my teeny tiny farm by amber o'neill
DESCRIPTION
The Cream of the Crop Competition invites students in NSW secondary and tertiary education institutions to create a PowerPoint or a video which can be published on the web and win $500. The competition ask the students to promote the importance of agriculture to their peers, to encourage a better understanding of agriculture as well as promote agricultural careers and rural life.TRANSCRIPT
My Teeny Tiny FarmJust like me everyone can be a farmer in
their own small way.
I am Amber and I am going to take
you on my journey to grow food for my family whilst learning about
sustainable agriculture.
Welcome to my Farm!
What is my Aim?
My aim is to show that city folk like myself are truly capable of using the resources in their backyard to grow
food sustainably. Whilst our backyards will never feed the world, growing
your own food (even just a small amount) gives you a new appreciation and respect for farmers all over
Australia who are not only feeding Australian families but many other families around the world sustainably.
Sustainable Agriculture is the use of farming practices and systems which maintain and
enhance the economic viability of agricultural production; the natural
resource base; and other ecosystems which are
influenced by agricultural activities.
So what is Sustainable Agriculture?
My Teeny Tiny Farm
Strawberries
Herbs
Grapes
Tomatoes
Silverbeet
Worm farm
Bonsai
Lemon tree
Spinach
Lettuce
Seedlings
Cherry
Nectarine
What is a Teeny Tiny
A teeny tiny farm is simply hectares of paddocks, crops and livestock condensed
into one small, family-sized, easily managed farm that produces fruit and
vegetables for the needs of a household. Instead of growing three hectares of lettuces, a Teeny Tiny Farm may only
produce three plants.
Acres of land used for high agricultural
production
Metres of soil used for personal agricultural
production
Process to create a Teeny
Tiny Farm
Why have a Teeny Tiny Farm?A teeny tiny farm is an experimental activity outdoors, it is lots of fun and it is practical.
My teeny tiny vegetable patch
produces vegetables of all kinds, our
chickens produce eggs and the rest of our
backyard is scattered with fruit trees.
With all that done, my farm supports my
family and our friends in the community, making me proud!
Being involved in Agriculture
leads to so many more
opportunities!This little cria (baby alpaca)Hugo, needed bottle feeding for the
first few nights of his life... an amazing
experience!!!
Everything Counts If we are going to sustain
the future we all have to
maximise our resources and use them wisely.
A Teeny Tiny Farm is ideal for: Individual production… That environmentally
friendly familyThat enthusiastic gardener
and even… Even that lazy person on
the couch ready for a snack.
Producing your own food is great fun and very rewarding
for everyone!!!
Potted herbs and veggies can give you
a start.
You don’t need to
start big , just have
fun.
I have a cow on my Teeny Tiny Farm… she produces herbs, not
milk!
Growing your own produce
comes with the
satisfaction of having grown it yourself.
Look at ALL the Benefits
You will know exactly where your food has come from.
You will have fresh produce at your fingertips.
You will have vitamin/nutrient rich and vine ripened produce. Vine ripened produce
But wait there is more!
The growing and tending of the veggies will relieve stress and give
therapeutic benefits.
It can be educational for children who will learn where fresh food comes from
– it is NOT the grocery store!
You can share what you have left over
Why go to the Effort?
Why wouldn’t you, when you can grow all this?
I have a Teeny Tiny Farm, not just to produce my own food or make use of space, but to learn as much as I
possibly can about Agricultural production. I am able to learn what happens on large farms by
studying my small farm.
Silverbeet
Lettuce
Potatoes
Layer Hens
Grapes
Tomatoes Herbs
My garden is huge!
Four Weeks Later...
A farm in your backyardTeeny Tiny Farms
are environmentally
friendly … they can be
portable, tiny or huge
… minimal cost… it is so much
fun!!!!
No pollution A Teeny Tiny Farm
needs no huge machinery or fuel to harvest produce. A Teeny Tiny Farm does not require
large quantities of chemicals (if any)
and does not pollute our waterways if
managed correctly.
Subsistence Farming not ExcessA Teeny Tiny Farm can be managed to produce only what is needed, no
waste (money wise or produce)Subsistence farming is farming simply for what is needed for
example:My farm produces spinach, where the leaves are picked only when
they are needed (rather than wasting uneaten sections).
Any excess produced by Teeny Tiny Farms can be shared with friends
and family.
Portable, Tiny or Huge
A Teeny Tiny Farm isn’t just a farm like mine, with pots and garden beds, trees and shrubs. It doesn’t
have to have chickens or be spread all around. A Teeny Tiny Farm can be a vegie patch with many different vegetables or even a single fruit tree on
the back of a porch. It can be in a tub to take wherever you wish or it can be a mix of everything. A Teeny Tiny Farm is simply a farm that is smaller
than what most imagine. My Teeny Tiny Farm is here to show that it’s not only experienced farmers in the country that can grow their own produce, but city folk like me can grow all that too (only a little
bit tinier).
Lots of Fun!A Teeny Tiny Farm is lots of
fun. It does not require heaps of labour, money or time but
it does require a smile. Spending time outside with your hands in the soil and
plants everywhere couldn’t be more fun… it’s the perfect Sunday afternoon with the
family. Not only is it so much fun to set up and look after, you get results in only a few weeks… kilos of greenery and colour
ready for the plate!!!
But wait there is more!
Make sure you check out Part 2 of my series on My Teeny Tiny Farm; Grow
Your Own In part 2 I will share
with you how to set up your own Teeny Tiny Farm, so you too can grow
healthy nutritious food in your own back yard
GOLD SILVERPLATINUM
BRONZE
WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE 2011 CREAM OF THE CROP COMPETITION
Thankyou!
Amber O’Neill