By Kathleen Burton, Perth City Farm CEO.
“In the years that I have spent tending these gardens I have given much of my time to friends and visitors. I have learnt that as they prosper from my advice and help, so to do I. I have learned that what we give to others, we give to ourselves. And that the act of giving makes us richer.” Jeremy Albertsen.
2024 marks the 30th birthday of Perth City Farm, a milestone that prompts reflection. Our City Farm has achieved some pretty incredible things on its journey from disused and degraded industrial site to flourishing community farm. There are many ‘firsts’- Perth’s first community garden, first organic farmers market, first legal street art site and first LEAP (later to become Work for the Dole) program provider. Thousands of volunteers have remediated this degraded land to achieve organic certification and our role as a vital community space was recognised with the granting of a long-term peppercorn lease from the state government. You can read more about our incredible history here.
But I’d like to share my personal perspective on why I think Perth City Farm is so special and why I feel a deep love for it.
Discovering Perth City Farm
I first came to City Farm in 2010, dragged into volunteering at the Farmer’s market by a friend who thought it would be good for me. She was right- I was lonely and bored at the time, and in my role as a coffee maker at the markets I found a consistent purpose and new friends. My eyes were opened up to different kinds of people, people I hadn’t encountered yet as a young woman straight out of a business degree. These people were varied- I connected with hippies, punks, farmers, philosophers and health nuts (I was still into labelling people at the time!) City Farm attracted them for different reasons but something they had in common was an interest in things bigger than them- the world and making it better, a purpose they approached with deep generosity and contribution.
The main characters I met at that time were Thom and Rosanne, who were leading the organisation. If you’ve met them, you probably sensed they are both uncommon people from the way they interacted with you. They did something I hadn’t seen before- they spoke to everyone they encountered as if the person they were speaking to was their equal, was special and valuable. This sounds simple but is actually profound when its done to everyone you encounter in a city.
If you’ve had the privilege of getting to know them, you will have seen their magic. Both are incredibly generous, kind and committed to creating and maintaining places for the benefit of people, the natural and spirit worlds. They personified the spirit I encountered at City Farm- an interest in the world and making it better, a quest they approached with deep generosity and contribution.
Values in action
I look back on this time and see intentional values in action largely led by Thom and Rosanne. Values of kindness, positivity, inclusion and connection . Every organisation has a list of their values, but in my experience, it is rare for these values to be used every day.
It is rare for these values to be seen and felt every day; for the culture of a place to be a living and breathing thing. City Farm had this, and as such, my time as a volunteer brought out an enthusiasm in me. And enthusiasm for this place specifically, but also for the world and life in general. It excited me about what could be possible if this place kept thriving and growing, allowing more people to experience its magic.
Returning to City Farm
After spending several years overseas searching for places and communities that made me feel the way Perth City Farm did, yet never finding them, Rosanne reconnected with me and invited me back into the Farm family. It was easy to say yes, and I have now spent the past seven and a half years as its CEO, working with a board and leading a small team of staff and many volunteers to keep this place thriving. This has deepened my connection with this place and with Rosanne in particular, with her mentoring me to maintain the heart and values she and Thom worked so hard to instil.
It is through this deepened connection that I’ve realised the final piece of the puzzle in what make Perth City Farm so special. The synchronicity of the physical space and the community that interacts with it is what creates such a unique place.
The physical space
As a physical space it is a set of heritage listed warehouses surrounded by ever-changing gardens and farm space, nestled right in the hustle and bustle of a city. The space invites both curiosity (what is that plant? Are there any bees in the bee hotel?) and rest. The time spent in it communing with nature creates feelings of both peace and inspiration for me and many others. We feel a desire to learn more about the natural world and how to live in harmony with it.
The gardens are the perfect place to invite creativity and valued contribution as they are an inspiring backdrop and there is always something to be done, often with limited resources to do it with.
The community
This invitation for creativity and contribution is answered by a community of people who give to and receive from this physical space. Their contributions are varied- hosting a writers group, feeding the chickens, teaching a workshop on fermenting, pruning a lime tree, talking with a new visitor, sharing your mushroom crop, baking a cake for volunteers. As they contribute to this place, this community connects with each other. People find heartfelt connection, laughter, advice, new perspectives, opportunities and hope in the face of frightening world challenges. They get to practice how to love each other and themselves as they care for the earth. I say practice because none of this is done perfectly, but always with the best intentions.
This is summed up beautifully by a quote scrawled on the side of our old toilet block, which I re-discovered looking through old photos:
“In the years that I have spent tending these gardens I have given much of my time to friends and visitors. I have learnt that as they prosper from my advice and help, so to do I. I have learned that what we give to others, we give to ourselves. And that the act of giving makes us richer.”
This wonderful quote comes from Jeremy Albertsen, who was an important early volunteer here.
This combination of garden/farm physical space and a contributing, values-led community is really special and not very common in my experience. You can’t quite get this in a council run community centre for example.
The secret sauce
In summary what is so special about Perth City Farm? What is its ‘secret sauce’ in our efforts to achieve our vision of a community of people living connected, sustainable lives in harmony with nature? I believe the key factors are:
- The dominant presence of the ‘natural world’- this living classroom is vital in creating feelings of peace, curiosity, openness and teaching us things we need to know
- The shared values of kindness, positivity, inclusion and connection in action every day, exemplified by Thom and Rosanne
- The combination of a living space that invites contribution, and a community of people seeking a place to give their gifts.
Why does it matter into the future
It’s an honour to be involved in such a special place. I and our board and staff team work to ensure this space and its values-led community can be sustained into the future, and we can make the most impact possible with the resources available to us.
Our purpose now is to harness the power of nature and community connection, bringing people together to learn about sustainable living. Our aim is that Perth becomes a community of people living connected, sustainable lives in harmony with nature. We think that focus is the best use of the special place we have created here, and work that our community and the world desperately needs.
You can be involved in this community and help us sustain and grow our impact in many ways. Become a regular at the Farmer’s Market, bring your work colleagues down for a day of volunteering, read stories at Grandma Rosie’s Storytime, volunteer in the garden, or sit under one of our trees and sing it a song sometime. There are endless ways to contribute and remember Jeremy’s wise words about the act of giving making us richer.
Share your thoughts
I would love to hear your perspective on why you think Perth City Farm is special and what you’ve learned here. Please leave a comment or reach out if you have an idea of something you’d like to contribute but you don’t know how.