Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Welcome to Merri Bee Organic Farm!

The hillsides were all cleared when we came. We have put trees back on all steep hills
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29 years ago I was 25 and came with my then husband to a bare block in Nannup Western Australia. It was  very bare, covered in kikuyu grass but only  5 trees around the old house:  4 pencil pines and a cameliia. But a  book called "Permaculture One" by   Bill Mollison and  Dave Holmgren had sparked our imagination.  I started planting a food forest and envisioned  a "garden of Eden" where my kids could grow up in a very different world to where I was raised in the burbs. The concrete, brick and tile  suburb of Mt Waverley Melbourne was my home town but it never felt right or proper to me. Today I love the countryside and our beautiful farm of 27 acres land feeds us, our animals, and many friends and their families, and we have come to appreciate  Bill's wisdom more and more.

The 1920's book by Weston A Price “Human  Nutrition and Physical Degeneration “   was a pivotal read for me. There is a Foundation actively promoting his research  today  www.westonaprice.org 
According to Dr Price's  studies,  pasture fed meats, eggs and dairy products are really essential for optimal health. Our free range animals enjoy life to the full in the natural setting of a thriving permaculture and when the day comes , die without fear or pain.
 Jerry Brunetti  cured himself of aggressive cancer and the distillation of his research is that pasture fed animal products contain the most powerful anti cancer agents known. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jerry+brunetti+food+as+medicine

 follow the teachings of Allan Savoury , father of Holistic Management, and feel he has the answer to climate change which is actually to manage grazing animals intensively to sequester carbon and re-vegetate the deserts our farms have become. See his speech http://vimeo.com/8239427

 We have come to understand that cell- grazed animals hold the key to not only our health, happiness , mental agility and  energy levels but the very survival of our species and all higher life forms on this planet. As Allan Savoury says, if we do not start managing livestock to reverse desertification , biodiversity loss and climate change..... we are gone. 
 On the strength of his speech,  we have purchased an additional  50 acre grazing block which has been tested free of chemicals and are developing it as the ultimate cell grazing farm to feed cows and thereby mitigate climate change ( as well as producing excellent cheese and beef). Our cows sheep, pigs and alpacas currently browse on many tree species as well as grass, so have a rich diet.







We were certified with NASAA for 10 years but after an inspiring  conversation with the great man  Joel Salatin  (www.polyfacefarms.com  we have recently dropped certification . We are still very much compliant with the Australian Standard for organic produce and in many ways exceed it. We welcome anyone to the farm to satisfy themselves on that We have an open farm policy, so feel free to drop in any time. No Round Up here!
Muscovey duck family fertilizing fig tree.





 We think you will taste the difference in food grown in high carbon soils   immediately, and feel better from it. Undeterred by the new Food Act ( instigated by the few multinationals who want to control the global “food “supply and sell you pharmaceuticals ) we can help you be healthy, happy and smart  with grass fed animal products plus fruit ( 50 or so species including many berries) , veges,  garlic, nuts, avocados, herbs,  and dried fruit. Then there is our  Pet products like sourdough freshly ground wheat bread,  yogurt and cheese , chicken, salami, bacon,  and lamb.  My dog Alby loves sourdough bread particularly.Your pet will really thank you for  this good quality food. 

Macadamias and oaks



We sell only our very own produce except for the wheat which we buy from a trusted source:
  Bio Dynamic Eden Valley .Recently Bee has done a soil microbiology course with Dr Elaine Ingham which has been fascinating and enlightening, and the quality compost we now make is increasing our productivity and the nutrient density of our produce significantly in spite of climate change. 
Stewart and the Jersey girls
 We are   busy growing soil, plants and animals  as well as  campaigning strongly against GM foods,  aquifer depletion and native tree logging. We helped found  Food Watch WA. http://www.foodwatch.net.au.  MADGE are our counterparts in Victoria  (see www.madge.org.au ).

It is really fun to be part of the fair food movement and teaching people the skills we have learnt in   seed & food production, renewable energy, shelter and water harvesting.


 Hope you can make it to a course or  guided farm tour one day. Please ask to be on our email list for updates on market days, courses and events  : beewinfield@westnet.com.au


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