HOW WE FARM
“AN ECOSYSTEM DISGUISED AS A FARM”
The above quote (Takota Coen) encapsulates the guiding approach to how we farm: to mindfully collaborate with nature to create an edible landscape that has the stability, diversity and regenerative quality of a forest ecosystem and the outputs of a small, ecologically managed farm. This philosophy serves as the foundation of our daily practices and underscores our commitment to holistic farming methods and the establishment of thriving ecosystems.
Blurring the lines between forestry and farming
In our local biome, if we were to leave our fields alone and un-grazed they would, over time, revert back to mixed species woodland. Here the old adage "work with nature rather than against" comes to our minds. While we love the idea of living within a woodland we also want to practice agriculture, growing sun loving crops and raising livestock that feed our family and local community. So rather than deciding to have one or the other - trees or farm - we can choose both and blur the line between conservation and agriculture by utilising methods like Agroforestry to combine productive trees, crops and livestock all on the same area of land.
a Permanent Agriculture
By modelling our food growing systems after a diverse forest ecosystem consisting of high yielding and high market value fruit and nut trees, fast growing biomass species and self-seeding shrubs and herbs, and utilising integrated Agroforestry livestock practices such as Silvopasture, we are creating a highly productive and over abundant landscape. Produce generated enables us to not only fulfil our family's dietary needs, feed our livestock or share with the wildlife, but also to redirect the surplus into the local economy by selling fresh produce and value-added products. In doing so, we witness farming as just one of the numerous positive byproducts stemming from the establishment of our farm ecosystem.
Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture) is an ecological design science and builds the framework of our whole farm. Its design principles and problem solving processes helping mould most of our daily plans, farm tasks, designs and decisions. The ecological principles and ethics associated with Permaculture help us create a family farm that aims to function with the diversity of a natural ecosystem and reminds us to always look to nature as our guide.
A forest garden or food forest is a mixed area of productive trees, shrubs, herbs and more, all strategically planted together to mimic the natural architecture, stability and diversity of a natural forest ecosystem. Not just solely to produce food, a forest garden can be thought of as producing a blend of our basic needs with five F's - Food, Fuel, Fodder, Fibre and FARMacy (medicinals). Our vision is to be able to work and live within a permanent agriculture, a food forest farm, with the goal that this blend of ecology and agriculture will flourish and evolve beyond our influence, nourishing the next generation and those who follow.