The beginning
Our 12 acre farm in Pumpenbil Northern NSW Australia was purchased in September 2018. The land came with cows on the property owned by a local farmer. For the first 6 mths or so I kept the cows there to control the grass and so I could use there manure to create my first gardens around the house. The property was basically one big paddock with no fencing around the house and no animal housing or sheds and only 2 sad looking fruit trees.
We began by first addressing the need for water for animals and irrigation for vegetable gardens and orchard.
The first year was drought and extreme fires all through out Australia East coast! We began earth works digging out 2 of the dams, turning them into massive storage vessels. We installed a header tank with gravity feed, irrigation pipes and a solar pump on the main dam to pump water up to the header tank. The irrigation pipes go all the way to the orchard with 12 tap outlets. I also had many places levelled around the property for future use for ceremony, camping and huts/sheds etc
We also had another access gate put in and improved all tracks with gravel. Large pipes were installed around the place to redirect water running off main road and address drainage issues.
What relief when it was done. Almost immediately I put in about 100 fruit trees. At exactly that time the drought broke and we watched as our new dams fill up in only 3 days and fruit trees were well and truly watered in! Some work had to be done to stabalize spill ways on dams and add in more drainage. I guess a property is always a work in progress!
2019. Project One was to start putting back the native trees and screening off the road. By taking the cows off we gave the native trees a chance to reseed, and for the forest to return. Fortuoutoiusly there is still enough diversity in remnant bushland. After the rain and without the cows causing damage the tree started to reseed and bush return.
2020 Beginning of Global Pandemic! I decided we needed chickens and went on hunt for rare or heritage breeds. We started with Wheaten Marans and Toulouse Geese! Over the next 2 years we’ve ended up with 4 breeds geese, ducks, 7 types chickens, two types Heritage Turkeys and Guinea Fowl! Apart from geese and turkeys nearly all birds we hatched ourselves in incubator from eggs received in the post!
2021 We bred over 300 birds and built 14 chook/duck /goose enclosures! Plus had built 100’s Metres fencing.
Looking back a lot has been accomplished.
*We’ve established our poultry breed flocks ready for selling fertile hatching eggs. We have planted of over 350 indigenous local trees and shrubs and seen an incredible return of wildlife!
*Since the very first month sacred ceremonies have been happening on a regular basis bringing lots powerful; healing energy to the land, enriching local community and helping us connect with the land and spirit of place.
*We have also had built a fabulous compost toilet enabling us to have campers here on a regular basis providing a small income and bringing people to a place they can rest.
*We’ve put in a 50M x 10M veggie garden plus edible perennial gardens around the house and planted about 160 fruit trees in the orchard.
2022 what will it hold!
From cow paddock to thriving nature reserve and abundant small farm in just 3 years!
