Visitors, Planting and a new Dairy set up!

We wrapped up our October Swiss-inspired brunch offering last Saturday. We really enjoyed serving our Swiss breakfast, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time we put it on the menu.

We are already looking forward to offering it again!

Monday morning started with a visit from a group of gentlemen from nearby Terang. After a walk through the patch, we settled in for coffee and cake and had the opportunity to share a little of our story and what we do here at Drakes Fresh Produce.

Tuesday was far from having a day off! (Melbourne Cup Day)

Potting up, pricking out and getting more seeds into the ground were high on the priority list. There is always something waiting to be done in the greenhouse and garden.

We also made good progress on the potato plot. In fact, we couldn’t help ourselves and started planting that same evening.

Planting continued the following morning, and we managed to finish just before the rain set in. Good timing!

With the rain arriving, we took the opportunity to head out for a little visit to a nearby open farm day. It was quite something to see a massive 190-metre barn housing a large herd of dairy cows, milked by eight Lely robots.

(Wyndara Farms, Dixie)

A very different setup from our own dairy, and certainly interesting to see how another farm operates.

On Thursday, I joined the Warrnambool Landcare group for our fourth module of the Resilient Farming course. It’s been particularly interesting being part of a group that brings together sheep, beef and dairy farmers, small landholders, beekeepers and myself as a market gardener. We all come from different backgrounds, but there is plenty we can learn from one another.

The week certainly had its share of interesting visits, new experiences and plenty of practical work. Between the garden, the farm and the people we meet along the way, there is always something happening!