Hello from Bimbimbi Farm

5 posts

Member for

7 years 11 months
Last seen: 05/04/2016 - 23:41
Joined: 05/02/2016 - 23:57

Hello from Bimbimbi Farm

Hi and I'm one of those excited farming people.smiley

 

We sold up last year after toying with the idea of farming, looking at ways to but property and negative/positive gear, looked at homes, looked at what was required for us to do what we wanted to do, and realised that we'd be mortgaged to the hilt, so bit the bullet, sold the house, bought some land, 33 acres, perfect for our vision of growing berries, and I have become the YouTube Farmer. (disclaimer - the husband comes from a farming background) but me, I'm a web developer and taking my tech savvy ideas and ability to Google the $h!t out of everything for answers.. which may or may not be right. :-D

But seriously, we've bought land and building from scratch, and I mean scratch - just imagine opening the gate and there it is.. 1 big paddock with a hay shed and a few trees, and that's us so the last few months have been about purchasing equipment to help us do our job. Bruce the 25 yo Massey Ferguson has been one of our best buys with only 970 hours clocked up when we bought it.  (Moved hay around paddocks in a dairy farm which I was told equates to little old ladies driving their cars to church on Sundays)  I have clocked up about 30 hours on Bruce with training from patient husband and I have learnt most farm implements we need, and the hours and hours and HOURS of driving to get them.

Where we're at at the moment? ..waiting for the bore, paid out the price of a small child for power to the block because this vision of going solar was just too risky, and building fences and infrastructure has seen us gather these implements in our property that I originally thought, when going past farms, was just farmers being hoarders!! (I'm embarrassed, I didn't know but I do know now, so sorry guys for offending anyone, but having gone to some clearance sales, there could be a wee bit of truth in the fact)

I'm doing a farm course at the moment targetted for small business / micro farming and I guess berries is just that.  Blueberries, Strawberries and Raspberries, some outside, some under greenhouse which gets delivered in three weeks for my husband and I to build. (16 X 30m three gutter system)

We called our property Bimbimbi (aboriginal for place of many birds) which is ironic that we're growing berries which birds can cause 100% failure in blueberry crops, but we're working on solving that.

I love the country but I do tell my friends it's dreadful, stay in the city, you'll hate it here, no traffic lights for miles and miles.. visit but go back to the carparks you call freeways because if you forget the milk it's a long drive to the shops. And yet now I see more of our friends who come up to visit us to escape that busy city life. Go figure..

I'm so happy, so scared, yet, looking forward to the next 6 - 12 months as we're in the thick of getting things moving.

That's me in a nutshell for now.

I've setup a YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/c/BimbimbiFarmAU

I would love to have a story good enough to motivate more people to move into farming and offer a hungry world great food, a tremendous lifestyle and absolutely fantastic country people. 

Nina

Forums
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 10/22/2012 - 11:13
Now that was a really great read. BUT farmers are not hoarders, all that junk may come in handy one day! Cheers Rob.
Last seen: 09/17/2019 - 18:07
Joined: 11/23/2011 - 09:38

Hi Nina,

Yes, Rob is right about the equipment. We farmers and graziers are the original re-cyclers. Never throw anything away because it may come in handy one day. A bolt here a length of channel iron there from an old piece of machinery, can be used used for repairing or even making something else. Or, in the case of my place, some old pipe and deformed bar, turned into a nifty and very useful wire spinner for fencing, with a little strategic cutting and welding. A comercial one that it not half as sturdy costs upwards of $200.00.

 

When I first moved here with my late husband many years ago, it was difficult to get used to the quiet after spending my entire working life in an office. However, now after these many years, I would consider it a gaol sentence to be forced to move back to the city. In other words, I have grown to love the peace and quiet and have made many friends here.

 

Each morning I can look out of the window and see my cattle and goats grazing along with the wallabies and kangaroos. Many species of parrots visit my garden: King parrots, Scarlet winged parrots, three varieties of Lorrikeets and many other species of birds, each in their season including flocks of budgies on their annual visit from Numea and scarlett honey eaters. My idea of paradise.

 

Wishing you all the best and I hope you keep enjoying your life in the country,

Barb

 

Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 05/31/2015 - 10:27
Hi Nina, I love your energy, it is a bit contagious I think. Treasure, is what that pile of rusty metal is! It was one of the things I was overjoyed at when buying my place, I have multiple piles of treasure! Unfortunately one pile is located in a winter creek, the old timers were not as environmentally conscious as we are today. Your plans sound glorious, working from a blank canvas is exciting. Too much googling can get confusing, farmer Google has many differing opinions! Read everything I say, believe half of it but try most of it anyway!
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 11/20/2016 - 16:46

Hi Nina,

Great to hear about your farming adventures.  I am planning on venturing into farming myself for quite sometime and I am a novice.  Would be great to get as much advice possible.  Can I pay a visit to your farm and steal some knowledge of yours ?

 

Thanks

Nagesh

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