Thank you for your hospitality and welcome. We love the cottage and the farm atmosphere on such a beautiful day. Unfortunately our stay in the West does not permit a longer stay at Lavendale Farm, but will always remember it. I’d love to bring our granschildren sometime – they’d love it too. Thankyou too for the yummy loaf and eggs. A real treat.
Helen and Bruce, Vincentia NSW.
“What can we say – simply beautiful! Can’t wait to come back and relax for a longer stay. Seeing the alpacas matng was an interesting bonus, ha ha!
Gotta love those animals – especially the amusing ostrich!
Thank you Katherine and Merv for the beautiful getaway.
Hope to see you again soon.”
Emma & Tom
“Had a fantastic weekend away hich also included ‘Fathers’ day’.
The camp fire on saturday night was awesome. Great hosts, great company and many a great joke told around the fire by young and old.
Look forward to coming back again and will tell our friends about this fantistic place.
Thanks for a wonderful time.”
Jon, Judith, Josh(13) and Zak(8)
Some people say that farmers are always complaining. Some say that they are a pessimistic lot. Others respect their tenacity and others still simply wonder why they do it. From a hobby farmer’s point of view, true farmers can only be admired for their persistence and dedication to their profession. Until you live in the country, it is difficult to comprehend the complex issues which challenge farming families every year, in good times and in bad. The main thing to remember is that farmers grow our food.
This year the Avon Valley has had a reasonably good year weather wise. This translates to a good year for crops and stock. But it is difficult for the local farmers to get too excited about the season so far. There is so much which can still go wrong. We recently suggested to our share farmer that surly he should be happy with his crops this year. His reply was not the positive response we were expecting. He listed off all the events which could still ruin the crop, or at least lessen the bottom line. Most of these happened last year and the year before. After some prodding, our farmer eventually said “It has been an exceptional year”.
We are not “real” farmers, but have a hobby farm and invite families to stay an experience some of the farming life. Our share farmer puts in a crop each year (we hope) and we have a number of farm animals we raise for our own consumption and use. I must say the hens are enjoying the mass of weeds which grow in our garden and are fed to them on a daily basis. Last year their eggs seemed as pale as those bought in the shops. This year, however the yolks are golden. The ducks, of course are revelling in the weather.
We encourage people from the city to visit the farming districts whenever they can and to see first-hand how beautiful the country currently is. The canola is flowering, the oats and wheat are a deep green, the lupins are standing tall and strong. The beer drinkers will be pleased to know the barley is doing very well. Come and see for yourselves this productive area of our state. We have so much to offer in history, food, wine, art and agriculture. Meet the farmers who grow your food and wish them well for the rest of the season.
If you would like an interview with Katherine Jane please contact:
Lavendale Farm
5895 Great Southern Highway, Gilgering, via York WA
9641 4131 or 0422 168 848
The time had come to look for greener pastures. We were living just south ofPerthin a semi rural area on 5 acres of unproductive sand. Since moving there, we had become a little bit horsy and a little bit green, but the land we had just didn’t cut it. We had flooded mush in winter and a sand bowl in summer. All our trench digging gave a marginal improvement to drainage, but it had to be redone every winter, and all of the tree planting just gave a whole lot of trees that either died or simple didn’t grow any bigger.
We did a reccy “down south”. Too expensive. We looked past Northam. Too flat. Toodyay. Too hilly (and too expensive). We turned our attention to the York/Beverley area and found our little patch of heaven. 150 acres on the river. We had made a list of desirable features for our future home and this block met every one and a few we hadn’t thought of. The only problem was that it was still outside of budget. Still, several months negotiating with the banks, selling some things, getting pay rises, generally not taking no for an answer and we eventually settled on our block in September 2004. The first of our dreams had come true.
Buying a “hobby farm” in the country is one thing. Getting to live there is quite another. We had to cover the mortgage payments, and order to do so we had to work at our city jobs. Ironic isn’t it. So we spent two years coming up to the block on alternate weekends trying to put the plan together whilst still maintaining the dust bowl back in Perth as best we could. Friends and family humoured us and occasionally came with us on the weekends to help with some fencing or digging or cutting, but mostly I think they thought we were mad for taking on such a big project. We didn’t think we were mad, but we did wish were 10 years younger!. Still, hubby said it was easier working 150 acres with a tractor than 5 acres without a tractor. I just think he liked driving the tractor.
We had worked out that with the mortgage on the farm and the mortgage on the house we lived in and the mortgage we would have to take out to build a house on the farm… we would have to keep working the city jobs for a least six years before the place we lived in was worth enough to sell so we could afford to move to the farm. That was the plan, so we worked the plan. In fact many plans were worked simultaneously. It is amazing what new plans can be hatched whilst going for a walk with a hunk of cheese and a glass of red wine. Come to think of it, most of our dreaming was dome over a bottle or two of red wine after working our buts off on the farm all day. But guess what, the property boom hit, we sold our house inPerthfor a ridiculous amount of money and got here in just over two years. The second of our dreams had come true.
Third time here. Good company. Thanks
Chris and V, England
All too brief but a lovely break from daily life. Great hosts, keep up the good work.
Geoff and Jamina, Perth
Loved the animals and home cooked breakfasts. The camp fire chats were a lovely way to finish the day. Your location allowed us to do lots of sightseeing of nearby towns and some fine dining as well.
Marion and Selina, Ferndale, WA
This is a very beautiful and peaceful place and we have enjoyed your warmth and friendliness. We hope you have many more years here to enjoy your dream and hope to come again some time.
Elizabeth and Dave
…your hospitality was fantastic and we were able to be very relaxed. We are sure that everyone will love it here with you. Thanks.
Chris and John, York, UK
