lately on the farm
We're Anthony, Nat, Ian and Marion. We raise hens, sheep, pigs and goats on a small farm in the Brisbane Valley, growing more of our own food while trying to leave the land better than we found it.
how we farm
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It starts with sunlight
Almost everything productive here begins with plants catching sunlight. We're less interested in taking the maximum amount of grass today than in keeping as much of the farm green and growing as possible over time.
Water has to stay long enough to matter
Water is probably the biggest limit on what this farm can become. We're learning to slow it down, spread it out and keep it cycling through plants for longer.
Diversity gives the system more options
Different species grow at different times, use different parts of the soil and prefer different conditions. That can increase productivity and make the whole system more stable when conditions change.
Animals do work
Sheep, hens, pigs and goats all do different work here. We try to put each animal where its natural behaviour helps the land, while remembering they're animals we know and care for, not machinery.
Build function, not dependence
We're not trying to farm without inputs. We'd rather use an input to remove a real constraint than build a system that depends on the same purchased solution forever.
Watch what actually happens
We learn from farmers, researchers, books, courses and frameworks, but none of them farm this place. We try things, measure where useful and change our minds when the result says we should.
Food we can stand behind
Ultimately, we're doing this to produce food whose history we know and from a system we're comfortable putting our effort behind. More production only counts as progress if the land, animals, work and numbers still make sense.
the four of us
Anthony Our compass, and the one who holds it all together. Anthony does the jobs nobody else wants — the accounts, the checking, the double-checking — and keeps our plans grounded in reality while the rest of us are off chasing the next idea.
Nat Our passionate animal advocate and architect of diversity. From frog ponds to chicken brooders, Nat brings creativity, compassion and a determination to give every creature a fair say — whether they've been consulted or not.
Ian Our builder, fixer and master of making old materials useful again. Ian keeps the property tidy and the projects moving, with high standards for the finished job — even if the machinery occasionally pays the price.
Marion Our lifelong gardener and champion of homegrown food. With a passion for growing things and a wealth of practical knowledge, Marion brings the harvest full circle — from soil to plate, with a watchful eye along the way.
“Plenty more yarns to come. Watch this space.”Anthony, Nat, Ian and Marion