Wow - so many options and irons in the fire for a mere 27 acres.
We're close to canning the idea of the holiday accommodation due to the over $100,000 quoted merely to get additional power connected for three cottages and large start up cost of build, water tanks, septics etc.
So, instead we're looking (and experimenting) with value adding to the produce already on the farm - or being added in the next twelve months for low cost - and there are just so many untapped opportunities.
We inheritated 5 acres of Shiraz vineyard. As wine lovers will know, Shiraz is not a trendy variety at the moment and difficult to sell. Even I don't particularly favour it as a drop ...
... but a vine takes 5 years to ripen for production so no point in planting anything trendy now as in five years tastes will have moved on.
Instead we are looking at selling most of our grapes this coming harvest (our first) but holding some back for experimenting with producing a Shiraz paste and making "natural" wine.
Natural wine is making a very trendy, underground comeback after being absent for nearly 80 years - "natural" wine is defined as being produced with no chemical spraying and no additives (yeast, sugar, acid, sulphur at every step etc) at all except maybe/perhaps the very slightest addition of sulphur right on bottling. Fermented in traditional ceramic amphorae.
Added to that we are near to harvesting our first sample crop of organically grown garlic - the only additives were dolomite for the clay, stable manure for the nutrients and organic bulk and cow manure tea to keep the worms happy before planting - and doesn't the garlic lurve stable manure!
What an adventure the garlic is in itself - there are just so many options, and we are surround by over 100 restaurants/cafes to target ... green garlic (pulled before clove formation and used like a garlicky leek) - scapes (flower heads/stems used in salads and stirfrys) - fresh garlic (undried) - traditional dried garlic - black garlic (fermented in it's own juices via slow cooking in a solar hydronic oven) - wine pickled garlic ...
... so - continuing on for my "trading name" thread ... starting to think along different lines from Oakey Creek "whatever" ...
We named our vineyard Spotty Dog (Shiraz) early on - even tho we haven't produced a bottle yet - and after our rescue dog called Spot - photo below - and wondering whether to produce everything under the Spotty Dog label.
Spotty Dog Shiraz - Spotty Dog (insert end product here) Garlic - and so on - what do you think? Picture the label of an angular cartoon dog with spots on it's ears and happy, tongue hanging grin.
Life is pretty exciting at the moment - so much planning and sourcing and reading and learning - along with the regular vege garden, orchard, massive landscaping and renovations underway.
Don't know that 27 acres is going to be enough in the end!
We're close to canning the idea of the holiday accommodation due to the over $100,000 quoted merely to get additional power connected for three cottages and large start up cost of build, water tanks, septics etc.
So, instead we're looking (and experimenting) with value adding to the produce already on the farm - or being added in the next twelve months for low cost - and there are just so many untapped opportunities.
We inheritated 5 acres of Shiraz vineyard. As wine lovers will know, Shiraz is not a trendy variety at the moment and difficult to sell. Even I don't particularly favour it as a drop ...
... but a vine takes 5 years to ripen for production so no point in planting anything trendy now as in five years tastes will have moved on.Instead we are looking at selling most of our grapes this coming harvest (our first) but holding some back for experimenting with producing a Shiraz paste and making "natural" wine.
Natural wine is making a very trendy, underground comeback after being absent for nearly 80 years - "natural" wine is defined as being produced with no chemical spraying and no additives (yeast, sugar, acid, sulphur at every step etc) at all except maybe/perhaps the very slightest addition of sulphur right on bottling. Fermented in traditional ceramic amphorae.
Added to that we are near to harvesting our first sample crop of organically grown garlic - the only additives were dolomite for the clay, stable manure for the nutrients and organic bulk and cow manure tea to keep the worms happy before planting - and doesn't the garlic lurve stable manure!
What an adventure the garlic is in itself - there are just so many options, and we are surround by over 100 restaurants/cafes to target ... green garlic (pulled before clove formation and used like a garlicky leek) - scapes (flower heads/stems used in salads and stirfrys) - fresh garlic (undried) - traditional dried garlic - black garlic (fermented in it's own juices via slow cooking in a solar hydronic oven) - wine pickled garlic ...
... so - continuing on for my "trading name" thread ... starting to think along different lines from Oakey Creek "whatever" ...
We named our vineyard Spotty Dog (Shiraz) early on - even tho we haven't produced a bottle yet - and after our rescue dog called Spot - photo below - and wondering whether to produce everything under the Spotty Dog label.
Spotty Dog Shiraz - Spotty Dog (insert end product here) Garlic - and so on - what do you think? Picture the label of an angular cartoon dog with spots on it's ears and happy, tongue hanging grin.
Life is pretty exciting at the moment - so much planning and sourcing and reading and learning - along with the regular vege garden, orchard, massive landscaping and renovations underway.
Don't know that 27 acres is going to be enough in the end!
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