Animals have always been a big part of our system at Fair Harvest.
In the veggie gardens and orchards we have a range of small animals you can visit. As we live on farmland and have an abundance of pasture that we need to manage. This is not only something we like to do but is a legal responsibility in a bushfire prone area.
Animals play an important part in our permaculture systems and over the years we have had a range of animals, some of these we have continued with while others are no longer a part of our system. All of our animals are rotated around different areas for the health of both the animals and the soil so you won’t always find them in the same spot.
Each animal has different husbandry needs to keep them healthy and happy, having the skills, equipment, finance, time and energy is all part of the animal equation.
Here are some of the animals we have at the moment;
Worms
You will find our worm farms in the campground and in the garden, they are full of happy worms working away to change kitchen, garden and farm waste into beautiful castings that we use for soil building. We encourage campers to feed the worms instead of the rubbish bins and many visitors have left Fair Harvest ready to set up their own worm farms.
Chickens
These guys work hard for us! They keep the bugs from getting into our gardens, scratch up the soil for planting, provide us with rich manure, eat our kitchen and garden waste and of course lay us plenty of amazing eggs. Guests love to visit our chickens and see them scratching away and eating plenty of greens and insects. You can also buy their eggs in our shop.
Geese
Geese are our grazers, they eat grass, we move them around different areas that ned grass management such us the orchards, citrus and larger areas around the veggie gardens. They also provide plenty of fertilizer for these areas. They can be loud and a bit frightening but as long as you don’t try to get too close to their goslings they won’t bother you.
Ducks
When we have ducks they live in our orchard, here they can eat fallen fruit and the bugs that live in them. They are great at stopping the pest cycle that can breed in rotting fruit. They also eat snails and slugs on the ground and are a good part of any permaculture system. Duck eggs are delicious, if you can find them!
Goats
Goats thrive on eating leaves and bark so it was not until our permaculture system was mature and the trees needed pruning that we introduced goats. Our Goats Frankie and Fleur (mother and daughter) are friendly and a big fan of our visitors and campers. In the past we have milked our goats but these days they are more like pets that prune trees. While they are friendly they can be a bit boisterous with their horns so it’s best to stay on the other side of the fence.
Cows
we have a small herd of cows that are primarily used to keep the grass down and to provide amazing manure for our worm farms. We move them around the farm regularly using electric fencing and cell grazing techniques. Each year a butcher comes to the farm to process one cow for home consumption.
Horses
horses have always been a part of our lifestyle, we ride them around the farm checking the fences and moving the cows, but mostly we just love being with them. They are beautiful, friendly animals that have provided ourselves, our children and our grandchildren with lessons in life and hours of fun.
Dogs
talking about fun! What would a farm be without dogs? These guys are a part of our family and go with us everywhere. They are friends with everyone that visits the farm and when the campground is open they think it’s their job to entertain the campers, which they would do 24 hours a day if we let them. They also get the best reviews!
