Lara Farm French Island in French Island | Farm

Lara Farm French Island

Locality: French Island

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• Organic food shop
• Nature reserve

25.01.2022 MLSPJ5 Jaxson our stud bull takes 3rd place in his class in the 2018 Limousin Society Victorian on farm challenge. On site in our stockyards the judge commented J5 had great shape, rounded backside, walked gracefully like a cat and was so proud. Well done Jacko!

25.01.2022 Satsuma plum is showing the other fruit trees how to blossom. It’s buzzing with happy bees today

24.01.2022 Our annual lily blooms for Christmas... Farm style

23.01.2022 A fascinating potted history

21.01.2022 Before and After shearing. Jewel had such a gorgeous bountiful fleece.. we had to trim around her eyes so she could see... now her beautiful eyes are her best feature.

21.01.2022 Kookaburra nesting box project! When the Kookas hollow tree branch nest blew down in strong winds, the farmer took immediate action to create a replacement nesting box. First gather an old hollowed out tree cut into a suitable length and depth 2. Give it a waterproof back and front complete with perch and rain cover 3. Get your tractor to raise it to a tree with water views close to the original nest site. 4. Anchor it well and Voila!

21.01.2022 Happy News! Meet little cria Phoebe...born early this morning! Mother Kia Kaha (standing) and sister lsabelle (sitting guard) while the first of the aunts comes to say hello. Bea being a good dog and observing from the vehicle.

20.01.2022 Tiger Lily’s for the New Year... Farm style

20.01.2022 Hey Bea, want to look after the new hatchlings?

20.01.2022 Finally 1 ml of rain for Feb... albeit a sun shower.. through my kitchen window

19.01.2022 4 new faces .. the first is only a few hours - old born today with assistance from the farmer . He’s a lucky boy and she’s a good Mum

19.01.2022 Australia Day arrival in brown to Amandine and 3 day old white to Milly

18.01.2022 Another benefit of slashing along fence lines and tracks through the bush on French Island.. tiny native orchids & hyacinth orchids

18.01.2022 Cattle for sale - if you are in the market for a black or apricot Limousin bull or 6 joined heifers check out www.larafarmfrenchisland.com.au All are registered animals that will provide a great start or add style to your Limousin herd. Also great opportunity for Lim-flex (Angus Limousin cross) breeders to add that extra muscle and vigour for market sale. Sire MLSPJ5 pictured

18.01.2022 March For Sale POLLED Bulls - Napoleon has reached 12-months and is now for sale - J5 our stud covering bull is now for sale Both are very docile with good genetics. www.larafarmfrenchisland.com.au

18.01.2022 Through my kitchen window today...saw the joey when it first came out of the pouch and sat on her shoulder. (See ‘Springtime’ post 15 September) It’s grown so much and climbing well when up in the trees.

17.01.2022 When the water plants need fertilizer and the water is cold and the mozzies are swarming... the farmer dons a wet suit! Happy papyrus and water lily

17.01.2022 It’s done! We planted our garlic yesterday on the new moon. Bulbs and Beds prepared & mulched, now its set and forget till harvest.

17.01.2022 Summertime with Bea dog at the lake dam

17.01.2022 Bea - daytime/ nighttime

17.01.2022 Two new laying hens... a little worried for the girl who laid the duplex egg on the right! I’m sure I heard her laying it - took a long time. Ouch!

17.01.2022 4. Voila! Make hay....

16.01.2022 In action today! renovating & improving paddocks.. This aerator design produces evenly spaced strips of furrowed earth increasing organic matter for worms and micro organisms in the undisturbed area to move straight in. The rows completed today were fertilized and sown with a mix of seeds - lupins, black oats, buckwheat and white clover. The renovated paddock will see improved water retention & nitrogen, increased yield and increased soil carbon potential. This machine is a custom designed modification to an aerator and air seeder that has been fabricated on the island If this interests you.. contact us at Lara Farm.

16.01.2022 A reflective winters morning at the central dam.

15.01.2022 Our dragon is flying today! Wind!

13.01.2022 Invention compete! The Lara direct drill air seeder is ready to go.

13.01.2022 Bea makes her media debut in the Weekly Times Day of Dogs 2018. Good dog! https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au//d45e4a6e75a9917635829ad

13.01.2022 Potoroo have been spotted in our back garden and house paddock, so we set up a camera to get some better images. I think this one has a little pouch bulge. In the last image she is ready to hop out of frame. [The potoroo is a rabbit-sized marsupial weighing up to 1.8 kg with a 38-day gestation and 130-day pouch life. They are allied to the Macropodiformes, the suborder of kangaroo, wallaby, and other rat-kangaroo genera].

13.01.2022 A hot day to arrive... and wearing black!

13.01.2022 Through my kitchen window today.. a perfect blue sky day & Bea discovers the BBQ pit .. hint hint!

13.01.2022 Garlic Guides to 1. Planting and 2. Harvesting are available on our website http://www.larafarmfrenchisland.com.au//garlic-fact-sheets/

13.01.2022 Hot day - just the time to lie in - Bea gets down and cool on the pebbled bathroom floor

13.01.2022 Autumn planting.The best of the Spanish Roja, Red Criole and Printanor Garlic cloves ready for planting on the Equinox!

