Purple Pear Farm in Anambah | Education

Purple Pear Farm

Locality: Anambah

Phone: +61 403 698 126

Address: 131 Anambah Road 2320 Anambah, NSW, Australia

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

Likes: 6876

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• Education
• Urban Farm

24.01.2022 Come and talk to us about CSA's - it is something you can do as a producer or consumer.

24.01.2022 Strawberries in our bathtub wicking beds. #wickingbeds #strawberries #seasonalvegies

24.01.2022 Haloumi burgers for dinner tonight with cheese made from our own cows milk. I also cooked and bottled the zucchini pickles that I prepped yesterday and they will go nicely on the burgers I think. *wonnarua country #dairycows #regenetativeagriculture #everybitcountschallenge #wastefree #producenowaste #pickles #preservingtheharvest #haloumicheese

24.01.2022 Meg McGowan takes a look at Mandala Gardens. Come see ours some time.

23.01.2022 What is the most used word on Purple Pear Farm? hint not permaculture it's Murray.What is the most used word on Purple Pear Farm? hint not permaculture it's Murray.

23.01.2022 Little hands potting up seeds on the farm today with @acacia.play. Upcycling strawberry punnets and egg cartons for a diy hot house. When the seed germinates and becomes too big for the punnet the egg cartons can be broken into 4 and each little seedling popped straight into the ground or a pot. #farmbasedchildrensactivities #permacultureliving #gardeningforchildren #letthechildrenplay @ Purple Pear Farm

23.01.2022 Graduation day for our PDC students. We missed you today @mareelowes. You would have loved all the design presentaions. They were all amazing. These guys continue on at the farm for the next 3 1/2 weeks to complete there 10 week internship.

23.01.2022 One of our beautiful interns @mareelowes in the #mandalamarketgarden . We spent a great afternoon working on seperate projects building habitats for beneficials. 7 centre circles for 7 interns. #permacultureinternship #permacultureliving

22.01.2022 One of our wonderful PDC students created this beautiful art work depicting what permaculture means to her. It has the ethics, principle, zones and sectors, patterns, water, energies in and out. So much in one illustration. Thanks Lorraine for beautiful art work and your friendship. #PDC #permacultureillustration #permacultureethics #permacultureprinciples

22.01.2022 I always feel inspired listening to Meg

22.01.2022 A new old structure going up over the wicking beds. A lesson for the interns in creating a micro climate. They needed to observe the summer sun patterns and place the structure for maximum effect. They consulted with the client ( me) as to what I'd like to grow over the structure and give me ideas of what would go best where for greatest effect. It's looking great with many found objects on the farm incorporated as well as the structure itself. More photos to come soon. #microclimates #wickingbeds #permacultureliving #Permaculturedesign #interns

22.01.2022 Here is an exciting opportunity , not just for these young people but for our valley, to see worthwhile benefits of youthful enthusiasm in the field of Good,Clean and Fair food.

22.01.2022 Plastic free July. Last day. This is a photo of Mark repairing his bee keeping gear. On this last day of #plasticfreejuly2020 my best tip is just stop, try your best to not buy any single use plastic. Educate yourself on the damage to the environment and animals that plastic causes. Do an audit. Find where in your life single use plastic enters your life. The kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry? Then decide if you even need to purchase the product. Can you do without? Can y...ou find an alternative? Reducing your consumption overall will cut down on single use plastic, and maybe even save you money. Repair what you have, upcycle, recycle. Do whatever you can to say no to plastic. And be kind to yourself and others. Stay safe. See more

21.01.2022 Hanging nettle to dry. As the weather warms up the stinging nettle will fade so I took the opportunity today to harvest some of the last patches I could find. I love stinging nettle as a tea with a little honey and lemon added. I also use it in soups and stews. Once dried this nettle will be jarred up for over summer. I've read that it starts to lose it's nutritional value after 6 months. Just in time for the next lot to start growing #catchandstoreenergy #obtainayield #everybitcountschallenge #foragedweeds #homesteading #radicalhomemaker #permacultureliving @ Purple Pear Farm

