Last month we opened our farm up to the public over three weeks. Along with raising $5,700 towards the education and wider work of Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation it was an opportunity for people to walk along the restoring wetland, see and harvest the many sunflowers that were growing as part of a multi species, soil rejuvenating cover crop. I am normally a travel hopefully kind of person however this was a new step for the farm. In the weeks preceding the event I imagined various go wrong scenarios; from lost walkers tangled in electric fences, chased by our young bulls to sunflower fields stripped bare by over enthusiastic harvesters along with multiple pairs of new secateurs at best lost and at worst inflicting the worst kind of wounds. However it was soon apparent that our visitors from nearby and across the hill were respectful and interested. Rather than charging for pre-bunched stems it was more rewarding to hand out secateurs, let people pick as many sunflowers as they liked and encourage them to take their lunch down a newly opened path to a picnic spot beside the river. Not only did all the secateurs come back without accident but our visitors returned with exquisite bouquets of carefully chosen sunflowers and some with little posies made up of the tiny understory plants like crimson clover, phacelia, field radish and chicory. Most importantly many of them wanted to know more about the work we are doing with the wetlands and alongside the river and a number of people said they would like to get more involved.
As always it was great to begin the festival with three visits from three classes at Kahutara and Martinborough schools. The children heard stories, picked sunflowers, learnt about the science of soil and seeds and the deep time history of colour on our jewelled planet. They drew pictures, wrote poems and encouraged us with their understanding and enthusiasm.
A highlight of the festival was our Sunflower Sundowner which we hope will be an annual event. In between sporadic showers the sun came out and drinks and canapes were served in the middle of the sunflowers along with a concert which at the last minute was held under cover. Big thanks to our local musicians; Liz Patchett and Dean Major, Sam Auger, Pip and Mel Maynard, Evan and Ryan Chen and JD Smith who sang and played brilliantly and despite the hairy weather it seemed like everyone had a magical evening.
As always we are hugely grateful for the generosity of our local community who supported our efforts. Along with the eight musicians this included twenty volunteers for the open days and concert, cutting signs by the Martinborough mens shed, mowing paths and making a stile and gates by the Martinborough Lions, gazebos from Palliser, Martinborough Mitre 10 and Kahutara School, wine from Luna and Palliser Estates, sausage rolls from Kitcheners, cordial and cupcakes from Kahutara School and catering ingredients from Pain and Kershaw, secateurs from Mitre 10 Martinborough and photographs by Andrew Stewart.