WWOOF New Zealand is part of a world wide community that promotes awareness of ecological farming practices by providing volunteers with the opportunity to live and learn on organic properties. WWOOF is an enjoyable, educational and safe way to explore and get to know the people in the country.
Blenheim is located in the north of the South Island. It's also conveniently located amongst the famous wine region: Marlborough! This region put New Zealand on the map for Sauvignon Blanc. Gill and Graham were our hosts and they made their living on almonds sold at local grocery stores and the Sunday farmer's market. Picture their property, it was the ONLY farm in the area not growing grapes. After sharing my enthusiasm about wine, I asked Graham why he hadn't turned to where the market was obviously going... he said, because no one else is doing it. He also remarked how unsustainable most of the grower's nearby were... I felt kind of sheepish afterward but that didn't stop Clare and I from sharing a few bottles with them over dinner. We got along very well, and I learned a tremendous amount in the short week we spent working on the Farm.
Graham and his almonds
Riverina is the name Gill and Graham market their almonds by, but they are a full functioning farm. They raise chooks and turkeys and goats. They have a plentiful veg and herb garden with the composting box near by. Fruit orchards: figs, plums, apples, peaches, nectarines, pears. That sums it up. Gill also processes all this fruit into chutney, preserves, canned yumminess. It's available to the wwoofers (us) to eat! And we did.
Gill's plum chutney recipe
The prolific plum tree
Apricots, oh my!
Pitting the fruit before the goin' in the pot
Clare and I were interested in learning about full circle farming methods, from farm to table. She was keen on milking a goat and expanding her knowledge in cheese making (if you didn't know, Clare loved goat and sheep dairy products and had started making her own cheese & tarts back home.) My ultimate interest in wwoof was to study sustainability. Not as a trend but as a lifestyle.
5 min walk to the river
Every morning around 7:30 am, Clare and I started our chores. She milked Mischief the goat, I fed the chooks and the turkeys. Gill and Graham feed their animals grain and the leftover veg and bread that was homegrown and homemade. I've never ate eggs so orange in my life... and if you ever get the chance, try turkey eggs in a scramble. We did some major gardening and weeding. Every night Gill made us dinner and we all sat in their living room, Graham always had a good story to tell.
The jardin
The turkeys gobbling up leftover almonds
The almond grove is on the right
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