A little piece of my heart

I have never written about my long, deep love affair with Japan. The place that stole a little piece of my heart many years ago…

I was 15 the first time I went to Japan. I had been studying Japanese in high school and was offered to do a six week exchange program. It was arranged that I would stay with a host family in a little town called Heguri, not far from Nara. Not that that meant anything to me at the time! I was also told that my host family consisted of two host sisters, Noriko and Yukiko, host Mum, Machiko, and Dad, Toshio.. These four people welcomed me into their home and their hearts. My Japanese family became my family and because of them I feel in love with the extraordinary people, the rich culture, the delicious food. I fell in love with Japan.

When I was four years old I started dance classes. Dance became my life. I had lessons several times a week from primary school age and as the years went past, was regularly performing and competing with my dance studio up until my final years of high school. After finishing high school I auditioned with a international dance company that took dance troupes overseas. I was fortunate enough to do two contracts in Japan. It was such an incredible time. I was performing each night and during the day I would be explore the local towns, take Japanese lessons, and sometimes work in the hotel cafe. It really felt like a home away from home. A place where I felt so deeply connected to the people and their beautiful way of life. My love deepened.

Twenty years passed until I would return to Japan. This time I took my Benji, for his 40th birthday. He had never been to Japan and I wanted to show him the Japan that I remembered. The Japan I loved. I wanted him to see the amazing cities and the tiny onsen towns, I wanted him to meet the kind, considerate, fascinating people. We spent a few nights in Tokyo, Kyoto, one of my favourite towns, Kinosaki Onsen, and then the absolute highlight was going back to Heguri and spending a couple of nights with my host family!!
I can’t tell you what it meant to see them again and for my Benji to meet them.
It was everything.
Benji fell in love with Japan that trip. I asked him yesterday if there was one thing that stole his heart and he said, ‘ it wasn’t one thing, it was all the little things. All those little things combined make Japan Japan’.
I wholeheartedly agree.

So when Benji read the article about Japan’s housing crisis and the drastic decline in the population it deeply concerned us. Is there something that we could do? Perhaps by buying an Akiya we could restore life back into an old home and save a little piece of Japanese history. Could we find a way to help rebuild these rural communities that are being left and forgotten? Benji has worked with small rural towns here in Australia that are struggling with diminishing population. Maybe together we could a find way to help….
The homes we saw were so beautiful. So beautiful. Some were over 100 years old. Most were farmer’s homes.
The craftsmanship was exquisite. There are no screws or nails used in most these traditional homes so you can imagine the detail and structural precision. There were massive exposed wooden beams spanning rooms, shoji screens made with bamboo and rice paper, tatami mats that smelt of rice straw, a sunken hearth that reminded me of how heating and cooking was traditionally done and hand painted doors of typical traditional scenes that I stood drinking in, trying to take in all the intricate details. As I walked around these homes, taking in the beauty of all these gorgeous features, I was also confronted with the sad reality that not only were the physical structures of these buildings being left to decay but a significant part of a person’s life. Someone’s home.
Some of these homes were still filled with the owners belongings. Completely left as if he or she would be returning later in the day. Bowls on the tables. Slippers at the entrance. Family photos hanging on the walls.
It was devastating to see not just a house, but a person’s home being completely abandoned.
I would have loved to have bought all the Akiyas we saw. I wanted to save them all. I wanted to bring light, warmth, laughter and memories into these homes. I wanted to do this for the previous owners and for my Japan.
We didn’t buy one this trip. Some of the houses were beyond repair or required a lot of money to repair.
Some of the houses were situated in places with extremely difficult access or on a busy road. Also, the prefecture we decided to focus on, Nagano, gets a substantial amount of snow during winter and the reality of that became obvious when we were there in Spring as it was still very, very cold. We could still see the dampness on the houses from the snow, which had caused a lot of rot. There was no insulation in the homes and very little heating which would again require a lot of work and expense. As much as I wanted to buy one of those beautiful homes I also feel a deep sense of responsibility to make sure we buy the right one…sure it will be wonderful to have a home in Japan but for us it is so much more than that…

Love Tash xxx

P..S. We are heading back to Japan soon as we can and explore further south where it is warmer…

Akiya

Benji and I are about to jump on a plane to Japan. This time it is not just a holiday. We have an idea.
A new project… But firstly I want to tell you about life here in Kingscliff. It has been a year since we moved into our little house by the beach.
The kids have settled into their new school and are loving it. They are going to a Steiner school in Mullumbimby called Shearwater. It is a wonderful school and perfectly suited to our family. Eden is in Year 12, Kobi is now in Year 10, and Maya in Year 9. They are busy with friends, playing music, playing tennis, swimming, learning to drive, going to music festivals, and hanging out with family.
Ben is still doing projects in Victoria and New South Wales and has also started doing little bits of work up this way again. Fortunately he doesn’t need to travel too often and now when he does go back to Melbourne he gets to visit old friends and eat a delicious meal at one our old favourite places. He swims at the beach at least twice a day, regularly goes to the gym, surfs with me occasionally, and generally just loves exploring the little beach towns and hinterland of Northern New South Wales.
I moved here knowing I would need to find something for myself. The farm had given me so many extraordinary projects. I knew I needed to find something here. My first priority was the children. Ensuring they were settled and happy. Once they had settled, then it was my turn. I stalled for a while. Quite a while. Finding that ‘something’ was a little harder than I had anticipated. To be honest I felt completely lost and deeply lonely. I started looking for a small parcel of land, then thought perhaps moving closer to the kids school to an old house that I could renovate and turn into something special, might be an option, then I decided to start a Urban Farming project. The ideas were all motivated by my love to grow and the possibility to recreate or restore a space into something special. During my search for land I contacted a local farmer to ask if I could lease some land from them. The owner, Michele, responded by saying that they were unable to offer me a parcel of land but would I consider coming to work on her farm, Farm & Co. I started working there about a year ago, couple of days a week. I work in their market gardens, feed the animals and serve in their farm stall. It is the most beautiful environment surrounded by people who are passionate about growing food and connecting with the land. I also have leased a couple of people’s yards in and around town to grow my own vegetables and vegetables for the families that own the yards. I had thought about taking numerous yards and spaces and possibly selling to the local community but at this stage I am very happy with the two gardens as I am still discovering what it means to garden in the sub-tropics. In between my shifts up at Farm & Co and helping Benji with his business, I take weekly surf lessons, Japanese lessons and pottery classes. All of which I love.
So after a pretty uncertain year, where I was feeling a bit lost, I have finally realised that this little beach town has given me the opportunity to spend lots of quality time with my family, an opportunity to grow food but not needing my own land or farm to do so, and the opportunity to learn new things that I may not have had the chance to do if we hadn’t moved here. And when it comes to my wish to restore and recreate……well, that is why we are flying to Japan.
A few months ago, Benji saw a post on social media about “Abandoned Houses” in Japan. We wanted to learn more. We started reading about Japan’s declining population and that a large portion of young families are moving away from the small towns and villages and prefer to live in the major cities and in new homes.

