Green Thumb Farm to open next month

Published 10:00am 23 January 2024

A community garden that aims to educate and inspire people to learn how to grow, nurture and harvest their own food is set to welcome keen gardeners next month in Samford.

Located at the Samford Garden Precinct, Green Thumb Farm will offer locals and visitors a unique opportunity to engage with nature and learn the best ways to cultivate plants and crops through hands-on workshops and gardening programs.

The garden will officially open on February 1, but a community celebration will be held on February 10.

The activities and events at the farm will be managed by a dedicated team under the direction of Green Thumb Farm Association Inc – a not-for-profit association established by Samford local Susanne Engelhard.

“At Green Thumb Farm we believe in the values of grow, learn and share, which is why we created this community garden to be an inclusive space where people of all ages and abilities can gather and meet other like-minded individuals, learn more about gardening, be inspired to grow their own food, and share in the harvest that is grown,” Susanne says.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are a seasoned gardener or a beginner because everyone is welcome to attend the workshops and events held by our experienced gardeners.

“I want to see people from all over Moreton Bay and Brisbane involved with the garden - I want it to a destination point for gardeners and foodies.”

The garden was made possible by funds raised through the Samford Edible Garden Trail, which Susanne helped co-found in 2020, as well as a grant from City of Moreton Bay and Community Bank Samford for a new automated irrigation system.

“One of the goals we set when starting the Samford Edible Garden Trail was to use the money we raised from ticket sales to set up a community garden here in the region,” Susanne says.

“I made that my mission and spent three years searching for the perfect location.

“In March 2023 we had the opportunity to move into the Samford Farm Precinct next to the Mini Farm Project, and that’s when I formed Green Thumb Farm Association Inc.

“The garden will come under the umbrella of Green Thumb Farm, which is now my main focus.”

Green Thumb Farm is located at 2204 Mt Samson Rd, Samford Valley.

Upcoming workshops

Growing and propagating home-grown herbs
Growing food at home: Two-day introduction course
Fresh cheese and sourdough making workshops
Growing, harvesting and preserving edible flowers and herbs
The slow art of hand-spinning alpaca wool
Taming your garden weeds without chemicals
Weaving a harvest basket
Growing and cooking home-grown herbs
Harvesting and healing properties of winter greens.

There will also be multiple gardening programs for kids and adults including the NDIS garden club, baby green thumbs, little green thumbs, sow and grow kids club, veterans thrive, and farm working bees.

In the future Susanne hopes to host a mini pop-up nursery selling the best seasonal fruits and vegetables that grow in Samford, as well as open a café and education space that overlooks the garden and mountains.

To see more photos from Green Thumb Farm, click through the gallery below.