21.01.2022 I freeze excess berries on a tray and then store them in a reusable recycled sealable bag. The berries freeze separately which means I can take out just what I need . They are not frozen into a big clump. I use them to make smoothies or icecream or wait until I have a kilo or 2 and make jam. #seasonalpreserves #preserving #everybitcountschallenge #producenowaste #jam #smoothies #homesteading #resilience

20.01.2022 The tomatoes winding along the edge between orchard and mandalas #tomatoes #edges #manadalamarketgarden

20.01.2022 Something new for us on facebook. We ask that you write a review so if you have had a positive experience at Purple Pear Farm or indeed on line please take a little time to write a review and we will be most grateful.

20.01.2022 Here I am talking about what we did in isolation. @pandemicalhabits #reskilling #permaculture #resilience

19.01.2022 A lesson in drip irrigation for our interns means our potatoes now have water. Yay #potatoes #seasonalvegies #homegrownveggies #internship #permacultureliving

18.01.2022 Pizza today for lunch. What a beautiful way to celebrate our last lunch together. Thanks guys. #woodfiredpizza #interns

18.01.2022 Here are some opportunities opening up in our community.

18.01.2022 This week there has been soap making, cheesemaking and learning to make sprouts. Skills for living a permaculture life. This is on top of learning new farm skills like drip irrigation and learning to milk a cow. Our interns have had a very busy week. They also help out on CSA harvest days, and take a turn in cooking for us all. And this week they have managed to fit in the painting of a mural on our out door kitchen. #permacultureliving #skillsforsustainableliving #permaculture #resilience #soapmaking #cheesemaking #sprouts

18.01.2022 We got the first of our tomato seedlings in. These run down the side of our market garden, forming an edge between the mandalas and the citrus orchard #permacultureinternship #tomatoes #manadalamarketgarden

17.01.2022 We have an abundance of broccoli side shoots at the moment so I've decided to preserve some by freezing. Blanche for 3 mins then cool under cold running water and pop into recycled ziplock bags ( they seem to turn up here from various sources) and put them in the freezer. I freeze them in meal size quantities and will use them in stirfries and a pasta dish that I learnt from an ex WWOOFER @elisabetta_florenceondemand when we visited Italy with @slowfoodhuntervalley a few years ago. In summer, when we don't grow broccoli it will be lovely to have a little taste of this yummy vegetable in a few special meals. #preservingtheharvest #catchandstoreenergy @ Purple Pear Farm

17.01.2022 Freezing lime juice today for the #everybitcountschallenge. I freeze the juice in ice cube trays and then put them in a reusable plastic bag to make it easy to use what I need. #catchandstoreenergy #permacultureliving #preservingtheharvest #seasonalpreserves #homesteading

16.01.2022 And so it begins. So grateful for our amazing interns who all come with their own skills and talents which we always try to encourage. We asked if any one was an artist as we'd like a mural on our out door kitchen. The response was amazing and here is Mat drawing up his design. In the dark using an overhead projector, (always new it would come in handy one day). The other guys are eager to help with some painting. #creativeendeavors #internship #murals

16.01.2022 Spring on the farm #diversity #spring #farmlife

16.01.2022 Our newest little farm member. Mari which means kangaroo in Wonnarua language. We use auspicious happenings here on the farm to name our calves. Last week we had an injured kangaroo here on the farm and Mark wanted to name the calf to remind us of it's life. #dairycows #calves

16.01.2022 You can catch us on @bhgaus this Friday night with @fastedmedia, in our matching yellow. #permacultureliving

15.01.2022 Presentation of designs take many forms on our PDC's. We are always excited and pleasantly surprised by the the work that the students put into this part of the course. We have set the dates for our next Permaculture Design Course. February 15th to 26th 2021. Bookings can be made through Eventbrite.

