Overview

Fossil Creek Farm started a project to build a community garden where anyone who comes through their therapy system can find a safe space to learn new skills, grow their own produce and enjoy the rewards of eating what they grow. 

Azwood donated green waste organic compost to this project and filled their raised garden beds ready for planting. 

Background

Fossil Creek Farm is an alternative take on traditional therapy and offers animal-assisted therapy to children and adults who come through their system.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) involves spending time with animals during a therapy session tailored to suit each individual client's needs. These can be physical, emotional, educational and/or psychological; AAT is used to complement the benefits of traditional therapy.

They can see up to 100 per week for:

• Anxiety

• Mental health

• Depression

• Violence

• Sexual abuse

Jude and Lloyd are guardians of Fossil Creek farm and are driven by a desire to reduce suicide numbers in our community.

About 90% of people who visit Fossil Creek Farm are children. Troubled kids who struggle in class come out to fossil creek farm to work in the gardens and look after the animals. This gives them a chance to learn new skills, reset themselves reconnect themselves with the land.

“We are a calm quiet and peaceful place away from social media and school. This is a safe space for kids” - Lloyd, Fossil Creek Farm

Farmers have the highest suicide rate in NZ. There is an opportunity here where Fossil Creek can be a place for them to come and be comfortable in their surroundings, rather than being in a therapy office feeling uncomfortable and pressured to talk. 

The farm's environment relaxes people and opens them up to feel comfortable in their surroundings and to talk only when they are ready. Lloyd and Jude have found that people are very responsive to this and are more willing to open up.

If you are interested to find out more and how you can help. Visit their website.

Challenges

The biggest challenge is getting funding and corporate sponsors for projects like their community garden plus much more. 

Lloyd grew up in Golden Bay helping his Dad in the garden. 

Nowadays kids don’t know much about growing their own produce and many don't have access to the resources needed to start. Lloyd wanted to offer the same experience he got as a kid to educate on the difference between buying something from the supermarket and seeing what actually happens when you grow your own. 

Seeing it through from the beginning to the end can be very rewarding and it’s encouraged that everyone gets to eat the food they grow in return for their work in the garden.

Our assessment

Fossil Creek farm put importance on not using chemicals and sprays. They wanted to create an organic community garden that required little maintenance.

Azwood saw the significance of the work Fossil Creek farm was doing for the community and decided to jump on board to help create their garden by supplying organic compost.

Green waste organic compost is made from tree pruning’s and general garden green waste. It is BioGro certified and a great option for growers looking for organic compost free from animal waste. 

Outcome

Although the planning stages didn’t quite go as expected, Fossil Creek farm was pleased with the results they have seen from the organic compost.

Now equipped with more knowledge they expect to have even greater success next spring. Because they are raised garden beds, they dry out a lot quicker, so it takes a lot more water to get that retention. 

“You need to have good soil and you can’t just chuck anything in there. It’s about finding a product that would do the job and Azwood’s Green waste organic compost works really well as a growing media. The only thing I look back on is to blend the compost with soil to help with moisture retention.” - Lloyd, Fossil Creek Farm