Easter Extravaganza at the Blueberry Farm

Easter Schedule of Events:

Saturday:

10:00 Making Easter Bonnets

11:00 Easter Bonnet Judging

1p.m. Easter Egg Hunt

2 p.m. Pie Eating Competition

Sunday:

12:00 Easter Egg Hunt

$5.00 donation requested for children taking part in the easter egg hunt.

All procedes go to between the blues charitable trust

Fabulous Fridays

We have had special requests for the farm to be open on the weekdays for groups to come and visit. So we have decided to open it up on Fridays and not only that we will discount the berries for large groups (10 or more). We will open from 10:00-2:00. So here is how it will work.

February
$1.00 off per kg

March
$2.00 off per kg

April
$3.00 off per kg

Now this is good for groups like Playcentres, Kindies, School Groups, Retirement villages. And only applies to visits on Fridays.

Is it o.k. to eat the berries while we pick?
It is if you are honest. We have calculated that we lose about $1.00 for every childsize handful that is eaten in the fields. We work very long and hard all year to grow these beautiful organic berries but we understand how hard it is not to sample their deliciousness while being in the fields. So please just compensate us for what is eaten in the fields and figure that into your costs when you plan on coming. ie if you are bringing a kindy group figure on about $2-4.00 per child for field sampling based roughly on their age. If you are bringing a school aged group the same equation applies or you can just ask and monitor them not to eat in the fields.

What else can we do for free at the farm?
Swim in the river
Picnic
Play games in the meadow
Explore the wetlands
Skip stones
Have competitions to stack river rocks


Can we have a guided tour and activity?
Yes but this will need to be booked ahead of time.
Most activities that are on the Earth Camp Weekend Schedule can be arranged for the children for Fridays at a cost of $4.00 per child.

Please call ahead and let us know how many people you plan on bringing

Fishing Weekend on the Farm 10-11th of January

Bring your curious children and adults along and let some very keen anglers teach them how to cast and tie flies. Use a spinning rod and then to make things even more interesting there will be a NIWA scientist coming to talk about fish farming.

It is going to be a fantastic weekend. The activities will start around noon both days.

Earth Camp Schedule 2009 released

THis years Earth Camp events have been decided.
To find out what awaits the new year click here for the Calendar of Events

Earth Camp Kid's Cookbook Announced

The Blueberry Farm hosts an Award Winning Earth Camp each year. This is a family friendly series of activities where children learn about organics along side their parents through hands on activities. The most popular activities usually involve food (surprise, suprise), so this year a childfriendly cookbook will be produced as well during the following Earth Camp Days: 1 Feb, 1 March, and 4 April. The cookbook is being done in conjuction with the development of the Sustainabelly Cookbook Series which feature Cherished Recipes from New Zealand Organic Growers. The children will make the recipes and the best ones will make the cookbook. This activity will also be a fundraiser for the Earth Camp as all images taken by Mandi Lynn of the children preparing the meals for the book will be available for purchase by the family for $40.00 for an 8x10. All profits from the image sales will go towards future Earth Camp Activities. Win - Win.

Pictures from the Tipi Pitching Party

See Malous pictures from the Tipi Pitching Party . The day was great fun with lots of food being shared and then the hard work starting on full tummies. As predicted the helpers divided into two distinct camps. The worker bees and the wine drinking ones who laughed and pointed. The gold star of the day definately went to Pieter and his efforts at chopsticking the thing together as well as Counselor Katy Austins brilliant work as crew chief. THe worker bees were fantastic and we were impressed that nothing had to be redone and it only took us about 3 hours to pull it off! Yeah team!

That night Sam, Brucesonam, and Bob and I cristened the tent with the first bare ground tipi sleeping party. It was good fun and much warmer than expected but I think the next time I put my aging body in there, I will have a cushion and ear plugs (the wind picked up around 0400 and it became noisier than I was used to sleeping with, and of course the roosters thought it was a nifty new thing to crow at around 0500).

All and all a brilliant success though!

The tipi will be available for activities and can be booked out for organic birthday parties in the Summer time.

TIpi Pitching Party this Saturday

The weather is supposed to be mostly sunny on Saturday which is fantastic for our Tipi pitching party plans. The idea I had in my mind is that we would get the directions and half of us could try to put the thing up and the rest could have a glass of wine and laugh and point at us doing it. So you will either fall into the laughing and pointing wine drinking group or the pitching group. Both are welcome just bring a beverage and a dish to share for an afternoon meal. We will be starting the shenanigans around noon. Children are very welcome!

The reality is we have no idea what we are doing and the goal is to have a tipi that is standing by the end of the adventure. I am awaiting the arrival of the directions from Jaia tipis. THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN!!!! Hope to see you there.
Cheers,
Mandi