15.01.2022 The last week for these fantastic people. The seven interns have spent ten weeks here learning permaculture farming, living and designing. Each of them did a PDC with us and spent the remaining time putting it all into practice.They have delved into biodynamics, holistic management animal care and so much more. Here they are making some adobe for earthbuilding and they put a cow manure render on our straw bale composting toilet. Such a great group of people. We will miss them.

13.01.2022 These people grow amazing produce ... would you like to work there?

13.01.2022 Getting through isolation didn't change things much for us except that all our events were cancelled. This gave us time to welcome some wonderful young people to the farm. Alex, Boris and Innes, thank you so much for your time and help. We got a few projects finished.

12.01.2022 Are you ready for Biodynamics? Here is an opportunity to find out more than you need to get a regenerative future underway.

12.01.2022 Still getting tomatoes. Warm temperate without the black frosts of the past couple of years. #seasonalproduce #tomatoes #warmtemperate

12.01.2022 We have 3 CSA boxes available for the summer season. Boxes shown are an indication only. We'll be picking fresh in the morning. A CSA is a subscription, wheteby customers pay up front at the beginning of each season for a weekly share. This weeks box will include cucumber, zucchini, berries, potatoes, silverbeet, lettuce, beetroot, beans, herbs. Coming on in the next few weeks are tomatoes, eggplant and corn. #csaboxes #csaausnz #csa #mandalamarketgarden #eatlocalgrown #supportlocalgrowers #permaculturefarm

12.01.2022 A lovely group of mums and bubs visited the farm this morning. They fed the geese, visited the goats, cow and pigs, and wondered through the #manadalamarketgarden. Two mums took home a box of freshly picked produce . And the children just loved the guinea pigs. We still have some places available for Wednesday. Bookings essential. #permacultureliving #mumsandbubs #childrensfarmactivities #chickentractors #farmfeshproduce #farmexperience

12.01.2022 Food for the soul. We love to plant flowers and the insects love them too. These flowers are paper daisies that I germinated from seeds that Mark gave me for Christmas. Seeds from @theseedcollection @mareelowes #paperdaisies #diversity

12.01.2022 For today's preserving challenge I had the children help me shell the dried borlotti beans at @acacia.play . Just a small amount but #everybitcountschallenge #catchandstoreenergy #obtainayield #permacultureliving #radicalhomemaker #homesteading @ Purple Pear Farm

11.01.2022 The Colby didn't set!!! So Mark made it into a soft cheese, combined it with eggs and cream fresh from the farm and turned it all into a baked cheesecake. The best cheesecake ever. #cheesecake #farmfreshproduce #cheesemaking #permacultureliving #producenowaste #regenerativeagriculture #homesteading #homebasedeconomy #seasonaleating

10.01.2022 Day 9 of our PDC. We focused on social permaculture today and had an excursion out to @shepherdsgroundnsw. Thanks Lucy for taking us through the history, legal structures, their vision and so much more. Thank you @sallyfromthehuntervalley for showing us through your hempcrete house. #pdc #permaculture #hempcrete #ecovillage

10.01.2022 Interns ( and a baby) have a lesson in natursl dyeing. Thankyou @petalsandport #permacultureliving #internship #naturaldyeing

09.01.2022 Spring is sprung The grass is ris I wonder where the birdie is The bird is on the wing I've heard But I know the wing is on the bird... (Author unknown to me) #spring See more

09.01.2022 The preserving has begun. After our CSA members get their share, the excess is preserved. In this case berry jam, stewed peaches and zucchini pickles. And Mark is making either cheese or butter everday.... #everybitcountschallenge #preservingtheharvest #jam #pickles #seasonalproduce #producenowaste cheesemaking #haloumi #butter

09.01.2022 Let's rethink how we nurture our children

08.01.2022 I spent the morning cleaning up the paths between the berry rows. They were covered with new season canes making it a very prickly walk when picking the berries. Yesterday afternoon as I was picking the berries I was thinking that I would be safe from snakes because it would be too prickly for them to slither along the paths. Just as I was finishing I looked down and saw a snake skin!!!. There goes my theory about snakes not liking the prickles, probably helped with the skin shedding So lovely clear paths for me now. #snakeskins #snakes #caneberries #farmlife

