31 March 2018
Its been a long time since I felt this safe, this happy, this grounded. A long time, but in truth its only been a few years. Or was it that at all? I mean I have had one roller coaster of a ride since I left the Army but the last 12 months has truly been a ride to remember. Now that ride has come to its full circle of planning and the farm is about to go into its next phase of production. "Listen to your heart", that's what I said upon my first entry to this blog;
"Stay focused; stay the course", is what I am saying now, 12 months later.
Next week a small plantation of trees will be prepped to be planted. Those trees have a native attachment to this area of Australia. They are called Finger Limes. These trees will be farmed organically, with no synthetic fertiliser, and planted into a small orchard at bottom of the farm. Each fruit grows to a size of a small Lady Finger Banana, and they come in different colours and flavours. Essentially the fruits come from their second year on the tree, after flowering, so the saplings I purchased last year as a trial (only a dozen) are now in flower, with some showing good pollination.
Why am I doing all this? Well if a disease came through the orchard and wiped out the nuts, I would be left with nothing, so this secondary crop is my diversification plan, an insurance policy. And apart from that the fruit fetches a very handsome price on the gourmet restaurant market. So there you go, a little new orchard to be planted....thank goodness I have the hole borer attachment for the tractor. Digging 50 holes by hand does not appeal.
But its Easter weekend, and yesterday we got stuck into the family tradition of making Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday. But buns with a twist. I put a frozen piece of chocolate inside each piece of dough as it proves. So when they bake the bun has an oozy bit of melted chocolate that comes out. Very Moorish. No Easter eggs here, but some other good Easter weekend news, my hens have started to lay again, obviously in anticipation of their imminent house move.
Now for the workers...and the WWOOFAs, who arrive next week (very excited about that one). After some minor teething problems with turning up to work, the two new lads have settled in well, and showing promise with the machinery and dehusking equipment. A climb up onto the silos mid week, showed not as many nuts inside as I thought - maybe 250kg??? Must take a photo - note to self. But this reduction has been due to the shitty weather (showers every day, keeping grass and soil too wet). Quite frustrating to say the least, but we shall 'stay that course'. Watch out once the soil dries out though!
And the Bee hives have now been split. A milestone again, as they only went into position in late July 2017, just in time for the flowering to begin last year. So now we have 9 hives as my own, and next year when they split they will become 18. This means flowering for season in 2020 will get a massive boost in pollination. However we don't take the honey - yet, as this is to become the food for the native bee over this coming winter. It is also extremely sweet, much sweeter than normal domestic Honey Bee honey, but in much smaller amounts. This makes it very expensive to purchase commercially. In fact, I have been advised (by my bee man) its classed as a medicine! Interesting.
Sadly next week I must cut down a few trees. I have monitored their health but they are not recovering so out they must come. Four in total. The stumps will be treated with a plastic based paint mixed with a fungicide. Its the only topical chemical I apply in the orchard, but done to bespoke sick trees, not scattered about randomly. The disease it treats is called Phytopthera, and all macadamia orchards have it. It manifests as a yellow decay inside the trunk, and eats its way upwards, destroying wood tissue on its way. The tree can die slowly, or very suddenly, in a matter of weeks. Others can hang on for years. Oh well - win some , loose some.
But time to go do some farming.
By the way - my eldest son is fixated with golf. Apparently golf is the adult version of an Easter Egg hunt. Happy Easter everyone.
Its been a long time since I felt this safe, this happy, this grounded. A long time, but in truth its only been a few years. Or was it that at all? I mean I have had one roller coaster of a ride since I left the Army but the last 12 months has truly been a ride to remember. Now that ride has come to its full circle of planning and the farm is about to go into its next phase of production. "Listen to your heart", that's what I said upon my first entry to this blog;
"Stay focused; stay the course", is what I am saying now, 12 months later.
Next week a small plantation of trees will be prepped to be planted. Those trees have a native attachment to this area of Australia. They are called Finger Limes. These trees will be farmed organically, with no synthetic fertiliser, and planted into a small orchard at bottom of the farm. Each fruit grows to a size of a small Lady Finger Banana, and they come in different colours and flavours. Essentially the fruits come from their second year on the tree, after flowering, so the saplings I purchased last year as a trial (only a dozen) are now in flower, with some showing good pollination.
Why am I doing all this? Well if a disease came through the orchard and wiped out the nuts, I would be left with nothing, so this secondary crop is my diversification plan, an insurance policy. And apart from that the fruit fetches a very handsome price on the gourmet restaurant market. So there you go, a little new orchard to be planted....thank goodness I have the hole borer attachment for the tractor. Digging 50 holes by hand does not appeal.
But its Easter weekend, and yesterday we got stuck into the family tradition of making Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday. But buns with a twist. I put a frozen piece of chocolate inside each piece of dough as it proves. So when they bake the bun has an oozy bit of melted chocolate that comes out. Very Moorish. No Easter eggs here, but some other good Easter weekend news, my hens have started to lay again, obviously in anticipation of their imminent house move.
Now for the workers...and the WWOOFAs, who arrive next week (very excited about that one). After some minor teething problems with turning up to work, the two new lads have settled in well, and showing promise with the machinery and dehusking equipment. A climb up onto the silos mid week, showed not as many nuts inside as I thought - maybe 250kg??? Must take a photo - note to self. But this reduction has been due to the shitty weather (showers every day, keeping grass and soil too wet). Quite frustrating to say the least, but we shall 'stay that course'. Watch out once the soil dries out though!
And the Bee hives have now been split. A milestone again, as they only went into position in late July 2017, just in time for the flowering to begin last year. So now we have 9 hives as my own, and next year when they split they will become 18. This means flowering for season in 2020 will get a massive boost in pollination. However we don't take the honey - yet, as this is to become the food for the native bee over this coming winter. It is also extremely sweet, much sweeter than normal domestic Honey Bee honey, but in much smaller amounts. This makes it very expensive to purchase commercially. In fact, I have been advised (by my bee man) its classed as a medicine! Interesting.
Sadly next week I must cut down a few trees. I have monitored their health but they are not recovering so out they must come. Four in total. The stumps will be treated with a plastic based paint mixed with a fungicide. Its the only topical chemical I apply in the orchard, but done to bespoke sick trees, not scattered about randomly. The disease it treats is called Phytopthera, and all macadamia orchards have it. It manifests as a yellow decay inside the trunk, and eats its way upwards, destroying wood tissue on its way. The tree can die slowly, or very suddenly, in a matter of weeks. Others can hang on for years. Oh well - win some , loose some.
But time to go do some farming.
By the way - my eldest son is fixated with golf. Apparently golf is the adult version of an Easter Egg hunt. Happy Easter everyone.
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