Farm Blogs from Around the World: Scarecrow's Garden

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Monday, 15 September 2008

Nirvana Organic Farm (South Australia; 4.5 ha; fruits, nuts, berries)

Nirvana Organic Farm and Garden was recommended to me by Scarecrow's Garden, also in South Australia.

Deb from Nirvana Farm was kind enough to write to me with some more information and some photos.

"Nirvana Organic Farm is situated in the Adelaide Hills just 20 minutes from the city of Adelaide in South Australia.

In 1983 the valley and surrounding hills were covered in impenetrable blackberries. Deb and Quentin undertook a ten year plan was to turn this degraded area into a dynamic system which has turned it into Nirvana …. The true Garden of Eden.

Biodiversity of this 4.5 ha landscape is the key; whether it is the large range of fruit, nuts and berries, ground covers of grasses and herbs; soils bouncing with life; home vegie garden; firewood forest; historic oaks and camellias; native vegetation and special wetland.

Geese graze the orchards and along with fowl provide the basis for compost.

Bio Dynamic methods are used to enhance the system.

Nirvana contains many natural springs which form the beginning of Scott Creek. Water management and creek restoration are evident. These waterways form an important eco system for beneficial birds and insects. They blend to complement native and planted areas forming an integrated system that is a creative landscape at its best.

In addition to producing main crops of Chestnuts, raspberries, red white & black currants, gooseberries & Kiwifruit.

Other produce is valued added by Deb into a unique range of jams, jellies, pickles & most popular fruit vinegars. All our produce is sold via our on farm small shop.

Educational farm /garden tours & a series of short courses are also part of the mix to inspire other at what can be achieved.

Nirvana is also the ‘home’ of the Adelaide Hills Biodynamic Group. All the preparations are made & distributed from here and the Study group also meets here."

As an off-shoot of Nirvana Organic Farm, Deb also writes another blog, also recommended by Scarecrow's Garden.

This is more about the lifestyle that goes with Nirvana Organic Farm and is called Kitchen, Garden and Veranda.

(You can find a posting about Kitchen, Garden and Veranda.)

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Saturday, 13 September 2008

Scarecrow's Garden Recommends

Scarecrow at Scarecrow's Garden in South Australia would like to recommend two blogs for now.

The first is:

Nirvana Organic Farm and Produce (in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia)

Scarecrow says it's "a Bio-dynamic Farm and as part of this I also want to recommend Deb's blog from Nirvana Organic Farm:

Garden, Kitchen and Veranda

While Scarecrow personally doesn't grow 'bio-dynamically' she "finds it very interesting to follow the workings of this farm that does so, very successfully."

A Place in the Auvergne
A Place in My Country
Ian Walthew

Farm Blogs
Ranch Blogs
Rural Blogs
Countryside Blogs
Smallholding Blogs
Urban Homesteading Blogs
Homesteading Blogs
Homestead Blogs
Allotment Blogs
Apiculture Blogs
Bee-keeping Blogs

Auvergne
Auvergnate
Auvergnat
Auvergnats
France
Rural France
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Paris / Montmartre/ Abbesses holiday / vacation furnished apartment rental

Scarecrow's Garden (South Australia; 1/2 acre; organic fruit and vegetables)

Scarecrow's Garden was recommended by Peggy at Organic Growing Pains in Ireland.

The wonderful thing for Northern Hemisphere gardeners is that when they are inside after short, cold days during winter they can be following and learning about spring and summer growing (although in different climate conditions) Down Under.

Scarecrow lives with her husband in "a quiet rural town in the Mid North of South Australia," their two children now having grown and left the region for work.

She was kind enough to drop me a line about their garden and her blog.

Their total "block" (a good Australian term) is half an acre and "most of the area is in food production"

Scarecrow is studying permaculture design so she tries "to have all elements on the property linked in some manner and multi-use."

"We keep chickens (12 at last count) not only for the eggs (not meat yet) but also for their value in the garden. They eat the weeds, keep the bugs down in the orchard area, and provide a clean source of manure where we at least know whats gone into the making of it. We also keep 'Compost Worms' that provide us with a rich compost (castings) that forms the basic growing medium for the 'Wicking Beds' we grow our food in."

The climate in their part of the world is "quite arid and I'm always willing to experiment with the latest water saving ideas to make it easier to grow our food."

"We like to eat organic food and up here that is quite difficult to achieve so we grow our own. Folks tell us that we can't grow stuff here it's too hot, over 40C in summer or too cold, down to -7C on frosty mornings or too dry with 360mm of rain in a good year."

"We eat well from our little patch. We try to grow as much food as we can on the land that we have."

"Fruit trees that were planted when we moved here 15 years ago are now either in full production or dead and haven't been replaced. I have allowed some seedling trees to grow where they have voluntarily sprouted and these are fruiting well too."

Scarecrow is "always keen to grow unusual, hardy or new crops" so she is trialling "some Australian 'Bush Foods' this year. Ones found in the arid regions mainly so hopefully these will add to our food supply."

As to the blog, Scarecrow's Garden is "basically a weekly journal of what I get up to in the garden. Planting notes, weather check, suppliers. From the comments left and emails I get, I often post with more information. I'll also make posts that I may need to refer back to later. For example testing soil pH and the moon planting notes."