Grown close to home

We reached a point in our lives where it became time for us to create the world we wanted to see, so we bought land and built a house, raised a family and joined a community, started businesses and made a difference.

So many of the issues that surround us in the world can be, at its core, related to resources, especially food. We decided to play a part in small scale solutions to these issues, by providing quality food from a family farm, to people who share this outlook. We feel quite proud and humbled to be able to give back and work with those that focus on making a difference as well.

We farm on the western slopes of Mt Warning, a central volcanic remnant of an ancient shield volcano. This extinct volcano makes up the Tweed Valley, with rich soils, diverse topography, and lots of water.

Our property was originally used for timber, once cleared, cattle were grazed, after which an Organic banana farm was established. 15 years after the banana farm was abandoned, we bought the land and built an off grid house. The surrounding forest had made its attempt at reclaiming the property, and we have been working with this ecological succession to create the farm we have today.

We grow three varieties of Ginger and two varieties of Turmeric. We found these crops to be most suited to the land, climate, markets, and our lifestyle.

For soil fertility, we rely heavily on cover crops and green manures, rarely tilling the soil, and always adding compost. We use certified organic compost, rock minerals, and sugarcane mulch. Most of our irrigation comes from the high rainfall, and occasionally we pump from one of our spring fed dams.

We farm because it gives us control over how we work and who we work with. We love taking the basic elements and bringing them together to create something that not only feeds people, but can actually make a difference through the right connections.

Becoming Certified Organic was the logical next step. It provides customers with the assurance that what they buy is the real deal. We have always grown produce this way so it made sense to become certified. We all know the benefits of organic produce, but for us, the main component is soil conservation, one of the most important aspects of any farm. We would like to leave this property better off than when we first started.

We have built a loyal base of customers in this region that are familiar with how and where we grow, creating a trust that has been earned through honest and open production.