A piglet squeals eager for its morning feed from mother. The chickens scratch beneath the grass in search of bugs our eyes cannot see. A farmer tends to her crop dotted with fresh morning dew. Children gather beneath the macadamia trees foraging for fallen nuts and cracking them open in delight.
Read MoreByron Bay’s appeal is its feathers-in-your-hair sense of playfulness and acceptance that is missing almost everywhere else these days. Want to go to the supermarket in your crochet bikini? We love that! Feel like organising a nude cycle with your friends down the main street? Great idea! Want to open an organic/raw/vegan/gluten-free cafe? We’re already lining up! Need a healing tantric or Kundalini massage? Rebirthing breath sessions? Want to become a Reiki Master or learn how to build a sustainable house? You’ve come to the right place.
Read MoreWhile quad bikes are largely considered to be the leading cause of on-farm injuries and deaths it was the tractor, which often slips under the farm safety radar, that accounted for more fatalities in 2016.
Read MoreIt's 7am and Johnson 'Johno' Hunter, on his first round of the day, walks across the dewy grass to check the cattle enclosure at The Farm .
Read MoreIt is supposed to keep vampires away but for everyone else this garlic crop is a magnet. Byron Bay couple Josh and Lynette Dooley have just harvested 500kg of Russian garlic and hope to fetch between $45-55 per kilogram.
Read MoreMore of The Farm’s space is being used in partnership with local organisations such as Liberation Larder to grow staple vegetables for the community. The space offered has the right infrastructure and irrigation ready to go.
Read MoreAn unusual friendship has blossomed between two farm animals in Byron Bay.
Braveheart the calf was on the brink of death when staff at The Farm nursed him back to health and introduced him to a lamb – the two, becoming star attractions.
Read MoreBRAVEHEART the calf shares more than just a name with the 13th Century Scottish warrior who died trying to free his homeland from British rule. Like William Wallace, made famous by Mel Gibson in the movie of the same name, Braveheart the calf is a fighter with true Scottish blood. As well he is easily the cutest and fluffiest calf in Byron Bay.
Read MoreThis interview with Tom and Emma Lane from The Farm Byron Bay sits close to my heart because I am and always will be a country girl. I was born and raised in rural Australia growing up on a sheep and cattle station in Northern NSW. Growing up in outback Australia gave me an extraordinary appreciation for the land, it’s people and their communities. I am delighted to share the work that Emma and Tom are doing with their #legacyproject and I hope that you are inspired by their story, passion, and intention to serve a higher purpose through their daily work.
Read MoreThe Farm’s newly opened wishing well enables Byron visitors to contribute directly to worthwhile local community projects. As The Farm received 500,000 visitors in the past year, the fundraising potential is strong, and 100 per cent of donations will go to the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF), a body that has channelled almost $1m in donations to the local community since 2004.
Read MoreThe Northern Rivers needs more innovative farmers, but as farmer and food activist Joel Orchard says, access to land is the most pressing need for those who will not one day inherit a farm.
Read MoreBrunswick Valley Landcare and The Farm Byron Bay are collaborating to plant over 2000 trees along the eastern headwaters of Simpsons Creek, Ewingsdale.
Read MoreOnce a haven for hippies, Byron Bay has been reborn as a foodie destination. Returning ex-resident David Leser embarks on a tasting tour more sinful than spiritual.
Read MoreWith a few weeks of the school holidays left, you may be scratching around trying to find things to do with the kids. If you are anywhere within driving distance of Byron Bay (even if it takes a few hours), I have the answer… you need to visit The Farm.
Read MoreIt seems odd that we as a society now fetishise the quaint charm of rural farming. Sometimes we get a little Hameau de la Reine vibe (Marie Antoinette’s little rural town she built to ‘play’ farm peasant back in 1783) the way restaurants are incorporating herb gardens and live animals into their dining experiences (to almost staggering levels of success). Embracing the grit and the smell of livestock, it seems customers are loving getting their hands a little bit dirty when it comes to fine food.
Read MoreThe boys behind Sydney’s Three Blue Ducks invite us to their new place on a farm near Byron Bay for a laid-back Christmas lunch… To read the full article, grab a copy of this months Country Style magazine.
Read MoreAs you head south from Brisbane to Byron Bay, the last turn off the highway is a hard turn east, where depending on the time of year, you may be caught for hours trying to make the last few kilometres to the beach lovers’ mecca.Right there, just after the turn off, there now lies a thriving foodie community called The Farm, perfectly positioned for those looking for a long lazy lunch rather than rush the last leg to Byron.
Read MoreI just can’t wait any longer.
You see when the front gate at The Farm in Byron Bay swung open a little more than six months ago I decided to wait for the dust to settle on the car park, so to speak, before highlighting the newcomer on my blog. I thought I would wait until the initial convoy of curious locals, destination day-trippers and Byron beach holidaymakers who were descending on The Farm in droves had slowed down somewhat – and left me a parking space up front – before taking a closer look at the project.
Read MoreMark Jones tells a tale of yabbies, surfies, pipis, greenies, maccas, farmers, grog and paleo fiends.
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