![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DSCN27432.jpg\" "\\"DSCN2743\\"")
<\/a><\/dt>\nTalofa lava, Sister Rasela serving you up a feast of fresh and wild\u00a0lingo, blended to a smooth consistency with reggae beats and peaces\u00a0to put us all on island time … just in case you’re not already there.<\/p>\n
Blessed i feel, not\u00a0to have been away from this\u00a0succulent Shire of ours, but\u00a0to have returned to it with a sense of belonging and an enormous appetite.\u00a0If you have ever driven into Byron from the North, you might well have noticed that not far from the border there is a two way tunnel that plows through the hillside from which i always feel i emerge into another world … the world of plenty. Plenty of friends, plenty of music, plenty of love, and plenty of good, wholesome, nutritious, home grown … FOOOOOD !!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Love of light<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the farmers in this region who is responsible for the production of this kind of fantastic food is gentleman and farmer\u00a0extraordinaire –\u00a0Robin Wolf.<\/p>\n
Robin was brought up on a farm in Tasmania and spent his\u00a0whole childhood\u00a0as his Dad’s sidekick, learning what he didn’t know he was at the time, but\u00a0which\u00a0has\u00a0gone on\u00a0to\u00a0serve him well on his own farm and in the techniques that he chooses to use.<\/p>\n
Robin now\u00a0uses similar methods on his certified organic farm, that his father used all those years ago\u00a0until the introduction of commercial and\u00a0conventional\u00a0methods arrived,\u00a0which included\u00a0pesticides and chemicals, in the belief that this was the way forward in farming. For a while they followed these methods on their farm in the South, enabling Robin to experience different options to farming throughout his life. One realisation that\u00a0occured\u00a0over time, was\u00a0that plants\u00a0need to\u00a0grow strong and be able to fight for themselves in order to be healthy and more immune resistant, much the same as our bodies work when we are eating correctly and are able to fight off disease and build a strong immune system. So it was an easy choice for Robin in years to come when he had to reconsider the running of his own farm here in Tyagrah.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Morning glory<\/p><\/div>\n
The conversion from conventional to organic farming seemed a natural progression\u00a0when in 2008\u00a0a ferocious hailstorm attacked the whole of the Shire. The stonefruit orchid, along with all it’s protective netting, was completely\u00a0wiped out. At that time the\u00a0farm relied heavily on conventional stone fruit production.\u00a0Having\u00a0lost all of the fruit and trees and without the thousands of dollars it would have taken to reinstall the netting,\u00a0the farm\u00a0had to wonder …\u00a0where to from here ?<\/p>\n
They\u00a0had already started farming and growing organically on a small portion of the\u00a0land, after various\u00a0 health issues and allergies in the family meant that they were exploring alternative routes to healing and wellbeing.\u00a0 Coupled with the knowledge that the conventional market was already saturated with farmed fruits and\u00a0vegetables on\u00a0a\u00a0large scale, they decided to expand the naturally grown side of\u00a0life and began to\u00a0undertake the lengthy and expensive conversion to Organic farming, and with it a more sustainable and ethically productive life.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Soul tree<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the highlights of my time in Byron has been working on the farm as a volunteer. The joy i felt after\u00a0getting my hands dirty, weeding, planting, sprinkling fertilizers and chatting to other volunteers, as well as the peaceful vibe that permeates the farm, is soul filling. The volunteering starts at 7.30am, breaks for ‘smoko’ at around 10.30am with Robin putting on\u00a0tea and toast before we\u00a0all head back out on the ranch and\u00a0finish up\u00a0for 1pm. When it’s all good and done\u00a0you are presented with a beautiful\u00a0box of vegetables and farm greens for your effort and well earned appetite.<\/p>\n
If you think you can’t afford to eat organic … BULLS#*T … put in 4 hours of love and get a box\u00a0loving nutrition in return. One good deed deserves another and the barter system of sharing what you have is pleasantly alive and kicking in the Shire.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Straight from the ground to the markets - No wonder the farm is called Fresh and Wild<\/p><\/div>\n
This is hugely fulfilling and a wonderfully\u00a0satisfying experience. It may be that\u00a0you wish to learn where some of your food comes from, how it’s grown, are interested in learning about organic farming practices, feel the urge to input your time and energy into the farming community, want to get dirt under your fingernails, mud between your toes or all of the above. Get on down to Tyagrah sometime and get amongst it.<\/p>\n
Robin can also be found at the New Brighton and Byron farmers markets\u00a0on and around\u00a0his bustling stall Fresh and Wild. He is only too happy to chat about volunteering positions, his fresh vibrant produce or simply just have a good old chin wag with one of his many\u00a0energetic and appreciative customers. Just look for the stall with the longest cue of happy, healthy looking people … that’s where he’ll be.<\/p>\n