These courses were one of the highlights of our year at Airfield as we helped people reconnect with a simpler way of life. Ranging from keeping chickens, and bees to growing their own veg and making their own cosmetics, our enthusiastic experts showed people how to be more in charge of both what goes in and on their bodies making our customers not only healthier but also more beautiful! Sustainable living courses brochure

Airfield is the Dundrum hub of the GIY nationwide network, which aims to support people to ‘grow their own’ thus becoming more aware of food security and sustainability. Once a month growers, both novices and experts, from the local community come together to swap stories of failure and success. Seeds and plants were exchanged and judgement was passed on the inspirational staff allotments –some definitely more inspirational than others! GIY

Airfield’s Young Gardeners meet once a month and work alongside Airfield’s team of expert gardeners. Through a fun –filled hands on programme children become aware of the rhythms of the seasons and how important it is to care for the environment. Being immersed in the growing process enables them to see the impact that chemicals, sometimes used in gardening, can be damaging and often unnecessary. They learn to use more natural and sustainable alternatives and become acutely aware of how what goes into the earth eventually goes into their own bodies as, at the end of each season they indulge in the bountiful feast they harvest from their plots.

Airfield’s Young Farmers programme is not for the fainthearted! The group work alongside the farmers to carry out the seasonal work of the farm. They quickly associate that animal welfare translates into human health through our farm to fork approach. They learn about policies on bio security and food traceability impacts on them directly. Working in all weathers, they get an insight into the highs and lows of farming. Dosing sheep and paring hoofs may not be the most glamorous tasks but are definitely outweighed by the joy and wonderment of helping during lambing or watching as a new foal takes its first wobbly steps as it finds its feet.

Think back to a summer’s day when you were young and the freedom of the hours stretching ahead of you. This is the feeling we try to replicate with the Airfield summer camps. Each day is filled with fun and adventure, eggs are collected, dens are built and there is a foraging to be done to collect the feast for the final day. Pizzas are prepared and cooked in our cob oven and

Airfield Outreach Projects
Airfield is spreading beyond the wall of the estate to take a little bit of the country to children in the city. We have been working with two schools Holy Child pre-school in Seán Mc Dermot Street and Mater Dei Primary School. Our projects aim to introduce children to a range of experiences to do with farming, gardening and to develop and nurture a love of the natural world within them.  
At Airfield we are passionate about many things but one of the things dearest to our heart is sharing the delights of the natural world with children that may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience it. We believe that projects like these outlined below have the effect of enriching our staff and the organisation as a whole as we continue to learn, to develop and to grow.

Over the past two years Airfield has worked with the three and four year olds from Holy Child Pre-school Seán Mc Dermot Street, on-site in Airfield and in their school. For the children, who live in a built- up inner city environment, encountering the natural world with its plants, flowers and animals was hugely enjoyable and had an extremely positive effect.
Artist Jane Groves worked with children and teachers in school to construct a willow tepee in their garden. Each child painted a wooden ‘stepping stone’ and placed a wish leaf beneath each before they were secured in place by Airfield’s facilities team. Hopping and balancing from step to step had the practical positive outcome of improving the motor skills of the children. Many excited squeals emanated from pupils and teachers alike as the wriggly worms were placed inside the wormery to begin their work.

We are also working with the girls from Mater Dei Primary School in Dublin 8 to develop their school garden. As part of the project they visited Airfield and became farmers for a day, collecting eggs from our chicken coops and helping to feed and bed our animals. Not afraid to get their hands dirty, they really impressed us with their hard work on the farm. The emphasis here was on food production and they were taken through the whole process of getting food from the farm to your fork. Airfield worked with the group to design and plant their garden with healthy nutritious food and beautiful things to look at, to touch and to smell. We planted cherry trees, apple trees, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, onions, and much more. The bountiful harvest was enjoyed well into October.
RTE’s Elevat8 programme followed our progress through the spring and summer terms.