Sasha Welker - Green Goddess Farm

I'm Sasha Welker farming on Green Goddess Farm outside Kyogle.

I grow seasonal vegetables and herbs as well as tend to a small orchard, keep bees, ferment food, and make beauty products. I started growing for us 11 years ago because I wanted to eat well and I've always loved nature and plants. I planted way more than we actually needed (still an issue for me) and we ended up trying a small farmers' market to move the excess produce. We were also extremely broke so that added some extra incentive. I found I loved it and was actually super good at it. Since then the farm has evolved into something I did not expect and every season is full of surprises.

The biggest learning curve to date is that I have to look after myself, my body, and my personal life. My body isn't a machine and if I don't treat her with respect and kindness no amount of organic food will keep her from falling apart. I'm learning that my life isn't a life if I don't feed my soul with fun and play and rest.

The reason I grow food is because I love nature. I love being outdoors and watching the magic unfold around me. I love to grow plants and I feel so happy when every week I get to send that passion and love out into the world for people to enjoy and feel nourished by.

I also strongly believe that regenerative agriculture can help change our current paradigm and even if it's too late at least I know I'm in the right place. No big milestones really. Every season is abundant with changes and learning and if it's the same then in a way that's different too.

My current farming wet dream is to grow 100% of my produce for a CSA who all live within a 20k radius and they come every week to collect their shares. All the share members are totally dedicated to the farm and I love them all. I figure out an extremely productive no-till system and no irrigation system and work from April-December.