The first quarter of the year has felt like a mix of waiting, planning, and small but important progress. We’ve had some decent rain come through, which has taken a bit of pressure off the dams—still low, but at least heading in the right direction. The heat has been persistent, so most of the focus has been on setting things up properly rather than rushing into planting.
🌧️ Season Conditions
Rainfall has been patchy but welcome. Every decent shower has made a visible difference to the landscape and water levels. The ground is still on the dry side overall, especially in exposed areas, but there’s enough moisture to start thinking seriously about soil prep.
The heat has been the main limiting factor—slowing down what we’re willing to plant and pushing most of the energy into planning instead.
🌳 Orchard Progress
This quarter has mostly been about groundwork—literally and figuratively.
We’ve organised fencing for the orchard, which is a big step forward. In the meantime, we’ve started digging holes to prep the soil and get a feel for spacing and layout. It’s been useful to physically stand in the space and visualise how everything will sit, rather than just working it out on paper.
A lot of time has also gone into researching the practical side of establishing the orchard properly:
- Netting options
- Tree guards
- Staking methods
- Wildlife protection (assuming something will get through the fence eventually)
We’ve started transporting trees to the farm so they’re ready to go in once the fence is up and the worst of the heat passes. For now, it’s a bit of staging and patience.
🐝 Beekeeping Update
The bees at the Sydney site have been going hard. Strong activity, good numbers, and a noticeable increase in honey production—enough to keep us busy staying on top of it.
Health-wise, things are looking solid:
- Low mite counts
- A few hive beetles, but nothing out of control
It’s been a good reminder of how productive a strong hive can be when conditions line up.
At the farm, we’re still in planning mode for the apiary. Wind is a big consideration out at Hargraves, so we’re working through how to provide adequate shelter and positioning before moving any hives out there. Fencing is also part of that plan.
🌱 Garden & Food Production
A lot of time has gone into planning future garden beds—layout, positioning, and how everything will function longer term.
The first real step into production has been getting garlic in the ground. It’s early days, but it feels like the start of something tangible after a lot of preparation work.
🔧 Jobs This Quarter
- Organised orchard fencing
- Dug initial planting holes and mapped tree positions
- Researched orchard protection (netting, guards, staking)
- Transported trees to the farm ready for planting
- Planned apiary layout and shelter options
- Managed strong hive activity and honey production in Sydney
- Planted first garlic crop
- Started wood chopping for winter
🔥 Preparing for Winter
With everything else going on, we’ve also been steadily working through firewood for winter. It’s one of those jobs that’s easy to leave too late, so getting ahead of it now makes sense.
🌿 Looking Ahead (April – June)
The next quarter should be where things start to shift from planning into action:
- Finalise and install orchard fencing
- Begin planting trees once conditions cool
- Continue building out garden beds
- Refine apiary setup and wind protection
- Keep monitoring hive health and stores
📌 Final Thoughts
This quarter hasn’t been about big visible results—it’s been about setting things up properly. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes: decisions, preparation, and groundwork that will make the next phase smoother.
For now, it’s a balance of getting ready, keeping things moving, and making the most of the season while it lasts.
