Organic Farming & Gardening
—01
Anyone can discover a whole new level of life when they start growing organic foods. At first, it’s about the seedlings, the plants growing, and the wonder of it all unfolding before your eyes. The more time you spend in the garden, the more you notice the soil, the patterns of the weather, and the life of microbes, insects, sun, and water—all working together in harmony. And of course the main goal is growing good food – nutrient rich, fully healthy and natural with no artificial treatments.
Growing Organic
To make a good, long lasting garden takes a bit of establishing work. Once the structure is created, the process becomes creative. You have entered a new game, a new meditation, a new set of growing and reflecting that is echoed by the very food you will eat. And you will soon notice that the smell, the feel and taste of organic food is so much better than anything else.
—02 Organic Life
An organic farm is a set of integrated systems. It is not just the food we grow or the fruit we harvest. It is the variety – the infrastructure and what it is made from – the cost ratio’s, the water. It is also the methods used and the harnessing of natural cycles and systems with a touch of technology to help guide and produce. It is deep care of animals and plants and soil and all the processes that take pace in a production cycle. It is waste management and earth stewardship.
Our organic farm includes the forest gardens, animal farm, aquaponics, medicinal gardens, the productive raised beds and the orchids. We intercrop, harmony plant, mulch – no-til – minimal weeding – minimal pruning.
—03 Organic Food
We serve what we grow and there is a story behind all the food and where it comes from. For people living in the city, it is often tempting to get take out and basically not think too much about what we are eating. Then, when we have dependant mouths to feed we start to feel the need to learn more about where our food comes from and what benefits our food has. Yet discovering some basic cooking, food use and nutrition skills is not part of the life book these days. We are here to help.
We offer ‘good food’ workshops at 5eyes, from harvesting to preparing to cooking and feasting … these are hands-on experiences that change us all for the better. Learn to make yoghurt and white cheese naturally. Take a chocolate tempering workshop with us and experience the amazing world of cacao refining. Discover medicinal traditions from nature.
“Organic gardening is not about just substituting toxic chemicals with less toxic ones, but about a whole different way of thinking and working. It is a conscious effort to cooperate with nature in the creation of health and abundance for all”.
Heide Hermary – The Essence of Organic Gardening
—04 Organic Farming
Organic farming is about a combination of growing strategies and practices that enhance the natural process that benefits production, health and the whole system. Composting and good soils, drainage and mulch, bedding and seed stock, rotation and natural pest controls are but some of the practices around organic farming.
As with life, organic farming is a long term commitment and investment. It is not a short term cash crop approach. Establishing an organic farm is creating a solid foundation that matures with time. The longer it is established the less work is involved and the better it produces.
—05 chapters of organic farming
Animal Farm
The animal farm is an important part of the organic life at 5Eyes. We raise 4 species of fowl – duck, chicken, turkey and goose, on hand made organic food. These birds are free-range and have a wonderful environment that includes a pond, a river, shaded tree space, open space and several shelters. The large barn houses them at night.
Food Forest
Our edible food forest is a wonderful resource for daily harvests of a wide range of fruits, roots, vegetables and other edibles. Following permaculture principles this forest is a verticle garden with below and above ground growth, vine and differing tree sizes. It is intercropped and harmony planted with endemics for optimum eco growth.
Raised Beds
Mixing dry waste with compost and soil adds carbon while improving airflow and moisture retention. The coarse material creates a balanced environment of air, water, and organic matter, which supports earthworms and beneficial bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms. Together, they break the mix down into rich, living humus that feeds the garden over time.
Composts
Our composts include fermented rabbit, chicken, and duck manure, biochar, green-waste compost, and black soldier fly compost. These diverse inputs build soil structure, increase fertility, and support beneficial microbial life. Healthy soil, in turn, nourishes plant growth, strengthens natural resistance, and supports the long-term vitality of the farm.
—06 Organic cycles
Organic farming is about the health of the whole cycle of productive growing. Soil, water, seeds, rotation, natural pest management, compost making and a host of other elements come into play. At 5EyesFarm we grow all our food organically. Fruit, vegetables and herbs & spices. But we also raise free-range organic poultry and fresh-water fish. Each system we run, including making food for the animals on site, is designed for best practice in organic management.
Seeds
We prioritise seed saving and use only non-GMO, non-hybrid seeds. By allowing plants to complete their life cycle and set seed, we preserve locally adapted varieties that are resilient, reliable, and full of character. This practice supports biodiversity, strengthens food sovereignty, and ensures seeds that can be replanted season after season.
