What started with a phone call from a young man looking for a new adventure roughly 8 months ago, has grown into a close friendship and a new family member. You may have seen his face on our socials during harvest or when we were building the coolroom, or maybe you've tried out one of his simple yet delicious recipes? His name is Lochie and he has joined our family here on the farm with his dog Vinnie and hopefully very soon his partner Liana. This introduction is clearly late, but in order to give credit where it is due, Lochie’s passion for all things connected to a love of good food has inspired our latest Sohip event. At first his idea was to hold a small dinner party with friends and family, where he would cook a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy, with produce from our farm and the farms that surround us. But there was a deeper desire to hold something bigger, but that wouldn't add too much pressure to what is already a busy time of year for us farmers (Spring).

That's right, the large scale corporate owned farms are starting to move into organic farming based upon growing consumer demand. What started out as a bunch of hippies that most would roll their eyes at is now becoming more mainstream. Thanks in part to the growing concern of chemicals used in farming (including GMO) and the health implications being more frequently exposed. Demand for organically grown food is increasing and where there's money to be made, you can be sure big business will be knocking at the door. But money drives the wrong incentive, it drives the lowest cost and disregards flavour. Organic farming is all about flavour, because this is our tongue telling us the thing we are biting into is healthy and full of nutrients...

I was asked by a friend, why did you choose to farm organically. I had never asked myself that question, but upon thinking of my response, I realised that I would not have chosen organic farming in my mid to late twenties. I would have farmed with chemicals, because all I was focused on back then was pure production and efficiency. Now after pondering that question, it was a subconscious choice, that only could have occurred after receiving 3 of my greatest gifts; finding the love of my life, bringing 3 wonderful girls into this world, and spending quite a few year of introspection finding out what really mattered to me...

For over 100yrs Organic Farmers and advocates have copped a frequent barrage of criticism for questioning the need to grow food with chemicals and the potential health effects associated. Despite there being an increasing amount of evidence demonstrating the significant damage chemicals are having on our health and the health of our environment, I really try hard not to bang on too much about it all. The main reason is that I know I’m singing to the choir. You choose to eat organic because you are all familiar with the issues of conventional farming methods and have been for much longer than myself. I also don’t want organic food to be merely the absence of chemicals. The love of good soil, healthy ecosystems and a community that maintains its relationship between eater, farmer and land is equally as important. What’s the point of living a long and healthy life if it’s not to enjoy food, nature and each other's company?

Really the search for this better life all began around 2015. It took a good few years to of exploring, before our adventure begun. At the end of 2019 it all came together, we packed our bags, left our careers and moved across the border to embark on our farming journey.  Located in the stunning Lorne Valley on the Mid North Coast, our certified organic farm has come to life. Using small-scale farming practices we produce food...

I had coffee with a good friend last night. This woman is a very special person, what she has endured inspires me relentlessly. She believes farming was the reason she was put on this earth. Her connection with her cows can only be compared to a mother's connection with her children. This one page newsletter is nowhere near enough to cover even the briefest history of trials and tribulations in her life. But what I want to share with you is just a small piece of her story, so that it may inspire you as it has inspired me. The end of the 2019 drought concluded with the most severe bushfires this country has ever experienced. Smoke trails so large and widespread, the plumes covering our vast dry country could be seen from outer space. Within this period lay the final moments that would have likely broken most of us regular folk...

Finally our new coolroom is up and running!! We had it commissioned last Monday and it’s running perfectly. This is a major milestone for Sohip and will not only allow us to grow more organic food for our community but save a lot of back breaking double handling. Our new coolroom is also large enough to pack your orders, which means no more 3am starts to beat the heat. We take so much pride in making sure your fruit and veg is as fresh as possible and for over 3 years now we have been rising out of bed well before the birds have woken up, to harvest your veg and pack your orders in the cool morning hours ensuring that freshness you're all use to.

I spent the morning with Hannam Vale Public School last week. What a pleasure it was to be in front of so many curious kids and their questions. One question in particular had me thinking for the rest of the day. One of the kids not older than 9 had raised her hand and held it there for quite some time. Finally when it was her turn to ask a question she said “how much land do you need to be a farmer?”. My answer was rushed as we were almost out of time, I told her that if you had access to a really popular farmers market and farmed 1 acre impeccably...

Let’s pretend we live in a world where priority is given to cheap food. Let’s take this notion very seriously, let’s take it all the way to its end goal. That is to say that ‘cheap food’ is valued more than the continuation of the family farm, our bustling regional towns, a decentralised food system and allowing any child to grow food for a livelihood should they choose too when they become adults. What does this future look like? Well apart from some regional areas that become tourist destinations due to their unique natural beauty and proximity to city centres. The rest of the country will be handed over to corporations to grow food and fiber the cheapest way possible. Because this is what they do best.

As I write this week's newsletter I’m sitting on a small hill which overlooks our largest dam. The sun has just ducked down behind the tallest tallowoods and a rather large camphor laurel tree. I’m sitting here waiting for the last crop of winter vegetables to be irrigated. We don’t yet have an automatic timer so it’s a good excuse to sit in the field and just admire all that is going on. Our calendar is still telling us it’s winter, but as I rest on a soft patch of clover, I am witnessing what seems to look and feel a lot more like Spring...

I would like to deepen our connection. This is not just about food, farming and our planet, these things have become so fixated in our collective minds that we have forgotten why we care about these issues in the first place. We don't care about living longer so we can be the only ones alive, we don't care about saving the planet so we can sit around the campfire by ourselves. What meaning does any of this stuff actually have without each other?

It’s a wet old week here on the farm and despite the rain I can feel the subtle changes in heat and humidity when working in the field. Whilst out in the fields I witnessed the first of the White Cabbage Moth appear after it’s winter hiatus, she fluttered from one plant to the next fastidiously placing a single tiny cream coloured egg on the underside of each leaf. In four days time each of her eggs will hatch out a single little hungry green caterpillar. These voracious eaters know it is their time to shine and unless we keep their numbers under control, they will devastate our crops before summer is bearing down upon us.