Here is one of the articles we read:
https://www.rethinktokyo.com/free-houses-japan-countryside

This is obviously having a massive impact on the smaller towns and villages throughout Japan. It is estimated that there are around 9 million abandoned homes throughout Japan - that are just sitting there. Abandoned. 9 million. The Japanese word for an abandoned home is Akiya.
The Japanese government are using a “Free House” scheme to try and encourage young families to move back out to the towns and villages by offering minimal rent over a long period of time and eventually the family owning the home out right. We wondered if there was a possibility of buying one… An Australian can buy a house in Japan… We are able to visit without a visa for up to 90 days, twice a year….We found websites called Akiya Banks that listed thousands of Akiyas for sale. There are some beautiful old Japanese homes in rural Japan. Some of these home are over 100 years old. Some have been sitting empty for decades.
We would like to buy a little home and bring it back to life. Hopefully helping the local community in some way and sharing this space in Japan in some form..
We have lots of ideas.
Tomorrow we fly to Japan in search of that little Akiya.
Wish us luck!

Tash xxx

I want to tell you..

It will be no surprise to those of you that have followed my journey over the years how sporadic I am with writing here and ‘keeping up’ with social media. To be honest I get disheartened.
Who really wants to read about my little life? Who wants to see another little square of someone in their garden holding a bunch of carrots? It all seems rather pointless at times.
But I keep coming back for several reasons.
I really want to inspire and support people to grow their own food and these platforms are, in my mind, the best way of doing just that.
I am trying to run a business.
I love to connect and be inspired by others.
I want my great, great, great children to sit down one day and read about me and my families life and look at those little squares.
I want to leave that little mark.
So here I am and there is so much to tell you..
I want to tell you all about my Urban farming project and what the decisions I have made for the future of A Plot in Common. (you will see I have added a Services page to my website as my first step)
I want tell you all about the emotional rollercoaster that I have been on over the last few months. Nearly moving again.. (thats a long story)
I want to tell you about my best friend Sam being diagnosed with Lymphoma.
I want to tell you ALL about my beautiful Benji and our extraordinary children.
I want to tell you what I have learnt about friendships. New and old.
I want to tell you about the little bits of beach life that are slowly softening this heart of mine.
But I’m sorry, all the details are going to have to wait as Benji has just asked me to go for a surf with him.
I’ll be back soon. I promise.
I hope life is wonderful for you! I really do.

Love Tash xxx

An urban twist.

We moved into our little house over Easter! I know, I still can’t quite believe it too... After a four month delay it was so nice to sleep in our own beds, sit on our couch and drink from our cups.       I have always prided myself on being quite nomadic but after unpacking all our personal belongings, setting up our home and of course having the cats back with us, it was soooo nice.    It has been a funny time. Trying to start a new chapter, create some normality (whatever that is) but not have your own place to call home. It has happened so often in my parenting life where my children just amaze me with their strength and resilience. The last four months has been another one of those times. To be honest they handled the whole situation so much better than me. Anyway, we are here now. The kids have all settled in to their new school. They all have various after school activities which they are enjoying and Eden has started a weekend job at a local cafe. I have filled every possible space in and around the home with plants. We have filled pots the back courtyard with herbs, rocket, spinach, radish, and kale and currently planting passion fruit to cover the fence..We built a little garden out the front of the house (catching all the Northern light we can!) and planted carrots (for my niece) beetroot, silver beet, broccoli, more spinach, rocket and bok choy. It definitely felt more like home once I had all the veggies in! We have all become completely addicted to surfing and have bought a couple of boards and attempt to catch some (small) waves whenever we can! The noticeable differences I have noticed so far since moving up here is the weather (obviously), the amount of rain in Summer!! I had forgotten how wet it gets here over the Summer months and now looking through my farmer eyes, the green lush Summer pastures, the fat cows, the completely different growing seasons, the different types of things I can grow! Then there’s the amount of people out and about, riding, surfing, swimming, sitting in the parks and having picnics, eating ice creams. The tan lines, the salty hair, the sandy feet. I sometimes feel like I have moved to a different country not just a different state. 

As I mentioned, I have taken a bit longer than the rest of the family to settle. I honestly wondered if we had made the right decision leaving the farm. It meant so much to me and still does. I spent a few weeks talking things over and over with Ben. Settling into a new community is hard. It will take time. I needed to find my place here. What is it that I want to do? What it is it that makes me deeply happy? My answer. Growing food. Connecting people through food. But I live in a terrace house now with a tiny courtyard! You can’t grow a significant amount of food from a pot! I know I’ll buy some land. Just a small piece. Something low maintenance. We can build that tiny house we have always dreamed of on it! I drive around looking at land. (Yes, I know I am completely nuts!) There is very little in my ‘price range’ and the ones that I convince myself might work are out the back of whoop whoop. Ok I’ll lease some land from one of the local farms. There’s heaps of unused land around. I contacted a local farmer. No. Sorry. Done it before. It was a disaster. Never again. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking. I take my niece to the library and wander into the gardening section. As you do. There is a copy of Indira Naidoo’s book The Edible City. Interesting. This book really gets me thinking about growing food in urban spaces. I live in an urban space now! I google Urban Farming. As you do. And there it was. My new calling. Urban Farmer. I read all about Curtis Stone (not the Aussie chef), Inner City Farmers, Sole Foods Farm, the amazing Pcoket City Farms, the places ALL over the world growing delicious food in parks, rooftops, front yards, back yards, all over. I skype Cam from Inner City Farms In Vancouver and we talk about urban farming. He gives me some great advice and makes me think some more about the details. The why and how. I read Curtis Stone’s book cover to cover. I can do this! I can grow food in people’s yards and show that a market garden is so much better than a lawn AND growing food can be a profitable business if done right. I know you are thinking she is completely out of her tree. Maybe. But shit you are not going to REALLY know until you try. Right? So last week I put a message out on the local Facebook page. Does anyone want to lease me their yards for my new Urban Farming project? I’ll pay you in veggies! The response was overwhelming. People wanting to be involved, people wanting to meet and discuss other gardening ideas, people offering me their yards. I can’t express how happy this made me feel. I have two farming sites which are perfect. I am now going to start removing the grass, building the soil, and planting delicious veggies for my land owners and the community. I am now an Urban Farmer.

