Welcome to Mulloon Creek Natural Farms
This web site will give you an overview of life on our biodynamic/organic farm near Canberra, Australia. If you happen to be one of the unfortunate ones who still has lousy internet speed (or an ipad that doesn't support Flash) and you want to take a farm tour ... continue clicking through this site. If you want to have a fun animated tour of the farm and have reasonable internet service, go back a step and choose the "Flash" version.
If you want to head straight to all the up-to-date serious stuff we are doing with our not for profit education and research institute go straight to www.themullooninstitute.org.
If after all that, you're still aching to sniff the vibrant country air... register here to make sure you don't miss any opportunities
Our Vision
To be a model of restorative natural agriculture, growing bio-diversity and building environmental capital; to be shared for the benefit of future generations.
Translation for the kids: We are doing everything we can to make sure that your kids have a healthy planet to live on, play in and get food from.
NoticeBoard
-
Courses and Events
Re-Hydrating the Landscape
Meet Jacko
Jacko (the cute dog below) is the boss of the farm ... click on him to start your tour
About Mulloon Creek Natural Farms
Jacko says:
"Here at MCNF we’re lucky enough to have my dad, and a great team, who are smart enough and kind enough to want to treat us animals with the care and respect that we deserve. Let’s face it - who wants to be locked away in tiny pens or force fed food that you wouldn’t expect your…well, me to eat!
Every animal here from the cows to the chickens graze 24/7 on a fully biodynamic menu of crops that have been carefully chosen to optimize our health and quality of life. It’s all about getting back to basics. Keep it natural. As you’ll soon discover soils ain’t just soils. Anyway, enough from me right now…read what my dad has to say about the farm by clicking the button below."
About Education and Events
Jacko says:
"You could say that the farm is like a "campus" now, with the courses we run and the research programs happening in conjunction with the Australian National University (and others), although it's much more rustic and natural - no stuffy big buildings, just open spaces and a restored old barn as a classroom. Everyone just loves coming here to learn. You can find out about all that "serious stuff" over at the institute website.
If its not work you're after but some "play" I suggest you get on our mailing list so you hear about events like concerts and seasonal celebrations as they come up. Shoot me an email and I'll get you connected!"
About Biodynamics
Jacko says
"Ok, let’s give you a quick insight into what Biodynamic and Organic means. By the way you’d have to be living in a fast food store to not notice that organics are all the rage at the moment. It’s clean, healthy and tastes like it was meant to. Someone whose never done anything fast in their life is our resident expert on Biodynamics and Organics. In fact everything my little grumpy underground mate touches comes out smelling like …ahh roses. Here’s Wolly…"
Wolly the Worm says
"Thanks comrade. I’m not big on words so I’ll keep it short… No pesticides, no fertilizers, no radiation, no additives… no growth hormone …or in even simpler terms… keep it natural, eat it fresh and it will taste exactly like it’s meant to. Oh, and by the way … can you please be careful when you go shoving your garden forks in the ground… Got it…good. Go on now … click on the button to find out more."
About Natural Sequence Farming
Jacko says
"You’d think that if anything is going to be natural it would be a farm. Not true. Many farms are about as natural as a poodle with pigtails! And we’re not just talking about the use of chemicals. A natural farm starts with the landscapes natural water flow.
Until Europeans came to Australia and started stripping the vegetation from around the streams and over grazing their animals on the river and creek banks, the waterways acted just like one of your money banks! When there was lots of water they held onto it. When it was dry the plants that needed it could withdraw the water in the bank...no questions asked.
Now, because of the lack of vegetation around the waterways, whenever there is a big rain deposit the safe can’t hold it and all the precious water rushes off the farm and out to sea. Go figure! Freddy you got anything you wanna add?"
Freddy the Frog says
"Thanks Jacko. I’ll keep it short. Imagine if someone had the bright idea to get rid of all your water tanks, water pipes, reservoirs etc. Think about it…no water to wash in…no water to grow things with…no water to drink…get the picture… it’s all bad. Thankfully, for everyone here on the farm, Peter Andrews reckons we can restore the natural balance of things. To find out how have a read of this section."
About Diversity
Jacko says
"Just like me and some of my dog friends who are officially a little bit of this and a little bit of that, Mulloon Creek Natural Farms is heading in the same direction. It’s not a bad thing, in fact it’s a benefit. Diversity is the key to success. It’s all about working together. Loo Loo the Lamb and her flock have got a thing about dogs so she’ll probably tell you more than she tells me."
Loo Loo the Lamb says
"Get off my back Jacko! That’s a joke, but I guess you’d need to be a sheep dog to understand. He’s right on Diversity though. Who said you can’t run cattle, sheep, horses, bees, pigs and chooks alongside crops, fruit trees and other carbon producing products? Not us that’s for sure. And where not alone! To find out more about how living together makes for some beautiful music click go the shears…now that’s funny!"
About Our Cows
Jacko says
"We love our cows! We love them because they are calm and peaceful and great to have around! The cows love it here as well, and why wouldn’t they. Compare it to their poor cousins who spend a couple of years, stuck on a grain only diet, in those nasty, muddy, smelly feedlots. To make it worse the first time they leave they get the… (gulp). Imagine never getting to lie in the grass! Sad eh Connie."
Connie the Cow says
"Very sad Jacko, very sad indeed. A life without cud is no life at all. Here on the farm it’s different. For starters us cows are treated like real cows. We have a say in what we eat, when we eat it and best of all whenever we want to have a little lie down, we do it on grass. Click the button and I’ll tell you more about why being a cow here is as close to perfect as it gets…and that’s no bull."
About Biodiversity
Jacko says
"Bet you didn’t know that the loss of just one plant species could cause the collapse of an entire eco system. When farmers started clearing the vegetation to allow them to plant more crops they didn’t know that… I mean I only found out myself when I googled it. The bottom line is, every species has a certain role within an ecosystem- take it away and it all starts to go horribly wrong...isn’t that right Buzzo?"
Buzzo the Bee says
"Couldn’t have said it better myself Jacko. Here at Mulloon Creek Natural Farms we’re working towards rebuilding the lands original biodiversity. I’m no genius myself…and I’m certainly not the Queen but as a fully registered member of WBI…Worker Bees Inc. I’m smart enough to know the results have been sensational. Click and you can see for yourself."
About Eggs
Jacko says
"When I told you I ran the farm for my Dad, I was talking about ‘The Home Farm’. We also have another farm just down the road, it’s called Duralla and it’s home to (whispers) thousands and thousands of chickens. Now I fear no man and very few animals but chickens, well…who wants to be hen pecked all day?…you know what I mean.
This is Harriett; she’s the boss of the chickens - her “girls” she calls them, so if you don’t mind, I’ll leave you in her capable Umm...Ahh feet!"
Harriett the head Hen says
"Buc… buc buc buc…Buceeerk, H…H ...Hi … I’m Hariett, oohhh I just love visitors, particularly two legged ones come … come … you simply must meet MY girls and see the splendid job we all do laying yummy healthy eggs for you human folk…You won’t see any pens or cages here, we’ve got a beautiful range to live on and we don’t even pay rent, which is of course why they call us free range. Come, click quickly … and don’t worry about the little doggy he’ll find something to sniff ."
