The fun way to take care of weedsgoats and sheep

Anyone who has visited the farm will know that the market garden, where our veggies come from, only takes up about one quarter of our land. Another quarter is dedicated to native biodiversity belts: to rehabilitate the land and water, provide us with the benefits of biodiversity, shelter from wind, and to sequester carbon. The other half of the farm is dedicated to fruit and nut trees.

Fruit and nuts are a slow burn. It will typically take seven years for a fruit tree begin to produce a commercial quantity of fruit or nuts. This can create a bit of an issue, where farmers can’t make any income from these crops, but are required to maintain: the health of the tree, the fertility of the soil it is growing in, and most significantly, the grass and weeds that grow around the tree and threaten to outcompete it.

Not having the resources to carry out this maintenance on our tree areas, we’ve had to get creative. And this is where we have integrated animals into these systems to help us out. Sheep, goats and pigs are animals that turn problematic weeds into valuable fertiliser, saving time and energy on weed management, and improving the soil in the process!

The herd of miniature goats that we introduced at the beginning of the year have been a huge success. They hang out with the sheep and compliment them well. The sheep will typically mow the grass down, while the goats will go straight for the woody and vine weeds that grow around shoulder height. This breed of goat (the Australian Miniature) has specifically been bred to be great pets. They are smaller than other goats, and incredibly friendly.

This spring they have been kidding (having babies) and so the farm is full of the sights and sounds of baby goats bounding around, Making the farm a fun place to be at this time of year.

Cal Champagne

Green Connect Farm Manager

In your box this week:

in your box

 

What’s that in my box: Kohlrabi is a type of cabbage that tastes like a cross between broccoli and radishes. It can be eaten either raw or cooked. kohlrabi is naturally low carb and full of fibre. If you’ve never tried kohlrabi before I highly recommend it! It is a nice change from the usual low carb vegetables.
For more information on how to store & cook any of our vegetables, visit: https://draxe.com/ and type in the veggie you’re looking for.

You can find all of our recipes here!