So now that I have discovered my new set of farming overalls I have decided that A Plot in Common doesn’t only need to about our little farm in Lauriston but can move and adapt as we are. It is STILL about Farm. Share. Grow. just with a slightly different twist. An urban twist.

Ready to see what unfolds? 

Me too! 

Ill keep you posted,

Tash xx

growingabitsmaller

Hello! I wanted to share with you my first post from my new blog  - https://growingabitsmaller.com

It has been six weeks since we left the farm. It feels like we are on holiday and will be returning to the farm soon. Our new home is still being built (taking slightly longer than anticipated..) so we are slightly homeless at the moment which I think contributes to the holiday feels... We have been moving between my sister's and Ben's parent's homes, and it could possibly be another four weeks of 'nomading' before we settle into our new home. Ben and I have been having lots of discussions about the details of our new home. The house is very small. It is essentially a terrace house. No yard. Neighbours very close, but in our dream location. A block from the beach, park across the road, bike tracks that take us to various beach side towns. We still can't believe that this little house will be our home. Ben and I have always preferred to live in small homes. When we renovated the house at the farm we didn't want anything too big. Just enough space for everyone. Now that the children are all teenagers, we are conscious that they need their space but as a family most of our living is done in the living/kitchen. This is always the heart of our home. Our new little house has a small living/kitchen area downstairs that leads onto a small deck. We are going to convert the single car garage, which comes off the living room, into a studio space for Ben and a 'snug’ type room. Ben is going to remove the garage door and replace it with a standard door and a sliding glass panels. Upstairs are the bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchenette and a living room that leads onto the front deck. As I mentioned, the spaces are tight, so our discussions have been about how to maximise the spaces and create flexible spaces where needed. Of course I am also working out all the possible places around the house to grow things…we have designed a vertical garden which we will construct on the downstairs deck, a way to create a little green oasis off the living space, hide an ugly fence, create privacy from our neighbours and grow delicious food. There is also the possibility of having a 1/2m x 9m garden that runs under the vertical garden where I hope to grow green leafy vegetables. I have never had a vertical garden before but figure it shouldn't be too hard… I’m also not too sure about sunlight as our neighbours will be surrounding us, and I am also wondering about pollination. The area we are moving into is a new development and there are not many established trees and gardens as yet. There is native vegetation along the beach front but I’m just not quite sure if the exisiting bees would be able to find there way onto my little back deck. I have been researching stingless native bees and the possibility of having a little hive or log. I have found a local man that sells native bees so I will give him a call and see if I can pop over and ask him some questions.
So while we wait for the house to be finished, I’ll start planting out some pots for the vertical garden at my in-laws house (herbs and flowers) and do some more research on what vegetable varieties are more suited to this tropical climate. At this stage I am thinking of planting out a variety of pots with chillies, strawberries, tomatoes, zucchinis, climbing beans, peas and cucumbers (great for small spaces), small variety of eggplant, passionfruit, (will also be growing up vertical wall and due to the plant being evergreen, fast growing and providing delicious fruit it should be perfect..), blueberries and possibly attempt an espailer citrus down the side of the house if we have enough sun light. The garden that runs along the fence line will be planted out with rocket, lettuce, kale, spinach, bok choy, and radish. That’s my plan so far… I’m not sure how it will go but I’ll keep you posted.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we all still feel like we are holiday, just enjoying the Summer break. The kids have all been loving their time with their cousins and family, as have Ben and I, and it is wonderful to know that this will now be happening on a regular basis. Eden has just spent the last week up at the Woodford Folk Festival with a friend from Victoria, and tomorrow another one of her friends will be flying in to spend a week with her. We are trying to transition as gently as possible. Saying goodbye to people you love and a place you love isn't ever easy, but we have moved here with open minds and open hearts and like I always say to my little family, "as long as we are together..everything will be just fine."

I will now be posting regular updates over at https://growingabitsmaller.com and on my Instagram account growingabitsmaller if you would like to follow our new adventure. 

Love Tash xx

Thank you.

I have been thinking about this post for awhile. My last post here on the farm.
It's hard to put in words what the last five years has meant to me. There are so many stories, so many memories....

We moved here having never grown anything before. Ever. I didn't know how to plant a seed, what vegetables grew in what season, the importance of soil health, weeding, mulching, composting, propagating, companion planting, yields. Not a thing.
Oh what we have learnt!
Oh what we have grown! 
We built sixteen raised garden beds and two market gardens and started a community garden.
Over the years we have grown tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, silverbeet, garlic, brussel sprouts, bok choy, mizuna, rocket, lettuce, eggplants, broadbeans, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, radish, artichokes, peas, carrots, turnips, beetroots, zucchini, chillis, cabbage, pears, apples, peaches, plums, cherries, herbs and lots of pretty flowers...
I now call myself a Gardener.
I will now always grow as much as I can. 

Farm animals were a first too. We started with a flock of six chickens (Australorps). The novelty of collecting our own eggs never shifted. I bought an old mobile office from the local metal scrap yard for $500 and converted it into a mobile chicken coop. I fell in love with heritage breed chickens. I even thought of raising chickens for show. I loved visiting the poultry auctions and farms and talking with passionate chicken lovers. We bought an incubator and started hatching our own. A man at the local produce store gave me 100 fertile eggs once which I quickly put in our incubator and had too many chickens.. that was nearly as crazy as the time I rescued eight roosters from a man (I love roosters!) and let them roam the farm which was a bit of a disaster because too many roosters...  and our cow Pattie and her calf. Having a pet cow was wonderful. Pattie loved Ben and the feeling was mutual. We watched her birth several calves over the years. She was an amazing mother.
The pigs were a HUGE learning curve! Oh how I love piggies!! They should be a domestic animal not a farm animal (although I know this is true for some) They are so smart and affectionate. I decided once that it would be a good idea to breed our two gilts...I found a friend of a friend that let me borrow his boar. We borrowed a horse float from a friend to pick up the boar. Loading him on to the float was no problem but as we started to drive home, along the country roads, Ben noticed that the boar was literally bending back the metal door of the trailer and trying to get out. We pulled over in the middle of no where and tried to work out what to do..if the boar succeeded it could have been fatal for him but more importantly the danger it could have caused someone else driving down the road... In complete panic and desperation I dug around in Ben's truck and found an old packet of rice crackers and a metal bracket. I poured the remaining rice crackers into the float and we wedged the bracket under the door and slowly drove home with our hearts in our mouths.... The amount of times over the years we would look at each other and say, 'what are we doing?'. It felt like the Truman show at times. Driving home with the boar that afternoon was one of those times. We traded guinea fowls for peking ducks with our neighbours. We didn't keep them long as they didn't get on with the chickens and required a lot of water which during Summer we just didn't have.
I found a supplier of meat birds and we raised several batches of meat birds which was another very interesting experience.
Some of these animals we raised for meat. With the support of our neighbours we learnt the whole process 'paddock to plate'. We will be forever grateful for that experience. To raise and grow your own food has COMPLETELY changed my views and appreciation of food for ever.  

