~ The KINSFOLK FARM dream ~   

We (Tom Gaunt and Bridie Cotter) aim to grow flavourful and high quality vegetables through biointensive (a polyculture of plant species grown on a small scale) and non-mechanised farming practices that focuses on minimal disruption to the soil and the land. 

Through this method of agriculture, we hope to improve the health of the land we cultivate, leaving it in better condition than how we found it.

Our introduction to this mode of farming came from a deep love of food. This morphed into an obsession for knowing where the produce we were cooking and eating originated from. The local and 'sustainable' food movement had us sucked in and the desire to one day be producers of high quality organically grown vegetables grew (so to speak). 

Fast forward a few years and we find ourselves (Tom) completing a Milkwood Permaculture Design Certificate, working on farms and in kitchen gardens, reading market gardening and small scale farming books and listening to endless podcasts. All in the pursuit of an education in regenerative agriculture. 

Our ultimate goal and the reason for us calling on your support, is to get started as soon as possible. September, being the first month of spring, the prime time to sow our seeds has arrived! With your help, we can plunge our hands and knees into the dirt and get planting by the end of spring.

~ THE LAND AND OPERATION ~

Kinsfolk Farm has secured the lease of a 1/2 acre plot on Ravens Creek Farm in Moriac. This opportunity allows us to plug into an already thriving business. 

Ravens Creek Farm comprises of a mixed berry orchard (pick-your-own), free range pigs, pasture raised cattle, sheep and ducks, bees for honey, pasture raised laying hens and much more. There is also a cafe on-site serving veg grown from their kitchen garden and of course the meat and eggs grown on farm! 

We plan to supply the Ravens Creek Farm cafe kitchen with produce grown on our plot. This allows the cafe to have more choice in what seasonal and local vegetables they use in their dishes. 

                                                                       Ravens Creek Farm

We seek to provide our surrounding community with produce in a direct to consumer model. To offer locals the opportunity to partake in a Community Supported Agriculture scheme where the consumer buys a share of the farms yield for a season, and in turn receive an abundant box of fresh seasonal veg every week of the season. 

We are also exploring the idea of selling directly to restaurants in our region and Melbourne, allowing us to grow weird and wonderful varieties of veg and delight in seeing the top chefs in our region cook with high quality, fresh and unique produce!

                                                                    Kinsfolk Farm 1/2 acre plot

We invite all our customers to visit our plot and see how we do our thing. To experience how seriously we take farming, in a way that is aiming to regenerate the land and ecosystems that surround us by treading lightly and avoiding nasty inputs (sprays) and heavy machinery. 

The start up costs for getting a farm like this off the ground can get a little out of hand. All the small and seemingly low cost pieces of infrastructure can add up, let alone the introduction of the handful of larger bits and bobs. So here is a break breakdown of where your generous donations will be used.

THE BIG BUCKS

~ Walk in cooler - to keep our precious veg fresh and crispy during those hot summer days and nights ($2'500)

~ Irrigation supplies - metres and metres of drip line, hoses, pipes and sprinklers to water our crops in the most efficient and effective way possible ($2'500)

~ Precision seeder - to avoid the painstakingly slow task of handseeding rows and rows of carrots, beets, radish etc. ($1000)

~ Processing and tools shed - to give us a spot to keep our precious tools out of the elements and a place to wash and pack our produce ($700)

~ Wheel hoe - to make weeding long stretches of ground faster and easier on our backs and knees ($350)

~ Greens harvester - once again, helping us achieve a job (harvesting leafy greens) quicker and with less strain on our precious bodies ($875)

~ Tilther - a small power tool (powered by a hand drill) which lightly breaks up the top soil creating a nice fluffy tilth for us to plant into ($663)

SMALLER ITEMS

~ Hand tools - hand hoes, bed preperation rake, shovels etc. ($350)

~ Flame weeder - to kill off early weeds at the pre-emergent stage of the carrot & beet crops ($300)

~ Seeds ($500)

~ Processing equipment-  hoses, shelving, harvest baskets etc. ($200)

STRETCH GOAL 

If we were to surpass our initial goal, an extra $5000 would allow us purchase and/or build:

~ A Nursery - to propagate and house our baby seedlings!

~ Market Equipment - a market stall with all the essentials for farmers markets

~ Crop Protection Materials - row cover and insect netting

~ Harvest Carts - mobile (on wheels) cart allowing us to transport our veg from harvest to the processing shed and coolroom (without breaking our backs)

                                                                   Kinsfolk Farm plot plan

We feel so lucky to have found this priceless piece of land! It's a struggle to stem the flow of our enthusiasm to jump straight in, as the height of the 2016/17 growing season approaches and to seed those first crops before the end of spring is the ultimate goal. However the challenge is, those seeds (and the rest of it) need to be bought ASAP and without your help, that may not be possible.