One row at a time:
Creating a lavender farm
love at first sight
If you've already been following us on Instagram, The Birramal Estate is our little slice of paradise nestled in the breathtaking Capertee Valley of NSW. Although we've been dreaming of this for longer than either of us can remember, we also can't believe so much time has already passed since we found this little piece of the valley. And with time on the land under our belts we thought it'd be a good idea to recount some of the milestones, challenges, and pure joys that have coloured nearly every day here at The Birramal Estate.
When we first set our sights on creating The Birramal Estate, we knew we were diving headfirst into a labour of love. Inspired by our travels to lavender farms in France, the UK, South Africa, and the USA, we wanted to create a space where people could escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and find solace in the beauty of lavender fields and beautiful gardens.
Our journey has been one filled with excitement, determination, and a few unexpected twists along the way. But through it all, our vision has guided us, propelling us forward through unseasonably warm months, record rainfall, and early frosts.
So, let's start from the beginning...
When an idea became a plan
While we can't quite recall the exact moment when inspiration struck, we do know that the seed of our idea started to blossom into a plan back in 2014. We started by searching for rural properties as a means to escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney. Our plans were then put on hold when we seized the opportunity to live and work abroad in London for 2.5 years. During our time there, we made it a priority to visit as many lavender farms and gardens as possible. Each visit provided more inspiration, insights into our preferences, things we knew we wanted to avoid, and, most importantly, the scale we aspired to achieve.
But transforming our plan into a tangible reality required heaps of planning and preparation. Even before our return to Sydney, we dedicated months and months of time to researching potential locations and immersing ourselves in the world of lavender cultivation. We delved into understanding different lavender varieties and their distinctive characteristics, while also studying soil conditions and climatic suitability. Our aim was to leave no stone unturned. And despite all of that planning, getting all of the moving parts to align in perfect order was… challenging!
After discovering the surprisingly well hidden Capertee Valley, we knew we’d found the perfect location. After several valiant (and failed!) attempts, we finally acquired our 200-acre farm - after what felt like an exceptionally long and anxiety inducing settlement period. Having the farm secured meant we were able to start tackling the dreams in our head - and come to grips with all of the things we’d never imagined as part of the experience (fencing, feral animals, weeds - lots and lots of them (!), floods, and potholes.
Quite fortunately, one of the most important things we haven’t had to worry about too much has been the farm’s soil composition - a reasonably important consideration when you plan to grow things. After partnering with our local NSW Land Services team to conduct thorough soil tests, we’ve been able to confirm we’ve got sandy loam - something lavender (and heaps of other plants) can do quite well in (another “Whew!”).
We carefully selected the lavender variety that would thrive in our farm's microclimate. We took into account factors such as adaptability, the rain-shadow of Mount Marsden, visual appeal, and our ultimate goal of producing a range of high-quality products. In the end, we chose the classic and widely known Lavandula x intermedia variety known as "Grosso". And, with just a few soil amendments, we’ve been able to ensure our first lavender plants have gotten off to the absolute best possible start - despite all that the weather could throw at us (and it definitely tried to provide us with some extremes).
Not knowing exactly where to begin or how to prepare the land properly (something that everyone has different opinions on), we embraced the obstacles that came our way. After hours and hours of walking the potential fields, measuring and remeasuring large areas (because “I’m sure I wrote that down somewhere…”) we eventually created a site map that reflected our aspirations. While the map remained high-level and highly flexible, it has served as a guiding compass, helping us bring things to fruition that we’ve so far only dreamed of.
Our achievements
Our journey so far has been filled with ambitious projects and extraordinary achievements (if we do say so ourselves!) for a couple of newbie farmers.
Each step forward has brought us closer to realising our vision of becoming one of NSW's largest lavender farms. Here are some of the key milestones that have shaped our journey so far.
JANUARY 2022
Farm Settlement: Years of hunting finally paid off when we took possession of our new farm, Birramal. The establishment of The Birramal Estate marks the beginning of our lavender farm adventure.
JULY 2022
Detailed Soil Testing and Training: We conducted thorough soil testing and attended valuable training sessions provided by NSW Local Land Services. This helped us gain a deeper understanding of our soil composition and optimise our farming practices.
Acquired Tractor and Attachments: We acquired a tractor and a range of attachments, equipping us with the necessary machinery to cultivate and maintain our expansive lavender fields (but who knew how exciting pandemic supply chain dramas could be).
AUGUST 2022
Field Preparation: We diligently (day after day, week after week) prepared fields 1 and 2 for planting, ensuring the soil was properly conditioned to provide an ideal environment for our lavender plants.
OCTOBER 2022
First Planting: We received and planted the first tranche of 8,000 lavender plants - in terribly dry and hot weather. Nonetheless, this was a significant milestone in establishing the foundation of our lavender farm. And in the best news, our hard work of hand watering nearly every plant over several weeks has meant most have thrived!
