About Us // Sydney City Farm

Vision

A green sanctuary to showcase an eco-friendly future in the heart of Sydney.

The Sydney City Farm vision is for metropolitan people to engage with our local and global ecological challenges together as a community in a unique and beautiful urban landscape.

A place where we can come together to grow organic food, learn about the latest in water-saving techniques, climate-friendly renewable technologies, and more.

A vibrant centre of learning and community participation through the creation and management of an urban permaculture garden, an organic farm and environmental management showcase, modelled on city farm projects in New York, London and Melbourne.

An ideal location presents itself at Callan Park. A City Farm will ensure the community continues to have full access to this historic precinct for recreation, learning and community building activities. The City Farm will preserve vital green space and ensure continuing public connection with the waterfront.

The Sydney City Farm will become a key centre for connecting the community and generating the shared accomplishments which build long term neighbourliness and community cohesion. It will be a focal point for strong community involvement and education in sustainable living practices as well as developing cultural, creative and recreational activities and events.

Organisation

City Farm is a not-for-profit Incorporated Association. This means the farm belongs to all its members in the community and any income generated is required to be reinvested in our ongoing work for the community.

Members elect a Board of Management who represent them in the ongoing management of the project. A third of the Board is elected at each annual general meeting.

City Farm also has supporters, people who don't wish to participate actively in the operation of the farm but who wish to support the venture financially and stay informed of its achievements.

City Farm is not associated with any other group and is wholly devoted to the creation of a working urban farm garden and centre for sustainable urban living.

Who We Are

Roderick Simpson – Urban Planner
Rod’s thirty years experience in architecture, master planning and urban design shine through in his practical vision of a farm and sustainable living centre that compliments the historic and natural beauty of Callan Park.
Rod is one of the principal consultants to the ‘Sustainable Sydney 2030’ Project – a radical vision for a truly green city. He was also pivotal in the development of BASIX: Building Sustainability Index for the NSW Government.
Working on behalf of Greenpeace, Rod was instrumental in the development of the Green Games bid for the Sydney Olympics. The Sydney Olympic Village - a showcase in sustainable building and design - was developed under Rod’s lead. Rod has won numerous awards for his groundbreaking plans and designs.

Andrew Jackson - President
Andrew works as a Visual Effects Supervisor for film and television with digital animation company, Animal Logic. Andrew has been a Leichhardt resident for twelve years. He is a passionate believer in the need for change to a more sustainable society.

Liesje Clement - Treasurer
Liesje works for the Sydney Morning Herald as a designer. Liesje has created the look and feel of the Sydney City Farm website and information. Liesje has studied Permaculture at Ryde TAFE and has a keen interest in all things green and organic. She has been an active community member of Leichardt for twelve years.

Carolin Wenzel – Communications Director
Carolin has been a consistent supporter of the City Farm through its various developments. A senior communications officer with Greenpeace Australia Pacific for over eight years, she has extensive experience in communicating key environmental issues to the Australian public. Carolin’s media career began in radio production with the Australian Broadcasting Commission. She is experienced in community advocacy through her public relations work with Keep Australia Beautiful, migrant community projects in Sydney’s west and with the Consumers Association of Australia.

Elsa Evers – Secretary
Elsa Evers is a recent graduate from UTS, where she studied Media, Arts and Production. She currently teaches 'Communicating the Social' at UTS and works at Greenpeace as a Communications Assistant. Elsa spent 2006 studying in Mexico, where she completed a research project on the environmental and social impacts of ecotourism in the state of Veracruz.

Carolyn Armstrong
Carolyn has lived in the inner west for the past 10 years. She is an active member of Glover's Community Garden in Callan Park, which she joined to grow her own vegetables and expose her two young daughters to the delights of picking veggies from the plot and collecting fresh eggs. She has worked in residential garden maintenance and horticultural consulting for the past 12 years.

Brandon Saul
Brandon is the director of Mi5 Media + Events and the Executive Producer of the international youth arts network, NOISE. Brandon is Vice President of Sydney’s largest community radio Broadcaster, FBi, and developed and staged the popular music festivals Homebake, the Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival, and The Great Escape. Brandon has a personal goal of planting a million trees on an Eco-community project he is developing in Byron Bay. Other current projects include a 660-acre regional art and festival precinct and an environmentally sustainable mixed-use creative industry park that produces its own energy and has a centralized water recycling system.

Anthony Sheedy
Anthony is the Property Officer at Woollahra Municipal Council. With a Bachelor of Business (Land Economics) Degree, Anthony has gained experience in all facets of Property Management over the past twelve years. Anthony has also worked for the ‘Sydney Cove Authority’ (SCRA) Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA); where he managed heritage properties and the ‘Rocks Markets’.

Michael Beaumont
Michael Beaumont currently works for BowlsNSW as their Development Manager. He has worked in Community Radio and the Auction world. He has helped raise millions of dollars for charity in his role as Auctioneer. He wears a t-shirt that says "Often wrong- but seldom in doubt".

FAQ

Is City Farm supporting the retention of Rozelle hospital?

City Farm is complementary with any future decision which may be reached regarding the future of the hospital.

City Farm would certainly present positive therapeutic opportunities should the hospital remain and the project does not presume a relocation of the hospital.
How will it be funded?

City Farm will be funded by a range of source depending on the eventual scale and scope of the project. This will be determined by the Master planning process and community consultation.

Members will support the organisation financially, through a scale of fees. In addition partners will potentially be sought for demonstration projects in sustainable living and working. Income generating activities will be undertaken possibly including nursery services and use of the grounds for events such as community fairs, markets and public events.
What about access to Callan Park?

Community access and use of the Park is what City Farm is all about. We believe in preserving and in fact extending public access to this unique, historic and beautiful site. City Farm would provide opportunities for active participation in garden projects and communities activities on site but we also propose to extend walking and cycling access through the site.
What activities will happen on the site?

The final configuration will depend on the master plan and community consultation however, farm and garden activities may include: community gardens, organic farm, orchards, sensory gardens, bush foods, aquaculture, small animals (chickens, ducks, goats), nursery and seed saving, bush regeneration, a bio-pool.

There will likely be space for a community centre including arts and crafts, meeting space, bakery and cooking, yoga and meditation.

A highlight will be an organic café supplied by the farm and gardens. And an education centre to run sustainable living workshops.

Any income from these activities would support the gardens and associated work.

Ecologically sustainable enterprises may also be based on the site, like a bicycle repair centre, or a recycling and re-used furniture and building centre.