The opportunity to convert The Old Girl into a useable space has been an honour!
Not only did I love every minute of that process but The Old Girl gave us the opportunity to meet extraordinary people and bring so many people together. The gatherings for farmers, artists, makers, family and friends. The workshops, lunches, and dinners. The opportunity to see crafts being shared such as botanical dyeing, bread making, ceramics, fermenting, quilting, knitting, soap making, sausage making, and spoon carving. The Old Girl became a place that brought together friends but mostly strangers. Strangers with a common thread. After a day together embraced in the arms of The Old Girl people would leave with a full tummy and a full heart, a new skill and most importantly made a new friend or two. She is a magical, magical place. 

There are so many more things I would like to mention/remember such as..
the time we built the smoker, the treehouse, the chicken coop, the pig sty, the times spent home schooling in the barn, the days spent exploring the local areas, the days building a fire and toasting marshmallows and sandwiches, the days teaching the kids to drive the mower, the days when Bruce would arrive with a gift from his latest hunting adventure, the days spent watching something hatch, the days plucking, the days preserving, making sausages, bacon and salami, hanging and braiding garlic, podding beans, picking plums, the days chopping wood, the days chasing chickens, pigs, and/or cows around a paddock, the days we built fences, moved fences, the days we swam in dams or water holes, we tried to catch yabbies, we watched out for snakes, we watched out for foxes, we watched out for fires or flooding, we met farmers who had been here for generations, new farmers, we met people who had just moved from the city, we read our story in four magazines and the local paper, we learnt about birds, frogs, cows, pigs, chickens, geese, rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies, grass, trees, plants, flowers, seasons, food, water fall, frost, tractors, guns, gumboots, wet weather gear, irrigation systems, water tanks, history of this area, this farm, this home... 
We came here to experience life on a farm, to grow our own food and most importantly to fill our souls.
We leave filled to the absolute brim.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 
Thank you to everyone. 

(I plan to keep writing here as our new chapter unfolds...At this stage the house we are moving into is not complete so we will be bunking down with family and friends until we don't know...looks like Kobi and Maya may be homeschooled for some time until spaces become available at the school we have chosen..I have arranged a plot at a local community garden...decided to take up surfing, sailing and yoga, as well as return to my studies and lots of Aunt duties. make new friends, spend lots of time with old friends and of course our beautiful families...I look forward to sharing with you)

love Tash x 

Olivia

It was about twelve years ago that I made the decision that I wanted to donate my eggs.
Maya, our youngest, was about six months old. I remember her in the pram when we had our first visit to the IVF clinic. Eden was four, Kobi was two and then little Maya. When Maya came along I knew our family was complete. I was so blessed with my pregnancies. Each time we decided to try for another baby I would fall within that first month. It's not something that I took for granted. Some very close friends were trying to start a family around the same time. They had spent years and years trying. To watch their heartache month after month. To try and understand what they were going through. It was heartbreaking. Finally after 5 years, and the support of IVF, my friends had a baby boy who was born six weeks before Maya. Being so close to these friends and realising how lucky we were I wanted to help someone in similar circumstances to what my friends had gone through.
It's completely bizarre, or maybe not, how the universe works sometimes. I remember driving to my GP to talk to her about donating my eggs and getting a referral to the local IVF clinic and on the radio there was a program that was talking about egg and sperm donations and the impact anonymous donations have on families and children. I remember a young lady who was conceived through an anonymous sperm donation speaking about the wish to know where she genetically came from. She said she would sit on the train and look at all these men and wonder if they were her Dad. I decided at that moment that if I was going to donate my eggs that the child or children needed to have the right to know who I was. Where they genetically came from. I believe it is everyone's right. 
A couple of months later we visited the local IVF clinic and began the first step of the process which is counselling. At this time we were living on the Gold Coast and the counsellor at the clinic was filling in from the Melbourne clinic. The counsellor suggested that we might like to consider to donate our eggs to a couple in Melbourne. Although I wanted complete transparency, I also felt it was important that we had our own lives and weren't continually bumping into each other. So that's what happened. The counsellor went back to Melbourne and looked at her list...her list.
Breaks my heart.
We were introduced to a couple Wayne and Cynthia, who had a devastating story. They are a open, warm, honest, down to earth, loving couple. We connected immediately. Fortunately they were completely comfortable with my request for transparency, so I started hormone therapy. We made several trips to Melbourne over the next few months and Cynthia and Wayne's baby girl was born the following year. Olivia. 
Not only did I want openness and honesty for Olivia but I also made sure that my children knew everything from the beginning, or as soon as they were old enough to understand.
Over the years we have had family gatherings at each other homes, (Wayne cooks a mean pork roast) exchanged photos and Christmas cards. We have stayed in each others lives but still had our own. 
Last Sunday I went to visit Olivia and Cynthia (Wayne is overseas at the moment).
Olivia is ten now. A beautiful, warm, confident, funny, affectionate, polite young lady. She gave me a tour of their new house, I watched her play tennis against the wall and chat to her Dad on Skype, she told me all about school and her favourite subjects, showed me photos of their recent family holiday, and watched as she performed a dance show for Cynthia and I after dinner. 
At the end of the evening I asked Cynthia if it was ok with her if I wrote our story here.
"Of course!", she said. She then went on to tell me that they regularly talked with Olivia about me and how I helped them by "giving them an egg and then with Daddy's help she grew in Mummy's tummy". Up until this point I hadn't been sure if they had told Olivia.
It means everything to me.
I could not have asked for more regarding this chapter of my life. Olivia knowing me and my family and knowing that we are always here. Seeing this beautiful, beautiful girl loving life and seeing the deep love and connection she has with her family. 
I am so proud. I am so happy. 

