Producing, for us,is about relationship, connecting to community and place.

I’m Deborah, and with Stephen, we’re small-scale producers.

We came to this farming ‘gig’ relatively late in life, seeking a nourishing relationship with place and community. Our production journey commenced around 2007 when I, decided to breed heritage chickens. I took this leap first and foremost for myself and then, because I felt a passion to be ‘part of the change’. I wanted chickens to complement my productive gardening, for their eggs and, well, just because they’re cool. They of course brought many benefits and became a central component of my backyard garden system. 

I’ve always been driven by the ideals of sustainability; during my childhood a love of nature and a desire to understand was nurtured in me. It was no surprise that I went-on to study ecology at university and then, as my academic career developed, examine human impact on the planet.

My sustainability-farming journey progressed when I ‘found’ permaculture; my practice developed as I turned my quarter-acre block over to growing more food, developing habitat and developing integrated systems. Which brings me back to breeding chickens. 

When I first went in search of my flock I learnt of the ‘rise and rise’ of hybrid commercial breeds and their dominance of the ‘backyard’ chicken market. Essentially this is why I decided to breed heritage fowl – first for myself and then for others – to preserve the old breeds. With chickens (and lots of them) came eggs, which enhanced our connection to place and community via local markets.