Information and Articles

Small producer case study: gourmet pickled walnuts (Part 1)

Small landholders, Andrew and Bettina Pretsel, are giving pickled walnuts a new lease of life and turning a small niche product into a hit with gourmet food customers.

Andrew and Bettina share their experience and advice for bringing to life this seldom seen ‘forgotten food’ including why they chose such a niche product, what it takes to grow, harvest and market pickled walnuts and what they have learnt along the way.

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Farming ideas

Older style farm fuel tanks might have done the job for decades, but with fuel prices at a premium, environmental regulations tightening and tax breaks on offer, there’s no better time to investigate new options to improve efficiency and ensure compliance.

When old tanks have become c

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Machinery & products

When Jamie and Lara McCall followed their dream and moved to the ‘country’, they started a journey that would lead to running a thriving organic farm and farmstay business.

Work timetable
With so much happening on the farm throughout the year, the McCall family have learnt to plan and prioritise their time. All crops and activities are carefully chosen to fit into their schedule so that no part of the farm is neglected and they are not constantly exhausted from trying to achieve too much.

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Farming ideas

Many farming procedures and machinery rely on a steady supply of electricity to operate successfully. With the increased uptake of new technology the demand for electrical power on farms is increasing. A shortage of power is a major challenge for most farmers, but generators can provide innovative solutions to power problems.

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Machinery & products

The Rural Living Handbook is a guide to help rural landholders experience the wonderful aspects of rural life as well as to raise awareness of the risks and responsibilities that come with that lifestyle. It is for:

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News

When Jamie and Lara McCall followed their dream and moved to the ‘country’, they started a journey that would lead to running a thriving organic farm and farmstay business.

They've diversified their farming enterprise to include bungalows and organic products (e.g. fruit, vegetables, honey, olive oil, wine) that are sold through local farmers' markets and to visitors.

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Farming ideas

Running a farm can present a wide range of challenges that require innovative solutions. Electricity supply is one of those variables that is often not reliable and loss of power can result in a loss of productivity and profit as well as greater complications for facilities requiring constant heat or cooling systems or mechanical ventilation.

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Machinery & products

Anton and Fiona Bombara are seasoned organic growers.

Critical skills
The Bombara's believe that observation and timing are the two most critical skills required in organic production.

“We learnt a lot empirically — making mistakes, observing the effects, applying what we considered to be the solution and then assessing the results."

"By observation we determined optimal planting and harvest times according to insect life cycles."

"We wanted to grow a variety of crops to get away from ‘one-crop’ farming," said Fiona.

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Getting started

Anton and Fiona Bombara are seasoned organic growers.

Their organic market garden business in the Peel region of Western Australia has flourished from a part-time enterprise growing only watermelon, tomatoes and capsicum to a full-time business employing four additional staff and producing a wide range of summer and winter crops.

The Bombara's are 'idealists' and started with organics because they wanted to be able to produce better quality food in a way which wasn’t destructive to the land.

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Getting started

A significant water weed has been removed from an Armadale waterway after a member of the public reported a sighting to the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Water hyacinth is a declared weed in Western Australia

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Weeds & Pests