A little time. A lot of basil.
A volunteering day at Oxford City Farm left four of our team with plenty to smile about. And rather less space in their fridges.
In August, Helen, Michelle, Meg and Megan spent a day at the farm, learning about its work, helping to prepare and sow vegetables, and making time to meet the goats and sheep. There was also a little shopping. More on the basil later.
Good things growing
Oxford City Farm is a community led charity in East Oxford, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together through growing food, caring for animals and spending time in nature. It’s a place to learn, get involved and connect with the people around you.
Our team started with a tour, hearing about the farm’s work with local communities before getting stuck into preparing and sowing veg. The results will take a little longer to appear, but that’s part of the pleasure: lending a hand to something that will keep growing after you’ve gone home.
The goats and sheep received their fair share of attention too. We can’t report their feedback, but the team were very happy to meet them.
The day came home with us
Before leaving, there was a chance to shop for produce. Carrots, tomatoes, chutneys and enormous bags of freshly picked basil made their way home.
By the next morning, the group chat had become a discussion about fridge capacity, the persistent smell of basil and what everyone planned to cook.
Meg was getting her haul ready for carrot top pesto. Megan had decanted her basil into tubs to reclaim some fridge space. Helen’s fridge, meanwhile, just smelled of basil.
Naturally, someone suggested a Differentiated cookbook. We’ll keep you posted.
Making time to lend a hand
Being a B Corp is about how we show up for each other, for our communities, and for the organisations putting in the work every day. Volunteering days like this are one small part of that, but they matter. At Oxford City Farm, it meant preparing and sowing vegetables, learning about the farm’s work and lending a hand to something that will keep growing long after our visit.
Oxford City Farm gave us a warm welcome and a lovely day together. We’re grateful to the team for sharing their time, showing us around and giving us a chance to contribute. And for the basil. Lots and lots of basil.
Thank you to the team at Oxford City Farm for welcoming us and sharing your day with us.
And, yes, we’re still working through the basil.
Find out more about Oxford City Farm and how you can get involved.