Imprint Farms is a small but intensely productive enterprise located in Heathmere in the southwest of Victoria, near the beautiful coastal town of Portland.
Traditional owners the Gunditjmara people are renowned for their early aquaculture development at nearby Lake Condah. Imprint Farms, by contrast, is noted for its honey, sourdough, cured meats and homemade preserves; at least one of its 10 acres is given over to vegetable gardens.
Among the souls who live there are Angela Cleary, her son Jack, his fiance Sarah and their baby Keith, plus many feathered, fleecy and furry friends.
They include two rescue donkeys called Rusty and Danny plus a retired Welsh Mountain Pony, once breeding stock for children’s saddle ponies. Pet pig Pickles is in charge of composting and manure — the ducks help as well — while the chickens turn over the garden and provide eggs.
There are around 40 beehives on the property producing honey with a clear, rich golden colour and a smooth redgum flavour. It’s less aromatic than Jarrah but the healing honey Angela harvests is much sought after in the region.
Angela also breeds Corriedale and Leicester sheep. She sells the wool all over Australia, spun and naturally dyed by her mum Kerry, who markets it on a Facebook page called Darling MADE it.
The family has deep roots in this fertile region. Grandmother Jenny Agnes was a dairy farmer in Gorae West, a little closer to Portland. A mother of six, she grew potatoes and turned pulped newspaper into bricks to light the fire. “Eat what you grow” was her motto, so naturally she made stinging nettle soup.
Esta historia es de la edición July - August 2021 de Good Organic Gardening.
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Esta historia es de la edición July - August 2021 de Good Organic Gardening.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Glamour girls
EVERYONE LOVES A HARDWORKING ISA BROWN BUT GET A LOAD OF THESE CHIC CHICKENS AND FEATHERED FASHIONISTAS
FRIED VEG
IT’S POSSIBLE TO ENJOY A FRY-UP IN A DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY WAY BY TURNING TO SOME FRY-FRIENDLY PLANTS
BEYOND BIG RED
TOMATOES COME IN ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLOURS, SO NOW’S THE TIME TO EXPLORE THEIR INFINITE VARIETY
EVEN MORE TROPPO
ANOTHER SENSATIONAL SIX TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR GARDEN — OR YOUR FRUIT SALAD
LET'S STALK RHUBARB
JUST AS TOMATO IS A FRUIT USED AS A VEGETABLE, RHUBARB IS A VEGETABLE COMMONLY CONSUMED AS A DESSERT
FOOD OF THE GODS
THE FLESHY FRUIT OF THE FICUS WAS MUHAMMAD’S FAVOURITE AND BUDDHA FOUND ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER A FIG TREE
MAKING GOOD BETTER
THE IRREPRESSIBLE TV PRESENTER WRITES ABOUT HOW SHE, WITH HUSBAND ANTON AND DAUGHTER FRIDA, TURNED A STEEP HOBART BLOCK INTO A PRODUCTIVE GARDEN
True lily
MANY PLANTS ARE CALLED LILIES BUT IT’S THE MEMBERS OF THE GENUS LILIUM THAT ARE THE REAL DEAL
SALTY BUDS
THE CAPER BUSH PRODUCES TWO DISTINCT BUT EQUALLY DELICIOUS, TANGY MORSELS: CAPERS AND CAPERBERRIES
Ducks on duty
BUSY, VIGILANT, HARD ON GARDEN PESTS AND GENEROUS LAYERS — YOU’VE GOTTA LOVE A DUCK!