12.01.2022 All garlics great and small.. about 7 varieties in various stages of drying. Garlic harvest time!

12.01.2022 The King Parrots have decided the olives are ripe. So hard to spot until they’re given away by their chirps of delight

12.01.2022 Well timed harvest for us- clover seed and treefoil at their peak! 1. Mow....

12.01.2022 It’s APRIL! Nearly time to plant the garlic. Preparation of our seed stock for planting is underway. (Did you find the Easter egg?)

11.01.2022 18 January 1.57pm we get a call ‘white smoke fire on your property or just north of you’. Not ours. We drive a km up the road, spot the grass fire in the National Park. A local on a quad is also there, he has told the owner of the nearest property who is going to defend. Wind East, we contact other close property. In this 15mins the smoke has turned black, now it’s a small bushfire but growing. The CFA arrives & the fight begins. McCloud Rd is the ‘firebreak’ the CFA need to ...hold to the south, less than a km above our farm. We return to our property, enact fire plan, fire trailer to the rear boundary & clear stock away from our lake dam, a broad clear expanse of water. Waiting and watching the windmill showing wind direction. When most stock is moved this happens. With a wave from the pilot one water bomber helicopter arrives. I give him thumbs up ‘ take as much as you need’. An hour later it’s two and finally three water bomber helicopters in a fast rotation. It’s surreal. It’s constant. The final visit is 8pm and after a last thumbs up they go - job done. French Island was lucky and so thankful for: the 2 fixed wing aircraft & 4-5 helicopters water bombing for hours. The 8 fire trucks that came by barge, the barge team that got them over during a low tide. The local CFA defending, the community on and off site. Apparently the cricket match even got finished down at Tankerton near the emergency meeting point 9km away. Isolated in our location of defence just on the other side of trees, our experience was of the water bombers and ‘our hero’s’ their incredible pilots. Thank you.

11.01.2022 New additions to the family

11.01.2022 Hayshed ready...

10.01.2022 On the first ferry to transfer another big beautiful nucleus of bees to the mainland. Image sent with quote by the new owner when opened at its new peninsula home... Yum Yum ...

10.01.2022 Round two - varieties Italian red, Spanish Roja and a local island variety of garlic

10.01.2022 And even more reason to love them Judy Porritt https://www.theage.com.au//alpacas-provide-new-hope-for-a-

09.01.2022 Fire fighting hero’s in a constant rotation on our lake dam (French Island fire 18 Jan 2020)

08.01.2022 Garlic harvest begins!

08.01.2022 The young turkeys have moved into their new home! Building with recycled timber posts and iron from the old hay shed, and adding skylights & fallen tree branches to perch (the latter seem to be providing more an entertainment than roosting option).

08.01.2022 Things to do on a rainy day.....Coriander harvest!

06.01.2022 Outside our kitchen window this morning....

06.01.2022 Mother’s group this morning....

05.01.2022 Alpacas anyone? Meet "Ariel and Beau" , born March 2017. At nearly two years old they will be ready for sale as potential stud males, and/or herd protectors. They are registered with Australian Alpaca Association. They are paddock mates and would be sold together. Also available "Rio", beautiful grey male wether as a single to be placed with other alpaca). (Some females are coming online in February/March at 12-months and after weaning).

05.01.2022 Things to do after a rainy few days ...Potato harvest ! A couple of shapes for the imagination to enjoy

03.01.2022 Very excited to be part of the Limousin Society On Farm Challenge 2018. (One of 21 Victorian farms visited).

03.01.2022 Garlic Harvest has begun...hundreds of beautiful bulbs curing and some early testers ready to eat!

03.01.2022 Take a look at the Soil Renovator and Air Seeder for renovating & improving paddocks. This machine is a custom designed modification to an aerator and air seeder that has been fabricated on the island. This aerator design produces evenly spaced strips of furrowed earth increasing organic matter for worms and micro organisms. The resulting rows or beds can be concurrently air seeded with seed, seed mixes and/ or additional fertiliser. Our results are in with improved water retention, increased yield and increased soil carbon potential. If this interests you.. contact us at Lara Farm.

03.01.2022 This just happened... female cria Orelie born to Amandine this morning. Just a few hours old she is wobbly walking, feeding and learning how to fold her long legs!

03.01.2022 Bea helps check on the new born Limousins

03.01.2022 When you least expect to see a soft downy nest in a hollow tree... there it is!

02.01.2022 Bea takes her mothering duties with the Bourbon Reds very seriously. Endangered species turkeys hatched on the farm in the last few days

02.01.2022 Saw this Mudlark nest perfectly built on a dead tree branch on the centre dam, so perfectly disguised Ive been walking past it for weeks.

01.01.2022 ...And now the blooms are starting to show! Tadpoles everywhere... soon there will be frogs on these lily pads.

01.01.2022 Springtime walks with the heritage Bourbon Red turkey team. The Bronzewing hens are broody and won’t leave their nests.

01.01.2022 The turkeys come to inspect a new trench

01.01.2022 Bea takes her jobs seriously...guarding the Beets