Marrook Farm in Wingham, New South Wales | Grocers

Marrook Farm

Locality: Wingham, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 6550 4439

Address: Elands 2429 Wingham, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.marrookfarm.com.au

Likes: 931

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Farm
• Grocers
• Health Food Shop

25.01.2022 Spring has arrived with heat, fires and smoke. Last week we had the unexpected gift of about 20mm of rain and after three days the greening of the paddocks is amazing! Now at the turning point of the spring equinox we just have to wait for the grass to grow and much more rain before we can stop feeding hay every day. Our milk production has dropped significantly, as the cows are putting all the feed into maintaining their health rather than milk for us. This is why you may not always be able to find your favorite Marrook Farm products on the shelves. It may be some time yet before this drought really breaks and milk production is back to normal.

24.01.2022 After the evening milking...

24.01.2022 Autumn has passed greener than for quite a few years, and thanks to the lovely rain in February and March we have managed to make silage for winter feed. Thanks to Ben, Beck and Josh.

23.01.2022 Our neighboring village of Bobin was devastated unexpectedly by this raging fire last Friday afternoon, this is how we saw it from our factory. At present much ...of the forest and National Park surrounding the Bulga Plateau where we live and farm, is burning. We are waiting for the fire, depending on wind direction and living in smoke as we prepare ourselves. Since the millenium drought the beautiful forests here in the Elands area have never fully recovered. In the last three years we have had approximately half our "normal" annual rainfall. The rainforest understorey has thinned out markedly, shed leaves or died, trees have shed every leaf they can, and at present many Eucalypts are in full blossom as if in a desperate survival effort. Each time we go down the mountain to Wingham our nearest town, more trees are dying, hillsides and even the rain forest Wingham Brush beside the Manning River. Native animals and birds are all affected and their hunger is evident. No one I have met has ever witnessed this. It is a desperate dry for this region. On the farm, pastures are withering, despite spending thousands on seed, care and irrigation (when we could irrigate), but irrigation is never like rain. So consequently milk production is low, and the products we can send out to you are never enough to satisfy demand. For two seasons we have not been able to produce winter feed here on the farm, and have had to bring in Demeter certified hay from Victoria, Certified grain to feed the little grain we use in the bails at milking is also very scarce due to drought in other areas. The reality we are living now is making food production on this planet very difficult and problematic. We must act now for the Earth and Nature which sustains all living things. As Demeter bio-dynamic farmers we believe our farming method works towards this by improving soil life and consequently plant and animal health, producing nutritious food. Each choice made (large or small) as a consumer has a significant impact and we value your support in this cycle.

23.01.2022 Smokey days are becoming the norm. Our plateau has been surrounded by bushfires for weeks. Our community has been living on alert for weeks. Fire has been as close as 1km from our farm. We have been helped by the enormous and still continuing effort of local volunteer bushfire brigades, Black Swans, Forestry and National Parks and help from strike forces from the ACT, SA and New Zealand. It has become "normal" to see convoys of fire vehicles and water bombing helicopters eve...ry day. to worry every day, to breathe smoke every day. This situation is not "normal". This drought is not "normal". These vastly widespread and vicious fires are not "normal". And yet it may become the new normal, The natural world we know and love is in crisis, As farmers, we can see our water supplies diminishing and our ability to produce food with it. We must act on climate change. See more

22.01.2022 Marrook Farm produce now at the Northside Produce Market at North Sydney at the Cheese on Wheels stall with Burracoc buffalo and Pecora sheep products!