08.01.2022 Do you ever lie awake at night wondering how we're going to get out of this mess? Do you feel paralysed after reading the news because there is so much to do? D...o you go to work each day to pay the bills and carry guilt that you're not doing enough? Do you feel exhausted because you're trying to do it all, and there's no space left for self care? No single person is going to turn around climate change or bring about social justice. That burden doesn't rest on your shoulders alone. Instead, it is shared by a global movement of inspired and active people, projects and communities. Together we save forests, lobby for climate policy, strengthen local food networks and support the next generation. So figure out what makes you come alive, and put that good energy towards the cause. You do your bit while I do mine, and together we can achieve more than either of us could alone. Creating drawings like this one is what makes me come alive. If you'd like to support my work, check out my Patreon account https://www.patreon.com/brennaquinlan. Those who sign up in the next few days will be sent a limited edition 'resistance is fertile' sticker because, well, stickers! #climateaction #doyourbit #communityovercompetition

07.01.2022 Our new tank is in. Along with two full irrigation ponds and another 2 full tanks up near the house and now this one, we should be able to make it through the summer. This tank is being filled by a solar pump from two small dams at the front of our property. These dams have great catchment and fill easily with any half decent rain. So as long as we get some rain ofver summer ( fingers crossed) we should be able to keep filling this new tank. That's the plan anyway. #watertanks #storingwater #mandalamarketgarden #droughtproofing

07.01.2022 Some vegies and plants for sale on the farm during @acacia.play #farmstall #plantsforsale

06.01.2022 Living a permaculture life is as much a part of our internship as learning how to build fences( which was the focus this week). So today we started the process of making apple cider vinegar using waste apples from @organicfeast.com.au.. Apples were chopped up and placed in the barrel. These were covered with rain water and some vinegar from our last batch, which contains the mother to get the whole thing started. The lid contains an air lock which allows gases out. We'll check on the vinegar once a month to see how it's going.

06.01.2022 Berries, berry close #caneberries #permacultureliving #CSA #csaausnz #marketgarden

06.01.2022 The pantry shelves are starting to fill. We moved our washing machine out of the laundry and converted it to a walk in pantry. It holds all our bulk goods as well as our preserves. I've just added the pickles and jam that I recently made. This room is dark and cool like a little cave, great for storing food. #pantry #preservingtheharvest... #homesteading #resilience #producenowaste #bulkbuys See more

05.01.2022 Cauliflower and onion with a small handful of salt. Let sit overnight and in the morning I'll turn it into mustard pickles. These pickles go beautifully with our home made cheese. #everybitcountschallenge #obtainayield #seasonalproduce #preservingtheharvest #permacultureliving #catchandstoreenergy #cauliflower #pickles

05.01.2022 We are getting 9 litres of milk everyday from our cow Mollie. That's a lot to get through, so to ensure nothing is wasted we turn most of it into something else. Today I made enough yoghurt to last a few weeks and Mark's in the dairy shed making our butter. #dairycow #yoghurtmaking #butter #producenowaste

05.01.2022 Are you ready for an investor or retiring farmer? Imagine I gave you a call right now and I said, Mary, there is a retiring farmer/investor who has picked you ...out of the database as they see you have the same values as them and want to farm in a way they want to farm and also want to farm in their preferred location. This would be an amazing phone call, and we are making more and more of them. But would you be ready to jump onto the opportunity? Do you have the skills to run a farm and make it profitable? Could you pull apart a farm business and identify what needs to be improved, or could you develop a proposal on a farm that the investor might want to invest? Do you have the financial management skills, have you worked on farms, have you managed a business, do you have advisors to call upon? We want you to be ready as these opportunities are coming. We want to point investors and retiring farmers to the best farmers and you need to be the best. So please do a skills audit and find ways to fill your skill gaps. #cultivatefarms #aspiringfarmers #retiringfarmers #investors #farmownership #farmopportunity #farmmatching #farmmatched #farming #farmers #farmownership #farmpathway #regionalcommunity #aussieag

