Hi, how are you?
Of course, I had grand plans to write here every month, but I just can’t believe that it’s April this week. Crazy.
The last few months have been great—productive and lots of fun. On the family front, Benji celebrated his 50th birthday on the 1st of March. My sister, her husband, Benji and I went to Japan to celebrate. We spent a week there and had the best time. The first few days were spent in Tokyo, and then we took the bullet train to a town called Kanazawa. We hadn’t been before, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s like Kyoto but smaller, with very few tourists. There’s a long history of samurai in the town, and the sites are just stunning. We will definitely return when we go back to Japan.
The morning we flew home, I surprised Benji and had arranged for his family to gather for a weekend at the beach. Eden and her partner flew in as a surprise as well. We spent a couple of days swimming, cooking lots of food, and playing board games. It was just perfect.
From the beach, we drove straight back out to the farm, where we’ve spent the last few weeks. I’ve been working in the garden as we transition from the last of the summer produce into the winter crops. The tomatoes, beans, and zucchini are hanging in there but will probably finish in the next week or so when the real cold comes. The dahlias and zinnias too.
I’ve planted out most of the winter produce—spinach, silverbeet, broad beans, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, radish, coriander, beetroot, and lettuce.
The chooks are doing okay. I love Freddy the rooster, but the hens are pretty useless, to be honest. They rarely lay, even in the warmer months, and they don’t like scraps. I’m thinking of keeping Freddy but trading the girls for some new hens in the warmer months. I’ll wait and see.
The cattle are doing well, although we haven’t had much rain over summer (which is usually our rainy season), so it’s very dry now. Cattle auctions have been selling stock by the thousands lately, as farmers offload due to concerns about feed. We have 16 head on 50 acres and two dams—one is nearly empty, but the other is about three-quarters full. We also have the bore if we need it.
I’ve spent many of the warmer days inside, in front of the computer. While I was in Japan, I finally decided to start scheduling some events here on the farm. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time, but I was doubting myself and waiting for everything to feel “perfect.” I decided to stop worrying and just give it a go.
I realised the Autumn Festival was only a few weeks away—a big event for Tenterfield that brings in lots of visitors—so I reached out to the coordinator. She was so supportive and offered to help with advertising. Once I got her response, I kind of just jumped in.
I’ve now scheduled a few High Teas in the paddock, long lunches, and workshops. I started with a knitting workshop and will add a gardening one, as well as a Homesteader Experience, where you can come and immerse yourself in farm life for the day.
As I said, I’ve wanted to host events here for a while, but my insecurities have held me back. I’m feeling good now that they’re scheduled and am really looking forward to sharing our farm with people.
The reasons I want to do this are the same as when I started back in Lauriston. It’s about giving people the opportunity to spend time on a farm—to connect with nature, the food they eat, and each other. And maybe learn something new along the way. It feels even more important now, in such a digital world, to create space for real, human connection. Benji and I talk about this a lot. We’re not against AI—we can see its place—but we both feel strongly about protecting that human connection.
I will say, though, that over the past few weeks I’ve also been carrying a kind of heaviness. Watching what’s happening in the world, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed at times. I’ve found myself feeling quite small in it all—unsure what I can really do, or how to make any difference. It can feel a bit hopeless if I sit in it too long. I don’t have any clear answers, but I do find myself coming back to this place, to the garden, to feeding people, to creating spaces where people can gather. It feels like something. Maybe small, but still something.
I’ve also started building an online shop—a place to share some of the things I love and offer you a little piece of our farm. I’ve uploaded a knitting pattern and have started working on my focaccia ebook.
Another thing I’ll be adding soon is a collection of posters—photos we’ve taken around the farm that capture small, quiet moments. Dahlias in bloom, garlic being planted, a basket of freshly picked tomatoes. I love these images and wanted to turn them into something you could bring into your home. A little reminder of the beauty in the seasons.
I’ve been working on these for several months now and just want to make sure the layout feels right before I upload them to the website. I can’t wait to show you.
Anyway, I must go. I’m writing this from the dining room table in Brisbane. I’m here for a few days, spending time with Kobi and Maya. My parents are taking us to see the Michael Jackson show at QPAC tomorrow night—have you seen it?
I hope everything is wonderful in your world.
Tash xxx
