Last week it was my pleasure to be a co-host for some Greenchurch members from Sydney. I was asked to set up some farm visits in the Canowindra area of the central west.
Richard Statham from the Rosnay farm and David harrison from "Brighton" at Cranbury kindly consented to sharing their journey with the visitors.
Rosnay farm is a collective farming venture that is divided into small blocks where people may buy in on a freehold basis and agree to farming using organic and or bio-dynamic practices. The farm produces wine grapes, figs and various livestock. Richard with the assistance of another owner Andrew Wooldridge explained their farming methods as well as the philosophy behind organic farming on a community level.
It seems that the great benefits include healthy soil, chemical free produce and the benefits of sharing resources on an agreed community level.
The quote of the day was from Andrew who said that, " Every complex problem has usually got a simple solution that is invariably wrong."
The Harrison farming venture is very different as David explained. Brighton farm and the adjoining family farms total about 2500 acres. The Harrison's run their business as a family venture that includes David and Jan's sons Michael and Anthony, and their families.
The farm produces canola grain, wheat, oats and some fodder crops. There is a small flock of meat sheep, however, the emphasis is on cropping. The Harrsion's have a large investment in machinery to manage the cropping. Their farming practices have changed over the years with less tilling of the soil and more intergration of ground cover.
The Harrison's are not an organic enterprise and yet conservation and care of their soils are paramount to their operation.
I must say that both farmers shared their journey and passion with us freely and I must thank them both for their great hospitality.
Kel Hodge
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