THE FARM
Owned and grown by Deri-Anne and Tim Wyatt, Angelica Organic Farm is a small, family farm, with full organic certification (ACO Lic. No. 10966A). Our farm consists of mixed cropping of gourmet garlic, seasonal vegetables (mainly summer/autumn), heirloom tomatoes, culinary herbs and during summer a few cut flowers. Our fare is served in cafes, restaurants and provedores in and around Daylesford and Melbourne. You can also meet us and purchase our tasty, colourful, fresh produce at farmers' markets in Daylesford and in Melbourne at the Collingwood Children’s Farm, Hawthorn Boroondara and Abbottsford Convent Slow Food Markets. From day one Angelica Organic Farm's produce has been lovingly grown, by natural, chemical-free means - nurturing and sustaining the land's essential ecosystems. In assistance to this approach, our farm embraces the ‘slow food’ movement, being the antithesis of factory farming and the fast food culture. We are also devoted to maintaining food diversity and authentic flavours and therefore love to grow heirloom (old fashioned, open-pollinated) varieties.
History
Angelica Organic Farm began in September of 2006 with zero farming experience but lots of passion for a longstanding dream. We’d carried out lots of research into organics and biodynamics, had some home vegie and herb growing practice and lots of zeal for wanting to create an authentic living, in harmony with nature, our community and ourselves. We aim to put back as much as we draw out of the earth and community and hope to leave both richer than we found them.Ours is not a ‘text book’ farming tale at all. In 2006, the farm was born on about two acres of leased land in Daylesford, Central Victoria. For our first season, the summer of 2006-2007, we charged headlong into the middle of the worst drought Australia has seen in decades but we just had to get started! After all, we’d been talking about it for over ten years, time flies by so fast and we’re not getting any younger.
Despite the many and varied challenges, we learnt and achieved a lot, managing to grow a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, which supplied local weekly vegie boxes and was well received by supportive chefs and at our weekend farmers’ market stalls over the summer and early autumn.
In August 2007 we relocated the farm to another property in Glenlyon (10 minutes from Daylesford), which being larger and with the water and tenure security we needed enabled the farm to expand and develop.
This property allows the crop rotations and other soil care required for biodiversity to prosper, creating healthy plants and nutrient rich food. The move meant starting from scratch but it was needed and we haven’t looked back.
Now and onwards…
The overall farm plan has shifted focus to growing more of less types of produce with garlic being our mainstay. This streamlined approach allows us to establish and diversify the farm over time in a sustainable fashion.We chose garlic as a mainstay not only because we have ideal growing conditions climatically, along with rich volcanic soils but because good quality Australian garlic is highly sort after, being in short supply since the dominance of cheap, inferior imported garlic and we, along with all of you, consider excellent garlic to be an indispensable daily ingredient in a fulfilled culinary life! We were thrilled to win a Gold Medal for our rocambole garlic in the 'From The Earth' section of the national 2010 ABC delicious Produce Awards.
Our achievements to date have been greatly aided by a few occasional on-farm helpers, a very generous family, numerous moral-supporters and a couple of exquisite human angels we are blessed to have in our lives.
A family farm can be a lot of work and the focus can get a bit microscopic or even blurry on occasions but we sleep well at nights, have the best ‘office’ going around and it’s a labour of true love.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ for a comprehensive source of common questions. You can also contact us at anytime.
