Biodynamic treechange (homesteading)

New Farming Opportunity Now Open at Near River

Applications for our first Smallholding Internship at Near River Produce are open, and will be wide ranging in the scope of areas covered.

For three and a half months two interns will spend their days involved in all aspects of our operations here at Near River, allowing them to experience life on a smallholding.

Primarily focusing on fresh vegetable and limited fruit production, over the four months all facets of a range of crops will be covered, from soil preparation, seedling production and succession planting, harvesting and preparing for market. Irrigation, nutrient cycling, composting and compost teas will also be discussed in depth.

Other areas that are intrinsically vital to our livelihood will be shared including pastured egg production, our valued added preserve and condiment range, and the beginnings of our pastured pork operations. Obviously as garlic is our main crop, it will form a large part of the activities.

The marketing side of our business will also be able to be experienced, as each team member will be able to participate in farmers markets, farm gate sales and on-farm events. Online marketing and sales also play a large part in our business.

 

Ideally these internships are for people who are keenly interested in learning about life on a smallholding and how to have that life produce a sustaining income whilst producing nutrient dense food for our community, and heal the land at the same time.

Our first intake commences on September 7th and runs through until December 21st and each week will consist of a variety of tasks spread across five days, with two days off aside from minor chores.

A stipend of $200 per month will be paid for incidentals, and room and board within the main house at Near River will be provided. Participation in cooking and cleaning will be expected. Limited broadband internet will also be available.

A $500 tool bond will be required upon acceptance of the internship, which will occur after a three day trial.

Profit sharing in a crop that the team raises and markets whilst at Near River will be available at the completion of each internship.

 

Near River Produce is a 8.5 hectare property located 4.5 hours north of Sydney, 45 kms inland from Port Macquarie. Wauchope is the nearest town.

We farm organically and follow many of the principles of Eliot Coleman and Joel Salatin. Our produce supplies some of the region’s leading restaurants, and we participate in a weekly Sydney market.

 

Applicants will need to be physically fit – this is hard work, but you will eat some of the best food you’ve ever grown and tasted, and at the end of each day you will be very aware of what you have accomplished. And your knowledge bank will be expanded enormously.

 

Contact us at info@nearriverproduce.com for an application form, or phone us on 02 6587 6004 for further details. Visit our website at www.nearriverproduce.com

Applications close August 20th 2012.

Meet the new site supervisor at Near River

Many of our CSA customers and Friends of Near River will remember that a year ago we bought a Mareema puppy to bond with our chicken flock - they are great guard dogs. Unfortunately, that dog was killed by paralysis ticks, a very real problem not only here on the Mid North Coast, but up and down the eastern seaboard.

So a little over four weeks ago we decided to start looking for a replacement. Besides keeping the wildlife away from the poultry and vegetables, I could use some added companionship during the week while Therese is in Sydney - it's not as crazy talking to a dog as it is talking to 75 chooks.

After about 15 minutes spent searching the web, a suitable prospect was there on my screen - a 2 y.o male Border Collie Belgian Shepard cross - perfect. Made the arrangements to collect him, and aside from a minor problem of him jumping out of the back of the car while we were crawling along the M5 freeway, we made it home.

Everyone meet Max - here he is relaxing at the end of the day, and hard at work supervising during the day.

And he really is perfect - well trained, doesn't hassle the poultry, still thinks he can catch wallabies, and does catch rabbits.

The only downside are the ferocious paralysis ticks that are around this season. They've had a good go at Max already, so it's a regular body search for these tiny assassins, at least daily.

For any of you with pets living on the eastern seaboard beware - this is shaping up to be an intense season for ticks. Here are some links for further information, and check your pets regularly. We'll be doing that with Max.

Sydney University Dept of Entomology site

NSW DPI tick fact sheet

 

Spring's here. And so is great tasting new season produce!

It’s been sometime since I last posted on this blog – almost 18 months – and I could go on and explain why, blaming extra work on the farm for keeping me away from the blog. I guess the reality is that it lost it’s attraction. But now that has passed, and I have quite a few things to tell you a;; about – goings on here at the farm, and matters throughout the world that are important, or important to me!.

Over the coming weeks and months you’ll see how matters have progressed at Near River.

