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Firefly Corner Farm Volunteer Briefing Series · Part Two
Getting oriented

The Setup
at Firefly Corner

The land, the buildings, the tools, and how a day unfolds

Part Two of your briefing — once you know why we farm this way, it helps to know what we're working with.
Section 01

The Land — Three Thirds

Firefly Corner is 65 acres, split roughly into three equal parts.

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The Paddocks
Flat land around the buildings. This is where we work — the cultivated rows, the nursery, the dams.
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The Forest Hill
A steep, heavily forested hill rising behind the farm. You'll see it every day — and sometimes walk it.
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The Back Paddock
The far side of the hill. Rarely visited, but worth a walk up for the view.
Wide view of FFC paddocks and forest hill
WWOOFer stable with volunteers
Section 02

Where We Live

There are two sets of buildings on the property, separated by a short walk.

The main house is where James and Agnes live. Attached to it are the toolshed, the plant nursery and greenhouse, and several working sheds. There's also a separate studio for visiting guests.

The WWOOFer camp is a renovated and repurposed stable — fitted out with a shower, dry toilet, and bunk accommodation. Alongside it sits the WWOOFer caravan, which is considerably more comfortable in cooler months: it has running water, both 12-volt solar power (from panels on the caravan roof and stable roof) and a 240-volt mains feed from the main house. The camp has its own dedicated Starlink internet connection.

WWOOFer caravan at night
WWOOFer stable with volunteers
Section 03

Tools, Sheds & Nursery

  • 🔧
    MJ Shed The main working shed — hand tools, equipment, and smaller gear all live here.
  • 🚜
    Main Toolshed Houses the larger vehicles — tractor and quad bike.
  • 🌱
    Plant Nursery / Greenhouse Where seeds are sown, cuttings taken, and seedlings raised before going into the rows. You'll spend a lot of time here.
Nursery and MJ shed exterior
Nursery shelves packed with seedlings
Close-up of nursery seedlings
Section 04

Water — Dam, Tanks & Pumps

Water management is central to everything we do. There is one main dam on the farm, sitting between the main house and the WWOOFer camp. From there, a network of tanks and irrigation lines distributes water across the paddock areas. You'll become familiar with the pump system quickly — it's a regular part of the daily routine, especially in dry periods when hand-watering with hoses supplements the laid irrigation lines.

The dam with lily pads and pump
Section 05

The Machinery

  • 🚜
    Kubota Tractor Fitted with a mulcher on the back and a 4-in-1 bucket on the front for loading, unloading, and moving materials around the farm.
  • 🏍️
    Quad Bike + Trailer Used throughout the paddocks for moving cut grass, mulch, and plants. Quick and practical across the terrain.
  • 🌿
    John Deere Ride-On Mower Our main mower for cutting the paddock grass that becomes mulch for the rows.
  • ✂️
    Push Lawnmower A smaller push mower used for tighter or more detailed cutting work.
  • ⚡
    Electric Whipper Snipper & Chainsaw The whipper snipper is used regularly for managing the rows and trimming edges. The chainsaw handles heavier work — clearing along the creek and into the forest margins.
Section 06

The Daily Rhythm

We're not early risers at FFC. The day starts gently — a few coffees, a check of the nursery plants, watering and planning the day ahead. Then we work through the morning, take a proper break for lunch, and continue in the afternoon for as long as the light holds.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch are your own responsibility. The WWOOFer camp has full cooking facilities and fridge space, so you can shop and prepare your own food comfortably. We're happy to point you to the most convenient places to shop nearby. Your essential food expenses will be reimbursed. Every evening we eat together as a group — James cooks a meal for everyone to share. It's a good way to unwind, connect, and close out the day.

Cultivated row near the sheds

The work itself varies by season and what the rows need, but the core tasks you'll rotate through are:

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Tending the rows — weeding, staking, managing plant health
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Chopping & mulching — cutting plants down onto the row to protect soil and build compost
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Planting — putting new seedlings into the rows from the nursery
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Mowing paddocks — collecting grass to use as mulch on the rows
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Irrigation — hand-watering with hoses and laying irrigation lines
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Nursery work — sowing seed, taking cuttings, separating seedlings
♻️
Making compost — gathering dry grass, wet creek plants, cow manure, forest soil and leaves
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Observation — checking plants for disease, tracking what's thriving and what isn't
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Fixing things — tools, machinery, electrics and moving parts all need attention on a working farm. It's a constant reality.
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Making things — we learn together, find better ways and new ideas. We appreciate help building, digging, relocating and generally being handy.
The underlying principle

Every task — whether you're mowing, planting, or making compost — is feeding the soil. That's the thread that connects all of it.