04.01.2022 All 7 interns adding their touch today. Thanks for your committment guys, especially @mathieucarlot who worked on the mural last night in the dark so he could use the overhead projecter to copy the design, and @growthewild who will help him tonight, again in the dark to paint the outlines. #internship #mural #artisticprocess

04.01.2022 We believe that the best way to get onto your farm is to start farming yourself. If you are already running a farm operation using your own money and making sac...rifices, then this is the number 1 best way to prove to a retiring farmer or investor that you are worth backing. If you are good with your own money, then you will be good with theirs. You are most likely not going to be able to buy a farm on your own. So you need others. Therefore your focus is on impressing people. The best way to convince people to back you is to impress people that you are a farmer and determined to own a farm. We know it is hard to find, but keep a focus on finding land to lease and setting up a small version of your ideal farm. Get a herd of 10 cattle, start growing mushrooms, do whatever you can to show you are on a trajectory to have your own farm. You know how hard it is, but you want to show everyone you are determined to farm. #cultivatefarms #aspiringfarmers #retiringfarmers #investors #farmownership #farmopportunity #farmmatching #farmmatched #farming #farmers #farmownership #farmpathway #regionalcommunity #aussieag

03.01.2022 Excess milk in the fridge leads me to make yoghurt. This extends the life of the milk as well as providing something delicious and nutritious to eat over the next few weeks. #everybitcountschallenge #permacultureliving #catchandstoreenergy #homesteading #radicalhomemaker #frugalliving

03.01.2022 Once a month we go down to Newcastle for the @figtree_community_garden working bee. To day we spent some time cleaning up and using some fallen leaves to add to some food scraps from @momowholefood to make compost. Looking forward to the time when we get a more local community garden in Maitland. #communitygardening #permaculture #compost #producenowaste

02.01.2022 Morning tea for the crew. Mulberry cobbler, requested again by the interns. I said you pick them I'll make it. #mulberrycobbler #interns #seasonaleating

02.01.2022 Today I destemmed and jarred up some lemon verbena that I dried a little while ago. I'm joining in with Jessica @threerivershomestead and preserving something every day. Of course our biggest preserving time is summer and autumn and here it's winter. But I'm going to try and find something, anything to preserve each day. It's motivated me to finally get around to drying a few more herbs for tea. #everybitcountschallenge #catchandstoreenergy #permacultureliving

02.01.2022 Thanks Elizabeth. We had a lovely afternoon hosting Slow Foods Singleton. For any one interested we have a Day on the Farm scheduled for 27th June. Bookings essential. Pay what you can.

01.01.2022 7 and a half jars of cauliflower pickles. I just used my standard mustard pickles recipe that I use for chokos and tomatoes. Onion amd cauliflower and a small handful of salt left overnight. Drain the liquid off and add vinegar enough to just cover the cauli and onion. Boil for 10 mins, add 500 grms sugar. Boil for an hour. Add 1.5 tblsp of curry and mustard powder with half cup of flour. Boil til mixture thickens. Pour into warm to hot jars and add lid. Lid should pop when the jar cools. If not reheat and use a diffetent lid. #everybitcountschallenge #cauliflower #seasonalpreserves #homesteading #catchandstoreenergy

01.01.2022 Peach cake for morning tea using our own butter and eggs and the stewed peaches I made with some of our peaches. #bounty #seasonaleating #peachcake #peaches

01.01.2022 The end of the day beer. The guys got all the posts in as well as the on the top. We are so grateful to everyone who turned up. We had such a great morning. Scroll along to see more of work and workers. Amazing what can be acieved with community. #barnraising #permacultureliving #community

01.01.2022 Just a few photos of our precious new baby. #dairycow #smallfarmlife #permaculturelifestyle #calf

01.01.2022 "A bioregional economy is one that grows niches around the habitats available to it. This is true for all living beings and it also applies to our species."