Tash xxxx
 

Tattoo

I have a tattoo on my forearm of a lady beetle. It represents to me how fortunate I am.
A gentle reminder to not sweat on the small stuff and appreciate the here and now. Ironically.. I don't really like the tattoo as it is too large and looks a bit like a cockroach with spots...but over the years I have looked past the cockroach and remembered the significance it has to me.
Ben doesn't like that I'm not 100% about the tattoo and has offered several times over the years to design an alternative to go over it. But it hasn't really bothered me too much and our ideas always just petered out...
In my previous post I mentioned that we were going to rent the farm and see how that went. 
We changed our minds. 
After speaking with various real estate agents and talking at length with each other we decided it would be best that we put the farm on the market. Our decision was primarily based on the fact that we have chosen to move up to Northern New South Wales to slow down. To give all our time and energy to our kids, our family and each other. Renting the farm may have been easy and taken care of itself but we also know that looking after a farm requires a lot of time and effort and it was just something that we thought would be best to hand over to someone else. 
It was by no means an easy decision, but in the last few years when Ben and I have had to make some tough decisions we have asked ourselves, 'what do we need or want to do right NOW in our lives?' The focus is on the NOW not next year or the year after. NOW. Our answer was family. 
Once we made the decision to place the farm on the market we realised that our time was limited, with the kids school year, the house in Casuarina being completed around the same time, open houses, leaving enough settlement time, etc, we need to get everything ready VERY quickly. 
We spoke with the real estate agent on the Thursday and agreed to be ready for photos and videographers a few days later...I honestly think we are completely crazy sometimes...actually I know we are.
Ben and I worked literally day and night. Ben built a new deck over the weekend!!! plus helped me rearranged some garden beds, buy some garden furniture, redecorated rooms, cleared out sheds, rooms, cupboards and shelves, painted, stained, weeded, planted, mulched, mowed and mowed some more. You know that tiredness, when you fall into bed and sleep for ten hours and wake up absolutely exhausted? That.
By Thursday she looked so, so beautiful. She deserved to look her absolute best. I wanted her to stand tall and proud. It was the least we could do for having the privilege of living on this little farm for the past 5 years. 
The real estate agent called us early the following week and asked us to come into his office to discuss the details of the listing, choose photos and see what we thought of the video.
When I saw the video I cried. I was overwhelmed by how beautifully the videographers had captured her. I felt so much happiness, sadness, and relief all at the same time. After about the hundredth time of watching the video I still shed a tear.... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmlfZBXE_kY&feature=youtu.be

As I have mentioned before, we have moved quite a few times over the last ten years. It's never easy saying goodbye to family, friends, or our community, but the actual house, the place, the stuff has never really mattered to me.
Do you know what I mean?
As long as I have my Benji, Eden, Kobi and Maya and see our families as often as we can, that's all I need. That's all that matters. 
This time will be different. This time when I leave I will take a VERY large piece of this place with me. I will carry this farm in my heart forever. This farm has changed me as a person and I will be forever grateful. There are so many reasons and so many things I want to write here but I think that deserves a post of its own...
We signed a contract on Thursday. Unconditional. Sixty day settlement. After we signed the contract Benji and I went down the street for a glass of wine. Let it sink in. As we were walking down the street I told Benji that was still wasn't sure what to do with my lady beetle (cockroach) tattoo but I really wanted a tattoo that represented our farm. A daily reminder. Something that will always stay with me. That evening Benji sent me this.. 

Tomorrow she will be tattooed on my skin just as she is already tattooed in my heart. 

Love Tash xxx 

A New Chapter. A New Adventure.

We have decided to begin a new adventure. We are leaving our little farm in December and moving  up to Casuarina in northern New South Wales to live by the beach. Quite the contrast. 

About 12 years ago, when we still lived on the Gold Coast, Ben's boss offered Ben a couple nights accommodation in a resort in Casuarina as his Christmas bonus. We fell in love with the area then and have visited regularly ever since. Casuarina Is a little beach side town with bike paths that run up and down the coast from one beach town to the next. There are surf clubs scattered along the way, parks, cafes, and the best gym! The beaches are stunning. It's our home away from home. Our little piece of heaven. We always thought that one day we would retire there or dreamt about spending winter and summer up there and spring and autumn here on the farm... At Christmas time we started looking at a variety of real estate from land out in the Hinterland, to old beach side apartments, houses. We thought about it some more and then in the July school holidays we found a development in our dream position. With months of negiation we finally bought a house, off the plan. It is situated two blocks from the beach. You can hear the ocean from the block! We bought the house thinking at the time that we would wait till the kids have all finished school and then make the move and just hope that they follow. Then as we talked about it some more we all decided that we didn't want to wait that long and as sad it is to leave our little farm, friends and community, Casuarina was calling. Not only are we looking forward to the new lifestyle and the beauty of the area but our family are all in arms reach! One of my sisters is currently living 10 minutes down the road, my other sister is a couple of hours away (an improvement to 20 something hours ), I'm in the process of convincing my parents what a good idea it would be for them to live in the area, Ben's family are all on the Gold Coast and Brisbane which again means we can all spend weekends together. To spend quality time with family and old friends. To reconnnect with our loved ones and be apart of their everyday lives again. I don't want to miss the little bits of their lives anymore. They are the best bits in my opinion. 

We have applied to a school in Mullumbimby called Shearwater.  We fly up next week for interviews and a 'school tour'. Fingers crossed the kids like the look of the school and the school likes them..it's always hard to know until they really settle into a school...The kids are amazing about the idea of moving. I think it helps that they are so familiar with Casuarina and have so many fond memories there, knowing they are going to have friends and family close by and the freedom to jump on their bikes or skateboard go down to the beach or meet a friend in town is obviously very appealing to them. Of course It is always hard to say goodbye. This is our third move in the last seven years. Gold Coast to Melbourne. Melbourne to Lauriston. Eden, Kobi and Maya have been to four different school plus a year of homeschooling. They are not scared of change. Fortuantely they love it as much as we do. 

 I always say, as long as we are all together everything will be fine. 

We are going to rent out the farm so are writing lists of things that need to be repaired, painted, sold, and given away. It is quite a list! 

I have started to think about the last five years here. The people we have met. The experiences we have had. There is so much to say....that's a whole new post.

love Tash xxxx

Remembering it all.

Kobi has always loved movies. Watching them, making them and talking about them. The different actors, directors, producers, story lines. Fascinates him. Fortunately he is able to study Motion Media at his school, so he comes home daily giving us updates about the latest film he and his buddies are currently making. Anyway, I'm not sure why it has taken me so long but a couple of days ago, after talking to Kobi about his movie, I remembered an old video camera that we had bought when the kids were babies that was stashed in the back of a cupboard. Kobi and the girls were so excited to see old videos of themselves as toddlers, family weddings, kindy Christmas carols, family holidays. One of the videos is of Eden at the beach, she is about 4 years old, and my sister is asking her where she thinks all the water from the ocean comes from. She stops and thinks and says, ' I think a man with a really big bucket fills it up'... Kobi at his kindy Christmas concert singing Jingle Bells with his little Reindeer ears on, jumping up and down as toddlers do... Maya at 6 months old crawling up and down the beach in her little nappy... These videos reminded me of so many of the little things I had forgotten. I want so much to remember the conversations, the songs that are sung, the jokes that are made, the loves, the meals, the holidays, the cuddles, the smells, the little expressions. I want to remember it all! It may not be completely possible but I am going to be more conscious of those little moments, take more photos and videos, write more regularly here and see if my boy will make a movie all about... us! 