And to restart proceedings, here’s what we’ve been having for brunch the last few mornings.

Fresh field grown asparagus drizzled with spring garlic sautéed in butter

with poached organic free range chook eggs

Doesn’t that just make your mouth water?

We planted this asparagus 3 years ago and it’s so good now to be able to wander out to the market garden and grab it fresh. You can read about our first asparagus planting at Who is Mary Washington anyway?

The spring (or green) garlic are the ‘thinning's’ from the garlic plantings, plants that are too small to form decent bulbs, and they have a wonderful garlic aroma but lack the intensity of the fully grown and dried variety. A very subtle flavour indeed.

And our poached eggs – what can I say? I never grow tired of our eggs, with the yolks so bright and golden and the whites with that creamy texture in your mouth – so delicious.

Obviously our superb eggs are available with our vegetables in the weekly CSA boxes that will start again next week.

However, If you just want possibly the best eggs you’ll ever taste, in Port Macquarie you’ll find them at Essential Ingredients in Short Street and Organic Belly in Murray Street. Sydney ciders can venture into Cafe 169 on Alison Road in Randwick.

That’s all for now.

 

Blue Eggs Lead To Black Chook

About three weeks ago, you might remember my story about our broody hen and a dozen blue eggs we bought for her (Blue Eggs and ...What?).

Well, say hello to our first little black chook!

An Araucana chick, it looks as though this will be the only member of the clutch, as her 'foster' mum hasn't been that keen to stay on the 'nest' and hatch the remaining eggs. We were warned that this was a possibility, and given that this is our hen's first go at hatching, not really all that surprising - not an ideal outcome but a good experience none the less. And we've still got a way to go yet!

Our next step is to find out how and when to let this one into the main run and mix with the other chooks. Madly posting on a few key chicken and poultry forums for tips and hints.

It would be ideal if we've got a hen here that we can then add a few more Araucana chooks to over the coming summer. We'll keep you informed.

Blue Eggs and ...WHAT??!!

(With apologies to Dr Seuss)

Recently one of our hens has gone broody, and all the others have gone off the lay in support, or maybe because they are worried that she'll steal their eggs, or for whatever reason causes chooks to go broody.

At least the bantams are smart enough to know what's going on and are still laying their eggs.

Previously when this has happened, we've isolated the hen from the rest of the flock for a few days, and then they've come to their senses and gotten back on track. But as Mahatma, our gander now resides in the old duck shed that we've used for that purpose in the past, a new strategy was needed.

We were about to try the practice of dunking her in a big bucket of water, when a good friend suggested using her to raise some fertilised eggs. Having never done this before, that hadn't occurred to us, but makes perfect sense.

So yesterday I headed over to see Morna at Pembrooke Plants and Poultry and collected a dozen eggs.

 

Hmmm ... these are blue. That's different.

Of Geese and Men

Recently one of our neighbours heard that we were looking for some geese here at 'Near River', so their pair were promptly caught and I dropped in to them pick them up. Hey presto, now we have geese.

They are excellent foragers and during spring and summer require little additional supplemental feed. Often used for weed control in crops such as corn, cotton, ornamental plants, strawberries and sugarbeet, as well as in orchards and vineyards, geese will eat weeds without harming certain cultivated crops, however it is not known why geese do not eat certain crops. Another advantage of geese is that they are quick processors, leaving a good quantity of droppings as they move through the planting beds.

Free Rangin' Rhode Island Reds

One of the many delights of having some wide open space where we live is the opportunity it provides to run some poultry flocks, and the fun and wholesome produce that this provides.

The initial flock of ducks that we had for a short while chose to move to other surrounds, but since then, the chickens that we've been running in a couple of locations have been a great success.

In all we currently have 6 birds, and they are providing us with a great quantity of eggs, usually between 3 - 5 each day now that they are laying again. And I mean some of the richest coloured, best tasting, freshest eggs you've every had the joy to eat.

There's is a whole world of poultry out there to explore including a vast multitude of breeds, and egperts, with a range of web-sites and forums available as resources for information. My favourites include Feathersite, Organic Chickens, and the Organic Chickens Yahoo group. Australian publications include Alannah Moore's egcellent book "Backyard Poultry, Naturally", and Jackie French's "The Chook Book" - both are worthwhile obtaining.