Juwumba Farm Retreat | Musician/band

Juwumba Farm Retreat

Phone: +61 427 668 804

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24.01.2022 GROWING FOOD One of the original reasons for building this retreat was to teach people easily and simply, how to grow food, and to experience the feeling of walking out into the yard and picking vegies, and eating fruit straight from the plant. We wanted to do something to honour those who live with PTSD, our Veterans, our Fathers, who taught us these methods.... Gardening and strolling through gardens is therapeutic. We would love to teach you, but if you prefer to learn on your own, Bill Mollison's Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is available here for free. Bill Mollison is Australian and was one of the first authors to write down the techniques our Grandparents knew about growing food and living in harmony with our seasons and others. Research his work. Good luck. https://m.youtube.com/playlist

23.01.2022 BORE WATER The drillers started work today sinking a bore for our permanent, clean, fresh water supply. When they first arrived we had blue skies, however, we had 50ml of rain over the 3 days prior. A farmer down the road pulled the guys out of the slippery bog. The guys located the 30 tonne drill rig and supply truck under blue skies, but it has rained every day since. The tractor is booked to help the trucks leave.

15.01.2022 FAN PALM FOREST Hidden treasures. Today we found a small patch of Liquala Palm Forest, not 5 meters from the Top Camp. Liquala Palm, Licuala ramsayi, is endemic to this region, it is an important food tree, and is used by traditional rainforest people of Aboriginal culture to build large, dry, woven shelters.... To learn more about the uniqueness of the Wet Tropics, visit : https://www.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au/wet-tropics-rai/

13.01.2022 BORE WATER Kicking Goals!! We have water!

12.01.2022 MANAGING RAIN WATER Geoff Lawton is a well respected Australian teacher/consultant on permaculture and working with soils and nature to grow food. We are in the wettest region of Australia. We use rock to slow down the rate of water flow, which increases water infiltration into the soil. Rock speeds up infiltration of water which reduces water logging allowing aeration. ... To retain moisture, preven loss of earth and to nourish the soil, we mulch. What comes from the soil in excess, goes back in. In this video Geoff makes relevant points on generating plant and insect diversity. There is a point you can reach with wildlife that results in "some for them, some for us" in your food garden. Eat well. https://youtu.be/seUHiXMTUl8

11.01.2022 FIRE PITS Many thanks to Matt and Brendan from Just Diesel, Innisfail, Australia, for giving us brake drums to be used as fire pits at camp sites. Some fire pits have BBQ hotplates that can be lifted on or off. Fires, in fire pits are allowed during times of low bush fire danger.... Fires must be supervised, or put out. Please bring your own timber. Don't take wood from the forest. Dead wood and logs provide food and habitat for rainforest fauna and organisms. A small fire with a green leaf thrown on, is the best way to produce insect repelling smoke. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Diesel/464810130237047

10.01.2022 BORE WATER Yesterday we had water diviner Dave visit, who verified that the site I had divined for water, was a good site. He showed me where the underground river ran and confirmed my thoughts on a spring I had found. Fortunately, water is, exactly where we wanted water to be, right next to the water tank site, out of harm's way. The property is greening up. The wildlife are moving in.

09.01.2022 GROWING FOOD The beginnings of the first vegetable garden.

06.01.2022 BORE WATER Potential vs Reality! Potentially we have 11,000 litres of drinkable water. Reality is that we have a full bore and an empty tank... still working on it!... Thank you Ozpoly Bushland Tanks Innisfail for delivering exactly what we asked for, on time and at the right price. Appreciated.

04.01.2022 NATIVE TREES Many thanks to the Innisfail Landcare Nursery for donating over 200 trees and shrubs, mostly local natives, with a few food plants, to Juwumba Farm Retreat. The trees will provide food for cassowaries and shelter for native birds and wildlife, and shade and privacy for us.... The trees are now in our nursery where they will be watered until they can be planted out in the first rains by any available willing workers. Cheers. Sincerely appreciated.

03.01.2022 CASSOWARIES Morning guests for coffee at Juwumba Farm. I call all birds "duck" and have done for 6yrs. They know me. Fred is Grandma's old lap dog. He didn't move after I spoke to him. These two chicks with Dad hatched last season. They are under 1 year old. Feeling blessed. Xxx

02.01.2022 BORE WATER In order to have a water tank delivered, we needed to repair the tyre tracks of the two 30 tonne drillers rigs who ended up sinking in mud while they installed our bore. The 11,000 litre tank arrives on Friday. While the machines were here, we added a road into the bottom pad and used the excess earth to flatten out some shady camp sites. New earth works always looks like a bit of a horror, but we will have grass growing and gardens planted in no time.... In the next month we will install a solar powered submersible pump that will pump 20 liters per minute. The plumbing to fill the tank with drinking water that will also be good for showers and gardening, will be in place before our first camp, in a few weeks.