Love Tash xxx

These photos are from our holiday last year. xx

Auntie Tosh

Quite a lot has happened since I last wrote. The first thing I want to tell you about is that I have a new niece AND nephew. Mabelle and Harvey. They are two weeks a part and they are devine. My two little sisters timed it just perfectly... 

I am now the proud Aunt to five nephews and three nieces.  When one of my nephews, Archie, was starting to talk he used to call me, 'Auntie Tosh'. The name has stuck and I love it. So these last couple of months I have taken a couple of trips up north to love and squeeze my little family and do whatever is required as 'Auntie Tosh'.  

My Benji, Eden, Kobi and Maya are all wonderful. Family life does feel ridiculously crazier as this year Eden is in grade 10, Kobi in grade 8 and Maya in grade 7 (my baby is in high school which is nuts!!!) so with the school workload, after school activities, Eden has her first weekend job (can't believe that either!!) and keeping up with their social lives, it is quite a whirlwind most days. But it is just such a privilege to watch my babies grow up and to be apart of their lives as they start to peek out into the world and feel their way.
Benji is busy with work but fortunately loves what he does and has spent the last couple of months sitting in front of the fire drinking lots of coffee and tapping away on his computer.
Since moving to the area he has started doing some consulting work with a few of the local town's councils. The towns were originally established during the gold rush and have now, many many years later, become thriving towns once again. Benji is assisting in the urban design as these towns start to grow and change whilst respecting the beautiful history.  It has been tricky, but as I said, he is really loving it.      
For many years now we have both trained together at the gym. A couple of years ago we challenged ourselves with a Tough Mudder event. It was fun, although Benji's bald head on the electric shock cords wasn't all that fun... We recently decided that we needed another physical goal to work towards so have decided we are going to go in a Spartan race next year. This event is a little more serious and will require a lot more training (especially for me) and no electric shock obstacles! So we have started increasing our training and focusing on different types of training which we are both thoroughly enjoying. 

My focus has shifted the last few months. It started with a coffee in town with Benji. As we were walking back to the car I saw the local hall was holding a free community lunch. At the time I had a surplus of produce in my garden and popped in to ask the co-ordinator if I could donate some of my produce. As I started to learn more about the lunch, the people who were relying on the free lunch and the food bank across the street, I started thinking.. Before moving to Victoria, I spent many years working with intellectually impaired adults and children. I loved my job.
I had been thinking about doing something off the farm but I wasn't sure what. Discovering this community lunch was meant to be. I spent a week letting my thoughts flow, thinking about the things I had done and the things that made me truly happy.  And then it came to me.. I want to become a Youth Worker. I want to support and (hopefully) help our youth. It made perfect sense to me. It was one of those 'Yes! That's it!' moments. I am into my second semester of a Diploma of Youth Work and I am loving it. It's all online so I can study here on the farm and still give my family the time that they need. It doesn't mean that I have forgotten about A Plot in Common, not at all. A Plot in Common happened organically and will keep on growing and moving as it is meant to. I believe everything happens for a reason.
A bunch of local girls and I have started a book club which I love! We meet once a month, drink wine, chat and briefly discuss the chosen book. One of the girls arranged a book club library card and when the librarian asked her the name of the book club, my friend paused and then said, 'A Plot in Common'. The librarian said, ' Oh, that is such a wonderful name for a book club! '. As another friend said in the book club, 'the Plot thickens'. 

The farm is huddled in for winter.  The bare trees, the green paddocks, the morning frosts. There is a real stillness to winter here. My veggie patch is looking rather still and bare too. In Autumn I gave each plot a thick layer of horse poo, not putting any thought into the fact that I was creating the perfect environment for lots and lots of slugs. I planted out the gardens twice with winter seedlings, I tried containers of beer, putting on a head torch and picking them off the seedlings in the night. They won.  I am not defeated though! With Spring just around the corner I have started planning what I will plant and will get a little head start in the green house this weekend. 

Well, I think you are all up to date now! 
I hope you are wonderful. 

Love Tash xxx

#myhappyliving

I was recently reading an article about a couple that had moved to a small farm and the term 'slow living' was frequently used. As I gently return to the rhythm of our everyday lives and our little farm I have been thinking about this term 'slow living'.
What does this mean to me? Slow Living.
Wikipedia says, "a lifestyle emphasising slower approaches to aspects of everyday life". 
Here are my thoughts.
Since moving to our farm and having the opportunity to have a closer connection to the land, the seasons and our food, I have made so many changes to our every day lives. I plan what seasonal vegetables we are going to eat (the season before), this of course then dictates our daily meals.   I keep a closed loop on the farm as best I can, I compost as much as possible, I ferment, pickle, preserve, freeze, I save seeds, I recycle, I collect poo, grass clippings, fallen leaves, branches, and any other organic matter, I attempt to knit, sew and create (although I completely suck at all these things!), I bake, I stew, I bottle, I water, I clean, I feed, I build, I fix, I mend. So if the description, 'a lifestyle emphasising slower approaches to aspects of everyday life' means these aspects I would have to say "SLOW!!??" There's nothing slow going on here. I have never been so BUSY! But I am so HAPPY!
So I have decided that the term 'Slow Living' should be changed to ' My Happy Living'. 
What do you think?  

Tasha xx 

(I am going to use #myhappyliving over on Instagram when I am sharing the little things that are examples of My Happy Living. Please join in and share your #myhappyliving with me.)

There's no place like home.

It has been an incredible couple of months. 

