Mission

 

“As instinctively as the swallows, I have always known the time to go to a place and the time to leave.”

Juliette de Bairacli Levy

 

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to farm. Really farm. To play a part in producing the type of food I want to nourish myself with and share with friends. The type of food that we knew where it came from, we knew who grew that food, we knew how it was grown, how the soil was cared for, how the creatures were cared for and we knew the flavour and texture and the pure nourishment of this food was like nothing that came from the supermarket shelf. Real food.

My life-long love affair with delicious, nutritious wholesome food goes back to my childhood and a mother who cared about what real food was and how to cook it.  It was how we ate. Nothing came from a packet.

My adventures within and around the food industry as a chef and later working in the retail organic sector have led me to many food fads and diets; veganism, vegetarianism, macrobiotics, ayurvedic, you name the “diet” I’ve tried it. But something was never quite right. I didn’t feel physically, emotionally or spiritually nourished, I lacked vitality and I still didn’t feel fully connected to the food I was eating. Something was missing.

Several years ago I was given a copy of “The Omnivores Dilemma” written by Michael Pollan. An aptly titled book for those of us struggling with how we can obtain the perfect meal. How do we grow food that nourishes us fully but is produced with care and passion for the soil and the future of the land? Why does it even matter?

So two years ago I made the decision to leave the city. I sold my flat, paid off all debt, downsized to a car, which holds everything I own and go learn all about ethical farming. For the past nearly two years I have been fortunate enough to doing just that.

In 2012 I spent some time spent on Taranaki Farm in Victoria, a farm modelling itself on Polyface principles …the short time I spent on this innovative farm, only served to fuel my passion to pursue all things farming….

Taranaki Farm

 

For the past 18 months I have been Wwoofing and working on some beautiful farms in and around the  town of Byron Bay where I have built a loving and nurturing community around myself.  Farms modelling themselves on Polyface principles, with some biodynamics, organics and permaculture principles all beautifully blended in. I’ll explain these concepts along the way….

Hayters Hill Farm

 

I consider myself a lucky gal. I have a fairly charmed life filled with farming, food, animals and amazing and wonderful people all trying hard to make a difference and farm with integrity. So why on earth would I leave all that behind? Because of exactly that. I’ve gotten way too comfortable again. I need to be challenged, confronted, pushed and this solo journey is a part of that push to go way beyond my comfort zone.

To be a part of a worldwide community dedicated to healing our earth, caring well for our animals, growing nutritionally dense food.

I am often asked wouldn’t I love to have my own farm? The short answer is yes. Perhaps. Maybe one day but I haven’t yet found “home”, I am and likely will always be a bit of a gypsy, and I’m just not interested in being in debt to a bank for the rest of my life. Land is prohibitively expensive and as I can’t afford my own space in which to do this farming thing it seems the next best thing is to be of service to those already doing this important work.

So why Wwoofing?

Willing Workers on Organic Farms….a worldwide cultural and work exchange for folk who have an interest in and a want to work on organic farms. It’s not a free ride. It’s hard work, sometimes long hours, sometimes days on end, but you are there to be of service, get filthy, learn and just do what needs to be done.  In return for that work and toil you get a richly rewarding and wholesome experience that stays with you for life.

 

My personal reasons for choosing to Wwoof throughout Europe

I’m saying goodbye to friends, family, my easy, charmed life, to step out of my comfortable existence….wifi on tap, perfectly prepared macchiato’s, what I want, when I want and access to pretty much any delicious produce I want year ‘round. We’ve got it so easy in Australia. Too easy.  Even our quest to make more sustainable or caring choices have become complicated. Food, wine, coffee…all so specialised and everyone’s a critic. We are ridiculously spoilt.  It’s all too easy to forget this so I’m saying goodbye to my cosy, self absorbed ways of nourishing myself and will be eating the meal put in front of me with love and respect and gracious appreciation for the effort someone put into preparing it….even if said meal does contain gluten, sugar, grains, carbs. Ingredients I have carefully avoided (for the better of my health) for the past few years. This will be my most challenging challenge.

I’ve headed to Europe (land of the carbohydrate..) to challenge myself physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually whilst helping out farmers in need to learn even more about permaculture, biodynamic principles, soil regeneration and small herd management and maybe even some old school European farming traditions.

I aim to work hard, get dirty, to go to bed tired, aching and knowing that what I did that day had meaning and purpose and that if that work wasn’t done, we wouldn’t eat. Along the way sharing why this work is important. Why it matters. Why we should care and why we should all become so much more aware of what is really going on, particularly when it involves governments all around the world controlling what you put in your mouth,and they do….. But most importantly to shine a light on those working quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes to better nourish us while simultaneously healing and nurturing our earth.