Its feels like an understatement to say that we are incredibly lucky - especially when, in our greatest moments of need, people like Lindsey and Gekko show up to the farm.
These two beautiful humans who stared as volunteers, have grown from interns and apprentice goats herders, to gentle and capable farm hands and livestock managers. They have become integral additions to our farmily crew over the last few seasons.
They are off on a 3 month journey to the Wild West and back to check out other farms and for the general fun of going on an adventure. We are stoked for them but definitely already miss their presence on the farm.
Canât wait to hear the stories from your travels guys - and also canât wait to have you back đ
The goats are in the lower cultivation cleaning up the flurry and fury of spring.
Already pining for the cooler days of autumn and winter, as the heat really sinks its teeth up here. And each day we look out to the west and ask the heavens to spare us from hail.
The goats will always have something to eat, though, no matter how the garden fairsâŠ
@alphabetcafe Still one of the best brekkies in town.
There arenât many venues around that focus so closely on where they source their produce, and that care flows through all they create.
This is me, Phil, eating breakfast after doing maybe the 400th or so compost collection from their kitchen. At an average of 100kg per collection over 7 years, this is around 40 tonnes of organic material diverted to our farm to feed soil and community.
No wonder our fields are still green whilst the lawns of Brisbane go brown!!
#Loop #brisbanecafes
Collabs? Yes please. The most divine, chunky, juicy sprouting brocolli from the babes @loop.growers available in boxes and from the stand this week. Perfection from Alice x Phil đâ€
After picking nearly 2000 carrots last week - there sure is a lot to feed the worm farms đȘ± For the most part, we sell the whole vegetable to our customers - carrots with carrot tops, beets with beet tops, fennel with fennel tops. The whole product has been paid for regardless and being delivered within 24hrs of being picked, they are super fresh. Everything from root to tip is edible, so we give our chefs the chance to get creative and use as much as they can. The reality though is that it doesnât all get used in the kitchen - but that doesnât mean it goes to waste! Each week we collect everything our chefs couldnât put to use in the kitchens and bring it back to the farm to nourish our wriggley little friends. They turn all those skins, tops and roots into beautiful rich fertiliser that goes back into the soil to keep the biology thriving. Now, something that most people would have considered waste has been shown the respect it deserves and goes on to help feed the next generation of seeds sown on the farm. The cycle goes round and round and round if you allow it - no wonder weâre all a bit loopyâŠ
All this produce has been going to these places lately:
@alphabetcafe@allmyfriends.grocer@luckyduck._@riserbread@alfreshco_catering@samfordharvest
Well, this was one to remember! Filled to the brim with goat races, ring toss, wheely bin relays, trivia and raffle shenanigans. Not to forget the amazing feast put together by their cafe partners & friends. @loop.growers held quite the captivating and comical event to mark their re-launch and new website. Many good moments, but here are just a few snaps from the day â
Our new site is live!
The very talented @alexdrabsch has made a beautiful platform for us to share all things Loop. Most of the images are from @imogenjade.photo with a few from @georgelevi___ and our personal collections. Film content by Joel Weaver and Swen Rilhac.
Sit down, make a cuppa and have a read - we may be rivaling a Dr Bronnerâs Soap label with the amount of info we have put up there.
And donât forget - if youâre one of the lucky attendees coming to our sold out Food Yields Community Event this weekend, youâd better get studying - that Loop trivia isnât going to win itself!
đđđ
You know that feeling when youâre at the shop trying to decide between 800 different brands of eggs? Thereâs the kinda local but not organic ones, the bog standard free range option, the organic ones that cost 5 times the price, and the ones from a big egg company that come in plastic with a fancy label saying how eco they are. Which is less bad?! And why is this so hard?!
*runs out of supermarket screaming*
The way I make these decisions is to think holistically about it. Generally, the smaller and more local the farm, the more likely they are to care deeply about the earth they steward, the community theyâre a part of, and any soil, plants, water and animals in their care. The bigger the business, the more pressure they face to put profits before planet and people. The further away a business is, the more emissions are generated in processing, packaging and transport, and the more product shelf life is prioritised over quality. These arenât hard and fast rules, but theyâve helped me over the years. And of course, growing your own, foraging wild fruit trees, showing up at community garden working bees and making friends with gardeners are all great ways to get local spray-free and packaging-free produce for free.
What's your take on it all?
#brennaquinlan #artwithpurpose #permaculture #organicfoods
People. Plants. Place.
Getting that blend right seems the crucial marker for success on the landscape.
Knowing your plants opens up knowledge of your place. And it takes people to do the knowingâŠ
The rest is cream. (Dogs / goats / chooks)
Xx