We flew into Paris and spent a few days recovering from jet lag before meeting up with Eden. 
She was full to the brim with excitement, stories and 3000 photos. My darling girl just loved her six week school adventure. I could not be prouder of her. She is the most incredible woman. 
We spent a few more days wandering around Paris. Eden and I spent an afternoon at the Louvre where we searched for empty rooms and just sat looking at pieces of art and talking more about her time away. I will remember that afternoon for a very long time. 
Our next stop was Eze on the French Riviera. We took the train from Paris down to Nice and then picked up a car and drove to Eze. To be honest we didn't think much of this area. It wasn't the greatest weather, but I don't think I would like to be there in the height of Summer with all the locals and tourists. Those roads are nuts! Lucky Ben doesn't have any hair.. The enormous boats and the $8.00 coffees just didn't really do it for me. From Eze we drove to St Remy de Provence. A very pretty little town in the South. Our ten days consisted of picnics, reading, finding markets on hilltop villages and walking. It was bliss. There was limited wi-fi and no t.v. at this Air BnB which made it even better. Kobi played on the piano, the girls played endless card games, wrote in their diaries and just talked. While we were there I suggested we remove the tv from our lounge room when we got home...I hate the stupid thing... I'm still trying to convince them all.
We returned the car and took a train to Barcelona. We had never been to Barcelona and just loved it. The atmosphere of 'every night feeling like a Friday night' is fantastic. I love the tapas bars, the beaches, the friendly, casual atmosphere. After having just spent time in Paris I said to Ben it was like spending time with a beautiful, creative, educated, elegant private school girl and then visting her volumptuous, creative, sincere, grungy, party girl friend.
I love both cities. 
After Barcelona we caught the train back up to Paris and then a flight back to Melbourne.
The kids are amazing travellers. Absolute troupers. They spent hours on planes, trains and in cars and always found ways to amuse themselves. They would chat happily about everything and anything. That actually reminds me of a day in Barcelona when we decided to catch the train to a beach that had been recommended to us about 30 minutes out of the city. Ben was reluctant to go but the kids and I persuaded him that it would be a good idea. We worked out the train we needed to get and bought the tickets and got to the platform just as the train was pulling in. I was quietly pleased with myself because I wanted this to be quick and easy trip so Ben didn't change his mind. We jumped on the train and settle in for the half an hour trip. Eden and I started to knit, the boys read and Maya chatted to whoever was listening. After about 20 minutes I asked Maya if she would like to start watching the station name's and seeing how many more stations until we reached the beach...she couldn't find the names on our map.
We were on the wrong train and going in the completely wrong direction!  By the time we realised the train was express to a little village in the mountains. So much for a quick and easy trip.... When we finally arrived in "the middle of no where!!!" we sat on the platform and waited for the RIGHT train to take us to the beach. So all up the trip to the beach took nearly three hours. The kids thought it was the funniest thing ever. Ben pretty quickly saw the funny side and it turned out to be one of the most memorable days (the beach was beautiful too). 
The kids love telling that story. 
We spent a couple of nights back on our little farm before packing up the car and driving up to Northern New South Wales to spend time with family and friends. We are getting used to the 20 hour trip and it seemed like a piece of cake after the trip back from Europe.
Both of my sisters are pregnant. Four weeks apart. So it was extra special to spend Christmas with them and their families. We spent most of our time in the creeks at Pottsville or Kingscliff or under a tree in the park. Even when we were living on the Gold Coast we would holiday in Northern New South Wales. It is such a beautiful part of the world and has become our home away from home. 
We have been back on our little farm for a few days now and it is so good to be here.
I love my little farm, my animals, my garden, my friends, my community. 
 

There's no place like home. 

Tash xx

INSTAGRAM - aplotincommon

BIG Adventures

My head is swirling.
We have just finalised our plans to go to France and Spain for 10 weeks!
Leaving mid November. In six weeks!
It feels like a dream. 
At the moment our main focus is on Eden. Next Sunday she leaves for a six week trip with her year 9 class to Montenegro and France. We will meet Eden in Paris.
I am so excited for my beautiful girl to go out and explore the world.
What an extraordinary opportunity!
Of course I will miss her.
I will miss that beautiful big smile.
I will miss her constant humming.
I will miss her stories and daily updates.
I will miss her hugs and kisses.
I will miss her stirring Maya and Kobi.
I will miss her regular, 'how can I help?'.
I will miss her with every ounce of my heart.
 But you know what, the thought of my little girl out there travelling the world, learning, growing, and embracing her very own adventure makes me want to burst with pride and happiness. I could not be more excited for her!
We are still finalising the details to our trip. As usual the destinations are determined by our love of food and art. 
I will keep you posted as our plans unfold. 
Lots of love Tash xxx
 

A Gentle Nudge

I don't know about you but it's not often I stop and deeply question my abilities and motivation. I mean in a critical type of way. You know when you feel all wobbly and feel like you have been gently nudged off your perch?
It happened to me this month. 
I won't go into the specifics but it made me think really hard about the little business that I have started. To be honest it was actually the first time I had thought of A Plot in Common as a business. That may sound slightly ridiculous but it has just been a cute name up until this month. 
A Plot in Common's workshops basically started organically. It wasn't something that I had planned to do. There was no business plan.
A friend came to the farm one day and was talking about her part time work as a Ceramist and how she was looking for a workshop space.
"I have the space", I said.
It didn't take long to find other artists and makers in the area to share their skills too. 
My number one motivation for hosting these workshops has always been about supporting the local artists and makers. Helping them build their exposure and to make a little bit of money so they can keep on creating. That won't change. 
After giving The Old Girl some work that opened up more ideas and opportunities for the space. The space was cleaner and warmer. We could do more than just workshops...
We pretty quickly decided that we were happy to open her up for other uses as long as they were of significance to us and the building. Sentimental I know, but it's about being true to ourselves and what we are doing here. And that is something else I have thought a lot about. 
With the 'gentle nudge off my perch' I thought really hard about A Plot in Common as a 'business' AND being true to myself. How do I create that balance? Can I create that balance? Can I build a successful business? Can I build the audience that we need? What is my audience? The questions kept on coming. And I certainly haven't got all the answers yet and maybe I never will but that uncomfortable time spent off my perch made me realise how important it is to REALLY stop and question what you are doing, why you are doing it and how you are doing it...What I do know is that I love what I'm doing and I'm going to give it my best.  For myself, my family and for my little community. 
It's been an amazing lesson and one I am very grateful for. 

Tash xx

Glasses, gardening and guidance.

Yesterday I had lunch with a very special friend. We were talking about different things that have happened in our lives and both agreed that some  things happen for a reason. You may not know it at the time but looking back things start to connect..they are just meant to be.

I turned 44 on the 13th of July and needed reading glasses on the 14th of July. I'm exaggerating a little. My eyes hadn't been focusing as they used to for awhile, but on the 14th of July they had had enough. I went to the Optometrist and had the usual tests. It was when the Optometrist asked me about the amount of time I spend on a computer that made me realize that I spend too much of my day moving from one screen to the next. So while waiting for my new glasses to arrive, and making a conscious effort to reduce my screen time, the obvious thing to do was garden! 

I recently made a new friend called Catherine. Catherine and I have many things in common, gardening being one of things at the top of the list. Although Catherine's gardening experience and knowledge far out ways mine..that hasn't stopped us drinking cups of tea and happily chatting about our gardens. After one long conversation I asked Catherine if she would consider coming to the farm every Friday and working in the garden with me. Teach me everything she knows. She agreed! So for the past two weeks Catherine and I have been in the kitchen garden, with my garden diary (thanks to Catherine) and notebook, planning, planting, digging, and feeding.

