The focus this week has very much been on our veggies. With everything finally in the ground, the work doesn’t stop — nurturing is now the name of the game. Tomatoes have been the clear priority. With close to 400 plants in the patch, this is no small task. Side shoots need pinching out, plants need tying up, and doing this for the first time in their growing season is always the hardest on the body. There’s a lot of up and down, bending and stretching, and by the end of the

We did it. Planting wrapped up on Christmas Eve — only just, and with a final push, but finished nonetheless. There’s something deeply satisfying about reaching that point where the last seedling goes in and the patch finally feels complete. Straight after came the greenhouse clean-out. Every tray and crate needed to move out so we could minimise watering over the warmer weeks ahead. It’s amazing how much lighter things feel once that space is cleared and the workload shifts

Much of this week was spent mulching, with temperatures on the rise and a real sense that summer is settling in. We had to push a little harder to get things done, but the mild evenings were very welcome and allowed us to keep working well into dusk. There’s something grounding about finishing the day as the light fades and the patch finally quiets down. While I can’t quite say we’re finished with summer plantings just yet, it’s looking promising that we’ll have things wrappe

After an amazing pie night last Saturday, the saga continued in full force out in the patch. This week was all about planting, mulching and—believe it or not—watering! The greenhouse still isn’t empty, but the patch is looking wonderfully full as everything slowly finds its place in the soil. One of the biggest jobs was getting our seed potatoes in. Around 120kg went into the ground—thirty rows, each 25 metres long. A huge task on its own, and now they’re all waiting for a ge

We kicked things off with planting on Tuesday, welcomed the rain on Wednesday, and were straight back into it on Thursday. Nearly 20 beds (25m each!) are now full of veggies and flowers — including almost 400 tomatoes. Safe to say… we’ve got some veggies on the way! Planting continues next week. This Sunday — Spring into Summer Mini Festival Find us at the Camperdown Theatre from 10–2 alongside BIOLINK and other local stallholders. A great chance to stock up, chat, and enjoy

Not much has changed this week—between the steady rain and this morning’s frost, the patch is still off-limits. As frustrating as it can be to wait, patience really can pay off. And wearing our dairy-farmer hat as well as our veggie-grower hat, we won’t complain about a single drop. After the tough seasons we’ve had growing grass, this weather feels like provision in slow motion, and we are grateful for it. With so much time spent indoors, our hands might not be in the soil,

Full house doesn’t even begin to describe our Patch to Plate dinner last Saturday — we overbooked and somehow ended up with 49 adults, 4 children, plus our own crew! We may have run out of chairs, but we certainly didn’t run out of food, good company, or laughter. Even with wild winds and wintery chill outside, the barn was buzzing and warm. Out in the patch, things look a little different. The rain and cold make it tricky to prep soil or even imagine planting. I find myself

This week had a slightly different rhythm with the public holiday in the middle. Since we’re not too keen on watching horses go around in circles, we decided to open up the Barn instead. The weather wasn’t exactly on our side, but we enjoyed welcoming a few visitors who came through for coffee and to pick up some seedlings. Thursday was spent mostly in the kitchen, preparing for the small market in Cobden. It was lovely to be part of Alderwood Manor’s late-night shopping even

A big weekend of teaching is behind me! Across three locations, I had the privilege of sharing my knowledge about planting out veggie patches and setting up for a successful season of homegrown produce. It’s always inspiring to see people keen to get their hands in the soil and take those first steps toward growing their own food. Back home, the week was spent in the eco garden, knee-deep in hand weeding. The unwanted plants seem to leap out of the ground at triple speed this