December 2022
Field Expansion: Field 3 was prepared for planting (a bit more efficiently than for fields 1 and 2) to significantly expand our cultivation area - though still just a small portion of the eventual footprint of the lavender on the farm.
March 2023
Second Planting: We received the next batch of 16,000 lavender plants - with timing that again probably couldn’t have been worse. While not quite as successful as our first planting, these plants are now well on their way to providing an impressive lavender show in the years to come.
Overcoming Adversities
All good farming stories have a few obstacles, challenge and adversity embedded within them - and we’re the same. And if nothing else, all good dramas provide great stories in the future, even if experiencing them isn’t quite as entertaining at the time. Here are some of the challenges we’ve encountered along the way (at least the ones that have a bit of an entertaining twist):
Soil Health
While we understood from the outset that we needed to consider our soil profile, we soon realised the depth of knowledge required to completely understand and manage our soil's health. Most recently operated as a cattle grazing property, and before that goats and sheep, the soil required a few amendments to create the optimal conditions for lavender cultivation. Through testing and analysis, we identified the necessary enhancements, including some relatively minor adjustments to pH levels, all to ensure our new lavender plants would thrive.
Weather Extremes
Record annual rainfall in 2022, followed by an unseasonably warm (and dry) March in 2023, posed challenges for our second planting in our third field. During our second planting in March 2023, we coincidentally experienced the hottest four consecutive days in March on record. Without a drip irrigation system in place, and with the need to get our plants in the ground before April to allow the lavender to harden before the first frost, we had no choice but to hand-water our plants (again). We’re still workshopping how we’ll be better able to scale occasional watering for all of our plants in the future, while trying to minimise water waste and the amount of physical effort involved. This is definitely still a work in-progress!
Planting and Maintenance
Planting thousands of lavender plants was no small feat - particularly in baking hot and dry weather. We’ve decided against using weed mat (not easily scalable for us) or drip irrigation (we want plants that can tolerate drought, with deep root systems). While both have made scaling up the farm a bit faster, these choices also mean heaps of additional work with weeding and watering by hand in the first few weeks after new plants get into the ground. Weeding, mowing, pruning, and watering demanded our unwavering attention for many weeks - and we learned quite quickly that mechanical intervention was going to be necessary to effectively manage (and cope) with the number of lavender plants we intend to scale to over the next few years.
Learning Curve
As new farmers, we faced a steep learning curve. Navigating the complexities of lavender cultivation and farm management have required continuous education and adaptation. We’ve sought guidance from experienced lavender farmers across Australia, attended Landcare and pest management workshops, engaged in conversations over cups of tea with our neighbours, and embraced a “roll with the punches” mindset. Inevitably, just as you might think “Hey - I’ve got this.” new challenges would land on our doorstep - some unexpected and some self-inflicted (like the arrival of five Miniature Belted Galloway cows). Who knows what the next challenge might bring, but it’s sure to provide some entertainment along the way (if not for us, then probably for you).
And the good news is: We’re still loving farm life! Despite these inevitable challenges, our determination and unwavering passion have propelled us forward - and we’re so glad that you’re joining in on the fun (even if vicariously and from a far).
Looking Ahead
Time flies on the farm and we’re always looking ahead with anticipation to the next project that will help to bring our vision to life. While exciting, each bright idea is sure to be filled with hard work (and a lot of weeding).
Expansion
Despite the back-breaking work, we still plan to continue expanding our lavender fields - in preparation for The Birramal Estate to become one of the largest lavender farms in NSW. Through responsible farming practices and a focus on biodiversity (in particular the preservation of the Regent Honeyeater), we aim to create a lavender farm that also respects our local environment.
Distilling our first harvest
Summer 2023/2024 will mark both our first harvest and distillation for essential oil. With a lot to put in place between now and then, we have already gotten started arranging the fabrication and delivery of an essential oil still, and been immersing ourselves in every aspect of the steam distillation process for what will no doubt be a thrilling (and exhausting!) distillation season.
Product development
We look forward to designing and manufacturing a wide range of lavender products, as we launch an online store and establish a small farm shop. From skincare and aromatherapy to culinary items and unique gifts, our minds are already racing. While we haven’t decided exactly what all of this might look like, we’re putting everything into motion and looking forward to sharing it all with you soon!
Experiences
We believe in the power of education and sharing knowledge with our community. In the future, we plan to offer educational experiences, workshops, and farm tours that allow visitors to learn about lavender, essential oil distillation, product and general craft-making. We look forward to welcoming you to the farm in the years ahead.
Thank you
We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from our family, neighbours and friends, who have joined us on this journey; celebrating our milestones and sharing in the challenges along the way. Thanks for being part of this crazy journey!