A letter from the farm – April 2025.

Hey there,

How are you? Well, April came and went and May has already begun! Note to self – I don’t need to wait until the very end of the month to write my letter to you, or it might not happen! The story I have been telling myself to feel better is that it was April at the start of this week, so I’m not really behind…

How was your Easter/Anzac break? We enjoyed school holidays amongst all the public holidays and like always they were fun and busy, hopefully creating beautiful memories for the kids too. I know that Joel and I enjoy watching and encouraging the kids grow, learn and challenge themselves! Our holidays were spent with lots of family time, the local Dawn Service on Anzac Day and working to fill our woodshed before the cold hits (more playing in the dry creek bed and toasting marshmallows on the campfire than work for the kids!).

April has been dry on the farm, rain often forecast but no more than 1.5ml arriving for the month. The lambing paddocks we did our best to lock off months before lambing have been eaten out already. We are now supplementary feeding second daily to be sure we are looking after our ewes with new lambs arriving daily. The long range forecast for the month of May has no rain at all. At least when the rain is on the forecast there is some hope!

We do have grain in the silos, hay in the hayshed and little oat plants germinating and for that we are grateful and feeling in control. Like with anything in life, I think our greatest moments of distress is when we are feeling out of control. Motherhood has offered that lesson to me many times over!

Avalon Farmstay was busy all holidays and it was so lovely meeting the guests that came to stay. We had a wonderful experience with guests when a spectacular sunset turned the farm iridescent. The sun dropped below the level of the clouds, still above the horizon for a moment and it was like the light switch flicked on. The day became the brightest it had been and I realised that urban life doesn’t always have uninterrupted landscapes and private sunsets. How lucky are we to share this!

We also hosted a small event for The Long Paddock Olive Rustlers at the shearing shed over the Anzac weekend, it was short notice and very relaxed. The group purchased a lamb that we had prepared by the local butcher and they cooked it over a campfire. With the little kitchenette, verandah full of character (and a toilet), our shearing shed made for a really lovely event.

The group were picking olives from local trees in The Rock to make award winning olive oil and we often have it in the pantry for farmstay guests to use. Have you ever tried freshly pressed olive oil? You have to, I think it smells like fresh grass and tastes delicious served in a dipping platter with fresh sourdough.

The month of May will be filled with checking lambs and feeding on the farm, just like so many of our neighbours and farmers beyond us. We are looking forward to our Autumn Break to get the winter growing season started and I will make sure I let you know if, no WHEN it rains here. I know you are thinking of us and wondering if we get the rain that the city weatherman forecasts. Not lately!

I hope you and the family have a great May and there are plenty of flowers in the garden to pick for Mother’s Day.

Until my next letter, sending my love from the farm,

Em.