350 acres on the escarpment 10 min from Byron Bay, adjacent to small remnants of subtropical rainforest. We run 150 cattle and grow pecans. We are pursuing biological farming practices. We are active in Landcare and are replanting the Riparian zones on the farm.
Volunteering includes cattle handling, fencing, maintenance of rainforest plantings, weeding, harvesting of pecans, and vegetable gardening.
Accommodation for 4 in our home as family with flexible meals. No children. No smoking inside.
To meet interesting travellers and to get some help with our farm tasks. Over the past 23 years we have met many wwoofers and are still in contact with some. It is lovely to have them return for a visit with husband and children in tow. It also provides us with contact around the world when we go travelling. When we first joined we didn’t realise there would be these benefits. As we harvest pecans every year, we find wwoofers very helpful in this process. As well as harvesting the nuts, we also sort and dry them before selling them to a cooperative. As well as farm benefits, we also enjoy some of the meals cooked for us as some wwoofers enjoy cooking outside the hostel environment. As our children are now grown up and left home, the wwoofers provide company for us as well as help. Good mwwoofers are a delight to have around the home.
Organic/Biological methods we use
Our cattle are grazed rotationally around the property, usually moved daily. This allows them to graze fresh grass every day.
As part of a local Landcare group, we have planted the Riparian zones with local rainforest species. Once shaded, the creek banks are free from weeds, allowing the water to run clear. The trees have also encouraged the return of rainforest birds and other species, both in the water and on the land.
The pecans are harvested in late April, May and June. They are fertilized with locally brewed fish and seaweed hydrolysates. The pecans are cleaned from sticks and leaves and dried before sale.