I have learnt so much already!

We have decided what we would like to grow for Spring and Summer, we have decided what each garden bed will grow for Spring and Summer, we have filled two compost bins, refilled the worm farm, made a weed tea, harvested the last of the Brussel sprouts, weeded, started sowing seeds in our new green house (thanks to my Benji), checked ph levels, and planted flowers. Catherine leaves me with my gardening homework to complete for the following week. I love it! 

So I think turning 44, needing glasses and meeting my new friend Catherine was all just meant to be. Either way it makes me and my garden very very happy!  

Tash x

Heavy Heart

We have just returned from a two week road trip up North. Ben needed to see some clients, we wanted to spend time with our families and to feel the (20 something degree) warmth on our skin. It was a wonderful couple of weeks. I cherish the brief time with our family and our adventures together.           

 Since moving to Victoria six years ago, and leaving our families up North, we try to visit at least once a year and always welcome them to come and visit us here. I have always hated the distance but this trip it really hit me hard....I'm not sure why, maybe my birthday and reflecting on how life moves too fast..., maybe meeting my gorgeous 6 month old niece for the first time, maybe that one of my sisters has just found out she is pregnant and my other sister also has major things happening in her life, maybe it's watching my kids talking, playing and laughing with their little cousins, maybe it's the anxiety of our parents getting older, maybe is just missing all those little moments in the everyday... Whatever the reason. I miss them terribly.  

I returned back to our little farm with a heavy heart. I loved being being back in our little house, pottering in the garden, walking through the paddocks.
It's always a pleasure to be back.       
 I've spent the past few days trying to distract myself. There is so much to do and so much to look forward to. I have been arranging Spring workshops with new Makers, I have been contacting new local Makers to feature on my Meet Our Makers page, I have been arranging the final details to our next Artists gathering, I have been pruning and weeding the Lavender garden... 

As I busied myself, I have been reflecting on how I have been feeling and have come to the conclusion that I am so lucky to live on this beautiful little farm with my Ben and our gorgeous children. I am so lucky to have amazing family that may not live close enough but I am so lucky to have them in my life and realise that is the most important thing. 

Love Tash xxx

The Perfect Day

I wanted to share with you a few more moments from our first gathering in The Old Girl.
 As I have already mentioned, this project brought me so much joy and satisfaction.
I am very proud of what we have achieved and how we have now created a beautiful space to share with others.

I invited a bunch of gorgeous friends over to help us celebrate such a meaningful event.
It was a perfect day.
Lots of food, laughter and friendship.
It is everything I wanted this space to be. 

I am now in the process of refining details with local artists and makers for upcoming workshops and arranging more gatherings for our local community. 

The Old Girl is standing proud and ready to share her history and beauty! 

Tash xxx

(Flowers arrangements were created by Miranda White @thefloralforager http://www.thefloralforager.com/v7thzqwqiff0sag0u38lhz0gog7xde
Plates made by Tania Verdez @imaginelovely
Photos by Marnie Hawson @marniehawson
http://www.marniehawson.com.au/contact/)

The Old Girl

I am the first to admit that I am a very passionate person and very driven. Once I set my mind on something I will do everything in my power to make it happen.
This is what happened with the barn.
I walked down there about three weeks ago. She was standing there, damp, dirty, cold and filled with stuff. We have always felt privileged to be her 'guardian'. A responsibility to look after the beauty and history of her.
She has been untouched since we moved to the farm because we wanted to be 100% on what we were going to do to her. It was a little tricky because we didn't want to touch the building structurally. But for it to be a warm, clean comfortable space we needed to do something. So as I stood there looking past the damp, dirt, poo, and accumulate stuff I finally worked out a way to make it happen. 
The barn is divided into two parts. One part was used to shear sheep and the other as the stables. I decided to start in the small shearing side. The floors were covered in wooden slats. I wasn't sure what I would find under them, but they needed to come up as they were rotten and there was a ridiculous amount of sheep poo composting underneath. Once I removed the slats and dug away the poo I found the most beautiful bricked floor underneath. I can't explain the beauty and detail that has been put into this building. The craftsmanship is mind blowing. So the kids and I spent the following weekend scraping 100 year old sheep poo off the beautiful bricks. As we scraped the children tried to imagine the people that had laid the bricks, how they had used the barn, what life must have been like.
My heart was exploding with joy!
The other side of the barn is a much larger space. There is still the original feeding trough and gates. The floor in this side of the barn is one of the many features that needed to remain. The bricks have been laid to form a drain so that the waste could be washed away. (you can see the detail in the photo below) Ben suggested hiring a pressure hose to remove the remainder of the poo and dirt from the floors and walls. That was a fun and satisfying job. Very quickly we could see the actual colours of the bricks and just how stunning she was going to look. 

The following week I arranged for a carpenter to come and build a wall, in the shearing side, for a toilet and sink to go in. They also built some frames for some glass panels and doors. A couple of days, after the carpenters had finished, I arranged for a plumber to come and install a wood heater. A glazier filled the openings with glass. An electrician hung some lights, and a roofing friend replaced the very old skylights to give more light. In between I have painted, stained, dug out lots and lots of dirt, cleaned and just stood and admired what has now become, I think, an absolutely extraordinary building. 
This project, like so many I have taken on since moving to this farm, has been so exciting and satisfying. It has been the missing link to our farm. We want this farm to be a place we can share through various ways, workshops, weddings, functions, and gatherings. Now she is warm, clean and comfortable and of course full of beauty and history. 

The Old Girl is now ready to be loved and admired, as she so deserves. 

Tash xxxx
(I am currently arranging workshops with local artists and makers for the coming months and will have the information up on this site very soon.  If you are interested in holding an event, looking for a wedding venue, a shoot location, or a beautiful space to hold a special lunch or dinner, please send me an email and we can arrange a time for you to come and see the space.) 

From the Heart

There has been another break since I have been here. Sorry. Can I use the excuse that I have been busy gardening? (with maybe a little trip to Japan and family time).

 I feel like I have really progressed in regard to expanding the garden and edging towards making a contribution to our Fair Food System. Not that I have been able to grow enough yet, but the raised garden beds are all planted out now and we have four market gardens that we have just built and are now planting out. With the amount of garden space we have now established we will definitely be able to grow a large amount of food to share with family, friends and the community. That is really exciting to me.
My limited experience and knowledge in gardening makes me feel a little overwhelmed at times. That's ok. What has always motivated me since moving to this farm and starting these different projects is that as long as they come from the heart and really mean something to me. That's all that matters. 

From the heart.
Tash xx