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Sheryn DeanI grew up on an isolated 250 hectares on the East Coast. My parents were sustainable out of necessity and organic before it was trendy.
In my 30s I obtained a small block (3.5h) in the lush and temperate Waikato and learnt how to adjust farming practices to a small block. When one cow is a 25% of your herd, stock numbers make a huge difference and the economics of grazing a bull year round is not justifiable. Not only that, my tastes had expanded from that of my childhood. I now want feta cheese, ricotta and dukha and eat previously unknown vegetables like rocket, yacon, and pak choy. A lifelong love of growing trees was expanded when I edited the NZ Tree Crops Assn journal, TreeCropper, for eleven years, and then Soil & Health's OrganicNZ magazine. . I also wrote columns and articles for various publications including NZ Lifestyle Block and NZ Gardener magazines. This established connections with a wide range of experienced and experimental horticulturists, researchers, scientists, and lifestylers in New Zealand. I enjoyed gleaning information from them and applying it to my own piece of paradise. Over the years I collected and experimented with over 500 different fruits, nuts, and berries, hundreds of types of vegetables, a wide range of animals, and a multitude of preserving/cooking techniques. Much was learnt by experiment as the information available is often biased, aimed at larger farmers, urban gardens, or other climates. My focus is always on maximising the nutrient content of food. I have experimented or researched most systems and ideologies and utulise those which work in with my situation and nature's natural cycles. This results in organic, sustainable practices that are logical and functional. |
My block
I found the perfect 3.5h of bare land in the Waikato in 2006.
The land was part of a road reconstruction in the '70s and had been part of a dairy farm that had been heavily cropped. The soil was poor with sour boggy patches, (which is why the farmer agreed to sell it), but it was north facing, the size I wanted and in our price range.
Developing it from scratch had advantages, and within three years, organic methods had turned the soil around and the orchard was providing fruit. It produced more food than I knew what to do with and the focus was always on making that produce as nutritionally beneficial as possible.
The benign climate of the Waikato meant I could grow a huge range of food. Not all of it was successful but with sugar maples (they need cold) and bananas (which need heat) I figure I am future-proofed for climate change - whichever way she goes. One thing I have learnt is that the variety of food we can grow far exceeds the range available in the supermarket. Ever tried an asimoya? A medlar? Rangpur lime? Yacon? Aronia berries?
I also learnt that it is best to work towards an overall plan but realise that nature is always changing and evolving and the best plans are flexible.
I established diverse vegetable gardens, ran dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs, various poultry, beehives, and had hundreds of fruit and nut trees, berry plants and supporting understorey plants in an integrated holistic system that I managed organically with some homeopathic and bio-dynamic methodology. Over years I watched my land and environment improve considerably.
The land was part of a road reconstruction in the '70s and had been part of a dairy farm that had been heavily cropped. The soil was poor with sour boggy patches, (which is why the farmer agreed to sell it), but it was north facing, the size I wanted and in our price range.
Developing it from scratch had advantages, and within three years, organic methods had turned the soil around and the orchard was providing fruit. It produced more food than I knew what to do with and the focus was always on making that produce as nutritionally beneficial as possible.
The benign climate of the Waikato meant I could grow a huge range of food. Not all of it was successful but with sugar maples (they need cold) and bananas (which need heat) I figure I am future-proofed for climate change - whichever way she goes. One thing I have learnt is that the variety of food we can grow far exceeds the range available in the supermarket. Ever tried an asimoya? A medlar? Rangpur lime? Yacon? Aronia berries?
I also learnt that it is best to work towards an overall plan but realise that nature is always changing and evolving and the best plans are flexible.
I established diverse vegetable gardens, ran dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs, various poultry, beehives, and had hundreds of fruit and nut trees, berry plants and supporting understorey plants in an integrated holistic system that I managed organically with some homeopathic and bio-dynamic methodology. Over years I watched my land and environment improve considerably.
However in 2019, I realised that domestic abuse never improves. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you hope, it is a situation that only gets worse. The more you give, the more a narcissist will take, Abuse is toxic, confusing, extremely stressful, and eventually, absolutely exhausting at a level so deep I call it soul tired - which is three levels tireder than bone tired.
Leaving my animals and plants and the life I had worked so hard to establish, what everyone else called paradise, was one of the hardest things I have done.
I used the opportunity to gain experience of similar properties throughout the North Island. I spent two years house-sitting, Wwoofing and working for friends, learning their challenges and climates before I managed to get my property back through the Family Court.
By then it was trashed. Trees poisoned, understorey and pasture grazed out, stud animals eaten or sold, iinfrastructure destroyed. Another learning curve in resurrection and resilience.
It has given me a wide experience of the sheep and beef family farm, organic dairy and cheese making, bull farming, commercial orcharding,starting from scratch, experimenting and starting over. And I am still learning.
I do live in paradise. And I hope you can take from my lesson and create your own version.
Leaving my animals and plants and the life I had worked so hard to establish, what everyone else called paradise, was one of the hardest things I have done.
I used the opportunity to gain experience of similar properties throughout the North Island. I spent two years house-sitting, Wwoofing and working for friends, learning their challenges and climates before I managed to get my property back through the Family Court.
By then it was trashed. Trees poisoned, understorey and pasture grazed out, stud animals eaten or sold, iinfrastructure destroyed. Another learning curve in resurrection and resilience.
It has given me a wide experience of the sheep and beef family farm, organic dairy and cheese making, bull farming, commercial orcharding,starting from scratch, experimenting and starting over. And I am still learning.
I do live in paradise. And I hope you can take from my lesson and create your own version.
Google Sheryn Dean for articles published on gardening. lifestyle block living and stock management.