Members of St Augustine’s Conference, Coffs Harbour, were recently invited to visit and view progress on a farm project initiated by North Coast Settlement Services (NCSS) staff in Coffs Harbour.

A local commercial farmer very generously offered NCSS an acre of organic land at peppercorn rent for use by participants to grow produce, which they can use to feed their families or sell. The land is located in a beautiful valley just southwest of Coffs Harbour, and the owner of the property (whom we also met on the day) is a very community-minded citizen who does a lot of good work in the area for people less fortunate than himself.

The Conference became involved through a donation that we had received. After some discussion, it was decided to allocate funds to NCSS to help launch the project. We also provided financial support for a weaving project, also facilitated by NCSS, which is now beginning to show results as well.

Willing participants were selected from NCSS clients with farming backgrounds in their home countries. The outcomes have been truly inspiring, as refugees from Ethiopia, Iraq, and Myanmar have benefitted from this project. These individuals have faced tremendous hardship—loss of family, war, life in refugee camps, and the challenge of adapting to a new country, culture, and language. It is rewarding to witness their growing confidence and positive changes in their lives. They are enthusiastic about participating in the project and put in significant effort to achieve the results they now enjoy.

During our visit it was very evident that the money had been put to very good use, buying farm equipment, seeds, irrigation etc. Their latest purchase is a set of scales so they can more accurately gauge how much they are producing.

Thanks to the dedication of NCSS staff and participants, the farm is flourishing and the crops are almost ready to be harvested. The commitment shown by both NCSS staff and participants is impressive, especially in overcoming challenges such as unfamiliar climates, soil types, pests—including a beetle that nearly wiped out a participant’s spinach and purslane crop over Christmas—and conditions different from those in the participants’ home countries. Some crops were new to Conference Members, but Google and a plant identification app proved invaluable. NCSS plans to host an open day where participants will use their freshly grown produce to prepare meals, allowing the community to discover various cuisines and vegetables not commonly found in European diets.

Conference members had a productive and insightful morning at the farm. We would like to extend our appreciation to the NCSS staff (Biba, Skye, and Matt) and all participants for sharing their achievements with us.

Colleen Cunningham,

President, St Augustine’s Conference, Coffs Harbour.