Fallen tree.

This morning at 4.30 I woke to what I thought was the sound of fire crackers outside my bedroom window.

Bren, on the other hand, knew straight away that a tree had fallen down and was even pretty sure he knew exactly which tree it was. I think that's pretty impressive considering we have over 20 acres of bush.

Although no structures or fencing were damaged by the fallen tree, it did fall onto the flying fox which is annoying.

Apple Cider.

This week we've been making apple cider.

In our new orchard we have planted 2 rows of specific heritage cider variety apples. These trees will be 5 years old and ready to fruit next autumn.

In the meantime, every winter we make apple cider from the ugly, unsellable fruit.

We are not really set up with all the equipment for cider making so each year when the time comes around, we try and invent new ways to better last year's experience.

This year we have been using the garden mulcher to pulp the apples.

I wasn't there when they first filled it up and turned it on but I saw the aftermath of apple dripping from the roof and in beards and eyelashes.

Once pulped, the fruit is then poured into this old wine press, a lever is wound, the fruit is pressed and the juice pours out the bottom.

The pulp is finer this year than other years which means we are getting more juice but also that it is coming out the sides of the press.

Next year we'll line the barrel with shade cloth before we pour in the fruit.

Yeast was added to the juice to start the fermentation process and now these drums will gurgle and hang out inside our warm house for the next month or so.

We could really have used the final product to warm our insides today when it is 4 degrees at 1pm.

In other news: we had a film crew from Channel Ten's 9am with david & kim's program here last Tuesday. Some of the footage they took will be shown on next Monday's program.

I'll post the link to the video once it is up.

For those who can't wait until then: here's another video that was shown on that program a few months ago, before I started this blog. Wait for that wiggly thing on the right to stop turning and it'll play.

I hope you have a great weekend and stay warm wherever you are.

Chooks go bush

During the warmer months our flock of chooks follow behind the vegetable harvest. After the vegetables are pulled up, the chooks go in and enjoy the leftovers, scratch up and fertilise the ground.

Now it's Winter and it's time for them to come up onto higher ground which for us means into the bush.

But first we have to make a few modifications to fit their houses in.

Cutting a few trees down to make way for their houses means firewood for next year,

some bush poles for building our tractor shed,

and some sawdust.

Every year we are surprised by how much the chooks look at home in the bush and then we remember that they were originally jungle fowl.

I love this one of Mr Rooster mid crow.

Collecting the eggs.

This Mrs chicken stayed home....

Doesn't this look like the definition of free range?

Hello Banjo, we are friends.

Enjoying a dust bath.

We try to offer them pasture as well as bush but given the choice they much prefer the shelter of the trees and scratching amongst the leaf litter.

Thank you quince tree

Whenever we get back from Melbourne I see our farm with fresh eyes.

For a little while I can overlook all the work that needs to be done and appreciate how lucky we are and how beautiful this place is.

I seem to notice the smaller details.

While gathering the eggs this afternoon I noticed that the quince tree in the top orchard was in the final stages of dropping its golden leaves.

I saw beyond the tangle of blackberry at its feet and considered the abundant and successful quince season this year.

Quinces are funny fruit and I must admit that until this year I have never appreciated them or cooked with them. They are almost inedible raw and quite time consuming to process.

But this year there have been countless batches of stewed and mashed quince pulp dripping their rose coloured and sweet perfumed juice through muslin.

All that liquid has been boiled into jelly and poured into jars and labelled.

My Mum calls it bottled Autumn.

We have been and still are enjoying eating the jelly on everything from meat to cheese to crumpets and toast.

For the next few Farmers Markets, until we sell out, Bren will have the quince jelly on his stall so you can enjoy it as much as we do.

Thank you quince tree.