This time of the year is when the craziness starts. The moment we cut the pastures or oats, to make hay, it’s like some gremlin inhabits the farm and makes everyone mad. To get really good quality hay, it’s best if it doesn’t get a rain on it, before it’s in bales. The Boss is…
I will never admit to being good with technology! My daughter has been teaching how to use some of the apps on my MacBook and together we created this clip. It’s a collection of my favourite sunsets, both at the beach and on the farm. As I get better at doing these sorts of things,…
Fiona McIntosh, author of the Lavender Keeper and many more wonderful novels, is one of my writing idols. She can write up to three books a year and it’s all thanks to Bryce Courtenay. Fiona attended a MasterClass on writing run by Bryce, some fifteen years ago and, as you will read, it changed her…
Introducing KT. KT is 5 years old and lives on a farm in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales with her parents Stephen and Alison, and her grandparents Oppy and PopPop. KT has her own blog called KT’s Farm Life inspired by her love of farm life and her desire to share her experience on…
How’s this for a Crimson Dawn? Pretty amazing, if you ask me! We’re lucky living on a hill, we get many sights we wouldn’t usually see, if we lived on the flats. I know because I’ve lived there! The little bump you can see in the middle of the horizon is Mount Ragged. It features…
Introducing John and Estelle Joseph of Brigadoon Harvest who farm near the little town of Tooraweenah at the base of the Warrumbungle Mountain Range in NSW. John and Estelle’s story is number 39 in my quest to feature 52 farmers to celebrate the Australian Year of the Farmer. Summary of our farming enterprise: Originally, the only…
Heading on from my previous post,about wildflowers and tourists flocking to WA to see them, Whales are also on the tourists wish list of things to see. These whales were at my local beach, last weekend. Now I have to confess, I didn’t see them and it was only a chance conversation with our…
Today’s blog is actually a Vlog! Have a look at the wild flowers we have on our farm!
Introducing Andrew Wyszynski, of Maya Sunny Honey in the Mudgee region of NSW. Andrew is the 38th farmer I have featured this year in my quest to feature 52 farming stories to celebrate the Australian Year of the Farmer. Summary of our farming enterprise: Maya Sunny honey is a 100% raw honey range, handcrafted wholly by Andrew and…
As a lover of anything country, I’m really excited to have Shirley Moore here today, talking about the forgotten job of droving. Welcome Shirley! Thank you Fleur for having me on your guest blog and giving me the opportunity to talk about why I wrote the book. This is the first time I’ve written a…
It true. From little things, big things grow. And when it comes to cropping, Canola is a great example. It’s starts off as a tiny black seed – smaller than a grain of sea salt and just slightly larger than a ‘hundred and thousand’ (you know what I’m meaning? The things kids love to…
We’ve been having gorgeous sunsets over the last week or so. Spring tends to throw breath taking weather events at us, including these amazing, nightly spectaculars. I love it when I’ve got time to stop and look at them. And between trying to get Silver Gums finished and a few family things, stopping and…
Introducing Mary & Michael Nenke of Cambinata Yabbies in WA. Mary’s story is number 37 in my quest to feature 52 farming stories to celebrate the Australian Year of the Farmer. Summary of our family and farming enterprise One hundred years ago Berthold Nenke, a brewer from Kalgoorlie, was allocated a thousand acres of bush…
I’m glad to have Barbara here today, to tell us all about her book, Zoe’s Muster. Once it hit the shelves, it flew off again, very quickly and has been received really well by readers. Here’s Barbara: I’m a little overawed blogging here about Zoe’s Muster with REAL farmers. I have to confess that while…
Maybe it’s good to be scared in a “sardine like” plane! It helped get Kylie Stretton her man! Here she is: The year is 1999 I’d just finished Grade 12 in Queensland. I’d applied for many governessing jobs all over Queensland and the Northern Territory, I’d been offered one at Richmond which wasn’t too far…
Introducing Tim and Katrina Myers from Barham in Southern NSW. Their story is number 36 in my quest to feature 52 farmers in 52 weeks to celebrate the Australian Year of the Farmer. Summary of our enterprise Tim and Katrina took over the family farm Horseshoe Bend, just outside the southern New South Wales…
Meet Jody who has a great story about how she met her farmer! I first met my husband on a brown couch at 4am in the morning in the carpark of a B&S, we had a lot of fun on that couch and no not the kind you’re thinking of but a game in…
The world lost another amazing man this week. Neil Armstrong was an incredible explorer – how brave must he have been to accept the crazy dream of a country to put a man on the moon? To blast off into the unknown, into blackness. I’m sure his heart would have been in his mouth plenty…
Introducing the Maitland Family from Clare, South Australia, their story is number 35 in my quest to feature 52 Farmers in 52 weeks in celebration of the Australian Year of the Farmer. Summary of our family and farming enterprise: The Maitland family own and operate a farming business, on the family property, 15 minutes north…
I have just finished reading The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D. Wow, all I can say is this poignant book had me thinking. I’m sure it will get you all thinking too – do you know your husband, kids, family and friends as well as you think you do? You might be surprised. Thanks for…
I wanted to let you all know, I’ve just signed another two-book contract with Allen and Unwin! Crimson Dawn, all going well, will be out in 2014, while we’re hoping Indigo Storm will be on the shelves in 2015. Of course I’m still heading towards Silver Gums being out in 2013! During an uncertain time…
