea, baked goodies and plenty of time to explore and enjoy the farm.

📅 Tomorrow, Saturday 22 August
⏰ 9am–2pm
📍 Green Connect Farm, Warrawong

Haven’t got a ticket yet? There’s still time!

🎟️ https://events.humanitix.com/a-waste-of-a-saturday-a-festival-of-all-things-waste

Come spend your Saturday with us. Learn something, eat something and leave with a few new ideas for wasting less. 💚

19/08/2026

🌱 The farm was buzzing today.

At one point we stopped and realised just how much was happening around us.

We had 60 kindergarten children exploring the farm, 12 work experience participants learning and working alongside our team, volunteers lending a hand, and our crew busy harvesting and packing this week’s veg boxes.

There were people everywhere.

And it was wonderful.

One of our favourite things about Green Connect is seeing people enjoy this space. Watching children explore the farm and discover where their food comes from. Seeing work experience participants get outdoors, learn new skills and grow in confidence. Having volunteers working alongside our team and being part of the community.

All while, in the background, fresh food is being harvested, packed and sent out to local households.

Days like today are a lovely reminder that Green Connect grows much more than vegetables.

It’s a place for people to learn, work, connect with nature and with each other.

The farm was certainly busy today, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. 💚🌱

18/08/2026

It’s almost here! 🌱♻️

A Waste of a Saturday is happening this Saturday at Green Connect Farm, and we’ve packed a lot into one day.

Come along for mini workshops, compost demonstrations, discussion panels, starter garden kits to make and take home, our pop up op shop and plenty more.

It’s all about looking at waste a little differently, learning some practical skills and having a great day on the farm while you’re at it.

Thanks to The Illawarra Flame for helping spread the word. We’d love to see you there! 💚

Create a starter garden kit, take a pickling workshop or watch a compost demo at Green Connect Farm's "A Waste of a Saturday" celebration, writes Kate Callaghan