Farms

There are around 150 farmers who will provide you with temendous food all year round. We call them our 'Fabulous Farmers', together they will provide you with roughly 80 varieties of produce and quite a few types of each as well.

All our farmers grow their produce to an extremely high standard and they are constantly looking at how they can improve the way they look after their land. Some of them can tell the best yarns ever spun and some of them might say a sentence or two a day (full of wisdom)

Over time you will get to know most of them and we hope you will give them a call from time to time to thank them for that perfect pumpkin soup, or that ripping rhubarb pie etc.

We look forward to bringing the life of the country into your kitchen through the food these folk produce for you.

(farmer profiles are being put together at the moment)

FARM CHARACTER IDENTIFICATION

 We have put together a simple common sense evaluation of each farms unique character based on:

• Taste
• History, Motivations, Inspirations and Philosophies
• Food growing practices 
• Recycling and waste disposal
• Environmental landscape management
• Water efficiencies
• Energy efficiencies
• Human resourcefulness

¨         Taste

It goes without saying, but does the produce taste like it should. (a quick test is to ask someone 50 years or older to hark back to old times and then get them to taste the produce)

¨       Guiding philosophies

This gives us an idea of the broader or deeper motivations, inspirations, philosophies that are guiding the whole farm operation. It may include courses, book reading, retreats, support development, tours or other programs not yet invented

Some examples      

•     Holistic Farm Management program
•         Biological Farmers tour
•         Environmental Management System (EMS) program
•         RCS, Nutri-Tech, BD, etc, training sessions
•         Permaculture Design Course
•         Churchill or Nuffield scholarship
•         Self guided holiday or tour
•        Joining a peer support group
•         Organic growing courses
•         Book reading program
•         Joining a eco email discussion group

¨       Farming methodology

These are some of the growing practices that may be implemented to illustrate that the produce has been grown or raised in a highly healthy and sustainable way

•         Organic
•         Bio-Dynamic
•         Bio- Intensive
•         Chemical free
•         A true poly-cultural or mixed farm (Have three or more types of ‘crops’, i.e. Vegetables, cereals and beef or Dairy, herbs, fruit and timber)
•       Biological systems management
•        Minimum or no till cultivation practices
•        A primarily pasture based feeding regime (90% or more)
•        Cell grazing
•        Controlled traffic
•        Raised beds        
•           Open pollinated and/or non hybrid seeds

¨       Recycling and waste disposal

There are measures in place to separate, reuse and dispose of  waste

•        Produce and stubble
•        Paper
•       Timber
•        Plastic
•        Iron
•        Other

¨       Environmental responsibility

There is good planning and implemention to address environmental challenges where appropriate.

•         A Whole farm plan completed or in development
•         Address of salinity areas
•         Establishment of green belts / wildlife corridors
•         Erosion control
•         Wetland protection or renewal
•         Wildlife protection or control
•         Enhancement of biodiversity
•        Creek bank re-stabilization

¨       Water efficiencies

The measures that have or will be implemented to improve water use? i.e.

•        Advanced irrigation technologies
•        Recycling capabilities
•       Soil water holding capacity
•        Irrigation timing
•        Reducing evaporation

¨       Energy efficiencies

The alternative practices that may be in place to reduce use of fossil based fuel and coal based electricity

•       Energy Audits i.e
•       (internal) Matching machinery to need 
•       (external) Sourcing inputs closer to farm
•        Use of bio-diesel
•       No till cultivation practices
•       Use of Passive / Solar building design and use of renewable technology

¨          Human resources

How the workforce is encouraged to contribute to the sustainability of the farming operation.

•       They are involved in regular planning meetings and discussions
•       They are involved in external discussion or focus groups
•       Some career or ownership (custodianship) pathways are in place or encouraged
•       There is a healthy way of dealing with conflict

¨       Other illustrations of the ‘character’ of the farming operation

•        Community  involvement
•        ‘Land for Wildlife’ accreditation
•        Regular Landcare involvement 
•        Diversity of operation, i.e. Farm stay / B&B
•         Involvement of whole family
•        Partner or children is / are involved in off farm activity that contributes to a more peaceful and healthier world, etc.

(In the case of some chemical use)

There are practices that are in place to reduce reliance on chemicals whilst seeking appropriate alternatives

•        Combined with the use of a Balance of Natural Fertilizers and / or Composts
•        Use of well planned out weed management strategies
•        Use of naturally derived or biological Pesticides, Fungicides and IPM strategies
•          Use of buffer zones for potential contamination control
•        Checking processes including use of trace back records for brought in materials