Okay, okay, it's been a year. But WHAT a year!
Turns out that moving a couple thousand miles down to the southernmost state of Australia, having a baby, and getting a farm going all takes up more of one's time than I'd previously imagined. The upside of that is, well, it's been a year - and I have so much to share!
The property here at Glencoe on Branxholm has started to come alive, if somewhat reluctantly. Over the past twelve months we have begun to shape the systems we will need in place to eventually become self sufficient. It is very much a work in progress, and there is much to be done, so I'll only touch on items briefly here and go more into depth later.
THE PASTURES & GARDENS
The pastures were needing some TLC but thankfully hadn't been trashed quite beyond repair. We must have collected three or four trailerloads of rubbish from them, I pick up more junk every time I'm out walking around. Old tyres, silage bale wrapping, baling twine, black industrial plastic, feed bags, glass bottles, beer cans.... you name it. There's been fences I've been repairing as needed, and we did a soil test enabling us to have a load of fertilizer spread over the ground to replenish what had been stripped from it. We did very well cutting a crop of beautiful hay, so will not need to buy any this winter.
The gardens around the house needed much work, and still do. Plants put in locations that don't suit, weeds let run rampant for years, more black plastic and rubbish than you could believe. With judicious use of mattock, shovel and chainsaw, it's coming slowly along.
It's an adjustment coming to a cold climate, quite the novelty to have four distinct seasons. There are apples, peaches and pears just about ripe on our trees, we might have cherries and plums next summer, it's very exciting and well worth the trade of the ability to grow mangoes or bananas!
The veggie patch in itself has has the most attention paid to it. With the help of my father on a visit we saw it wrapped in 6' chicken mesh, to keep the rabbits, possums and poultry out. Trailer loads of manure, straw mulch, used cow bedding and the mess from the floor of the chicken coup have all added some much needed organic matter and nutrient to the soil, I've never had compost heaps like this!
Having grown crops of potatoes, corn and beetroot to help break up the soil, I find I'm fighting with weeds on a daily basis now. The grass known as "twitch" is frustrating. I've got a wild brassica type plant that sprouts anywhere that gets water, thankfully the weeds all have a purposeful destination as stock feed!
Being autumn, the veg patch is giving up a harvest of beans, potatoes, peas, corn, pumpkins, radishes and a few more. I'm filling the empty rows as they happen with the last run or two of carrots, and then it's all things brassica. Kohl rabi, cabbage, cauliflowers, broccoli, beetroot and chard, parsnips, swedes and turnips. There's going to be good food here all winter!
THE LIVESTOCK
Having a little bit of acreage has allowed stock diversity that was previously unattainable. All the animals had been sold or rehomed before the move with the exception of Reuben the horse, and a bit of thought went into what we could carry here.
Starting with the humble chickens of course - although the range of heritage breeds readily available in Tasmania is tight compared to what I'm used to; we acquired some good quality White Leghorns, New Hampshires, and a bunch of friendly farmyard mongrels to flesh out the numbers.
Next on the list, came the goats. Having had goats before, I knew the challenges they would present and can honestly say I was overzealous. We started with three, which promptly escaped (up the paddock, they came back when called with a bucket though!) and spurred an afternoon of re-fortification of the pen. Electric wire is your friend!
We trained our does to be tethered and to come when called, one of the three was returned to the breeder as her personality didn't quite suit - but the two remaining are very friendly, and seem rather happy with their lot. They will be bred this season to kid in the springtime.
The cows came after midyear. I'd spent some time trying to find where I could procure a registered Guernsey, having lusted after the golden milk for cheesemaking for a few years. After what seemed like an age, with a few disappointments (I'd even started to look at Jerseys and Ayrshires) I got put on to a wonderful gentleman farmer a few hours away. He consented to part with not one but two cows, one in milk and one due to calve (she gave a heifer!) and I can honestly say I've never milked such a nice cow as my beautiful Star.
Colby, Brie and Halloumi
Having a couple of cows in milk meant needing something to do with it other than make cheese, since there's only so many hours in the day. So pigs happened... Wessex Saddlebacks to be precise. They're friendly and tame (although I'm very cautious with the boar, he is HUGE!) and they respect the electric fence. I've never seen any animal be so grateful for it's dinner as a pig is.
We rounded out the equation with a border collie bitch pup. "Boots" is from proper working dog lines, and is very keen on her job. Currently she herds the chickens and the goats, with supervision as she is very much still in training - it's amazing to watch her instincts come out. At this stage the cattle don't quite take her seriously, although I'm sure that will change with time.
THE APIARY
Glencoe was once a working commercial dairy, and the structure still stands. A long shed, all open along the Eastern side, I have decided to repurpose this as our apiary area. I'm fortunate to be mentored by a local experienced bee-keeper, and feel like I'll never learn enough about the bees but I really love working with them.
I currently have two hives, both swarms taken from other properties in the district. They're mean bees, defensive bees. Good hardworking bees. Hopefully next season I will be able to split them into a couple more hives, and one day even produce honey enough to share it around.
THE HOUSE & BUILDINGS
The house and the property in itself needs much work put into it. Things such as solar electricity, rainwater tanks and new irrigation piping, all need to be seen to. The stock yards are slowly being renovated and improved, the old stables has been refitted as a milking parlour.
We'd like to have an external accomodation of some sorts for visiting family and workers, an underground cellar for wine and produce, a separate cellar for cheese, and a proper wood working shop, possibly even a forge for smithing.
It's going to be a long journey, but so many of the foundation steps have been taken in this short year that I feel confident about our future here.
Cheers, M.
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