Educational courses

English language school

Caretaker Farm has run English language tuition for Japanese and Korean people in the past and is working towards establishing a live-in English language school for up to 12 students in the future operating from the farm. We are currently completing accommodation buildings for the students and hope in the next 12 months to have this space finished and the school up-and-running at the start of 2010.

It is envisaged that these students will commit to a 6 week course and an individualised teaching programme designed to meet each student’s particular needs. Although not all the buildings have been completed we are in a position now to start taking a few students who wish to learn English. The cost for this is currently negotiable and students interested in a live-in English language experience based on a farm should contact Audrey via email at am.sharp@auckland.ac.nz

Public lecture series

Caretaker Farm in conjunction with Sharp Services Ltd have begun running a series of public lectures every fortnight on a Friday from 7-9pm at the Old Bakehouse Market, Queen Street, Warkworth.

The topics are wide and varied – Earthbuilding, Permaculture, Flower Essences, Treaty of Waitangi, Winter Solstice/Matariki, Numerology, Astrology, Wine, Writing, The Geological Evolution of New Zealand, Taxation issues and so on to name a few.

We are always looking for new topics and speakers so if you are interested in being a part of this educational programme please contact Pip on sharpservices@xtra.co.nz or Audrey on am.sharp@auckland.ac.nz . International speakers are welcome and there is an openness to having any topic included as part of widening the education of the Rodney District.

This public lecture series began on 11 April and will continue to run every fortnight for all of 2008 and into 2009.

Caretaker Farm is also planning on running one-day workshops in the summer of 2008-09 on Permaculture Design, Earthbuilding, Companion Planting, Building a Mandela garden.

Other programmes

School visits, educational youth camps are the next ventures in education to be offered in the future. Whangateau has a campground within walking distance of the farm and it is hoped in the next 12 months that we can offer environmental and organic programmes to children aged 7-14 as part of an out-of-the-city camp experience in conjunction with their school. More on this later.