21.01.2022 Dear valued customers and friends, After more then 21 years dedicated to milking cows, making yoghurt and cheese every day, we have stopped milking and making products. A very serious ongoing health issue in the family makes this a difficult, yet necessary decision. We want to extend our gratitude to all those who have been part of this journey and thanks to our many loyal customers and shops who have supported us over the years. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to br...ing our quality products to you. Please keep your eyes on shelves for a Marrook Farm 're-launch' in the future. With love and gratitude for your support. See more

21.01.2022 Winter Solstice/shortest day The winter solstice is the day of the year that has the least daylight hours of any in the year and usually occurs on 22 June but ...can occur between 21 and 23 June. 2020 the solstice occurs on the 21st June at 7.43 am (eastern time) To learn more about Australian Demeter Bio-Dynamic visit www.demeterbiodynamic.com.au #australiandemeterbiodynamic #wintersolstice #shortestday #biodynamicfarming #demetercertified #demeter #biodynamicagricultureassociationofaustralia #bdaaa #biodynamicgrowersassociation #bdga #biodynamicmarketing #bdm

20.01.2022 The world goes on almost normally here, milking twice every day and making yoghurt to send out to you.

16.01.2022 You may be wondering where our Greek yoghurt is... We make our Greek yoghurt in the traditional way, draining the whey out over time, to thicken the yoghurt. It takes twice as much milk to fill a jar of Greek yoghurt than a jar of natural mild yoghurt, and at present due to the continuing drought, we do not have enough milk to make it. We have also have to cut back on production of our flavoured lines, so they are in short supply too. We hope for good solid rain, so the pastures grow nourishing feed again for the cows, but none in sight yet, even in the longer term.

15.01.2022 Are the severe drought conditions we are currently experiencing, part of this picture? will our shortage of milk (and hence our cultured milk products) continue? How will the food supplies for the cities continue to be grown, harvested and produced? many questions...

12.01.2022 Solstice Greetings! All good wishes for the festive season from us all at the farm. Our new load of Demeter BD hay and the last bale from the previous truckload from Victoria. The dry cows after a good feed of hay.

09.01.2022 Crispy mornings!

08.01.2022 Still milking twice a day. We could not send out our yoghurt this week, as roads too dangerous for our truck. Making fetta with the milk. All thanks to a good generator and a lot of diesel. Elands is surrounded by fires and we are still waiting for it to come here, it gets closer and smokier every day.

08.01.2022 Winter evenings

08.01.2022 Beautiful falls of rain in January have started the greening and growing of the pasture. With the flooding rains at present, we have had a total rainfall to date this year of 523.5ml compared to a total for the whole of 2019 of 629.5ml ! A stark contrast. We are very grateful and so are the cows, the milk is flowing and we have not fed hay for two weeks! Photos are from December and this week.

07.01.2022 Winter solstice afternoon shower, then a rainbow!

07.01.2022 We are now officially in intense drought....still struggling for feed, but better off than many. Trees are dying in the bush on the way to Wingham, and many local creeks have stopped flowing. Luckily, we still have running water.

07.01.2022 For over a year, over 98 percent of NSW has been in drought. Our area, which normally receives ample rain, has not had its normal summer and autumn rainfall for over two years and the ground moisture levels are very low. This map from the NSW Dept of Primary Industry, shows our farm on the fringe of intense drought in the Hunter District...this and the current winter conditions, is why our milk production is significantly lower than usual, and why you may not be able to find the full range of our products all the time. We are trying to send out a good range every week, but are not able to fulfil orders. In spring, with freshly calved cows, our milk production should increase again. We appreciate your understanding and support.

04.01.2022 Thanks to good rains so far this year, our cows feed contentedly, oblivious to the corona virus and the turmoil in the world beyond.

02.01.2022 Happy New Year from the farm. January is the month of the wattle flowering here, soft and sweet scented. We are grateful to have had some rain at Christmas and since, so everything is greening but still not growing enough feed in the pastures to stop feeding hay to the cows. Also, very grateful that the fire threat has eased here.

02.01.2022 Posting on behalf of Organic & Regenerative Investment Co-operative in Victoria who are supporting certified bio-dynamic and organic farmers in this district with a load of certified hay and silage. A very generous and much appreciated gesture. Getting hold of certified feed is not always easy. We have just brought our fourth load of hay from Victoria in the last two years. Something we have never needed to do before.