A COUPLE of chickens pecking away in their suburban backyard and an interest in sustainability and DIY projects were enough for enthusiastic duo Holly and Justin Smith to uproot their city stumps and embark on a life-changing journey.
What started as a hobby soon saw the pair immersing themselves in a new world of permaculture, now running New View Farm at Sugarloaf, via Stanthorpe in the Granite Belt.
The couple regularly frequented Northey Street City Farm, and it was here that Holly took part in an intensive, two week course in permaculture – the practice of developing self-maintained agricultural practices, modelled from natural systems. It also incorporates social aspects and sustainable architecture.
“At Northey Street, they already have gardens, so you can see the ideas in practice while you are studying the course, which is really cool,” Holly said.
“I think the biggest thing you realise in the course is you don’t have to be a farmer, you don’t even have to be a gardener, you don’t have to be an expert on any particular thing – if you were willing to learn and try.
“Everyone says, ‘What’s your way to change the world?’, and the only thing to change your own world is to take more interest in what you’re doing and what you need in your life.”
The shift to permaculture lies in stark contrast to the degrees they completed at university; Holly studied photography and Justin studied graphic design. For Justin, the chain of events and concepts which led him to permaculture have changed his whole outlook on life.
“It’s a way of incorporating humans into the natural world, and supporting humans by utilising all of the natural systems that are already there,” he said.
“It’s looking at what you need to live and be happy, and how can you make every exchange between other people and the land the best that you possibly can.”
In 2012 they married and went on a honeymoon with a twist – WWOOFing on five different farms in Canada.
WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farmers) connects people who want to volunteer and learn about organic farming to host properties and farmers who are looking for extra help.
When Justin and Holly returned, they knew they wanted to pursue their passion for permaculture and become food producers.
They began searching for acreage within a three-hour radius of Brisbane and stumbled upon a place to turn their dreams into reality.
In late 2012 they purchased a 2-hectare block at Sugarloaf.
“It made us instantly feel like what we had seen [in Canada] was going to be possible again,” Holly said.
The block is located in a pine forest and the land has been zoned for farming and forestry purposes.
Fortunately, it was within their price range and they were able to purchase it without requiring a bank loan. The soil type is super-acidic, clay, sand, with limited topsoil or organic matter.
Holly said they were keen to try regenerating the land and each time they added organic matter, the benefits were clear.
For the past 10 months, they have been completely invested in establishing the farm and are beginning to experience the fruits of their labour – literally.
Thanks to their location in the forest, they were able to implement the practice of hugelkultur – burying wood and cardboard beneath the garden beds to increase soilwater retention.
Roughly 0.4ha of the block has been converted into garden beds and they recently had a small dam built on the property.
They have begun trialling an assortment of plants and the diversity is dizzying. Brassicas to blackberries, chamomile to chia, and staples such as wheat and maize grow near each other in harmony. Holly estimates they have 30 varieties of tomatoes alone.
Many of the plants have been started from seeds or cuttings, and they are trying to propagate wherever possible to reduce costs.
One such example is green waste they gathered from a nearby strawberry farm which has sprouted in their pots of onions.
“Most people would think that’s a pest but, for us, it’s free little plants and the actual native environment for strawberries is a pine forest, and we want to turn a pine forest into a food forest,” Justin said.
“It’s all easy, natural progression.” Holly said the landscape had more character than they could have ever thought possible.
In years to come they hope to use the farm as a place to cultivate a love of sustainability and a healthy lifestyle in others. Their work has already begun, selling New View Farm produce at local markets in Brisbane and Stanthorpe.
They also hope to establish more garden beds and be able to provide potential WWOOFers with the opportunity to volunteer.
“In permaculture, it’s important to have more than one use for things such as edible and medicinal purposes,” she said.
“But sometimes you can have just one use and it’s just to beautify your life.”
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- This article first appeared in Queensland Smart Farmer March 2015.
