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Rain slants and hits the window. Today, I saw the most brilliant of rainbows, a bold arc that touched the ground on both sides and with no dull spots. In Tassie, you see a lot of rainbows, but this one stopped me in my tracks.
Yesterday, I was stopped in my tracks on the way to Hobart. Snow had closed Vinces Saddle, the high point on the Huon Highway, and the snowploughs were busy making it safe. I didn’t have the ute; the four wheel drive would’ve been welcome in the resultant ice slurry, as I drove at an amble once the road opened again.
Winter has hit hard. Snow on lower peaks. Rain, wind, more rain. The paddocks are slush, the barnyard slippery and dangerous. The Huon River is flooding over the highway and some local farms look like fenced ponds. I did a book launch for my new release, Winter on the Farm, last week and little did I know that much of the frost, snow, mud and puddles pictured from last winter would be reality within days.
There are still rumours of the local abattoir’s possible demise, and possible saviours. The radio is full of carbon tax talkback. The cooker is on, the water’s very hot, and the last vestiges of a stonkingly bad cold are attempting to leave my body. My foot is still blue from the sprain over a fortnight ago, and Priscilla still doesn’t relish me trying to milk her and shows it with a good kick or two. Thank God for Sadie, is all I can say.
If you want to live this life – a smallholder’s life with all its commitments, responsibilities and unrelenting chores – it helps to be more than one. You either do it as a family or you need great neighbours, friends and relatives. We have all of those, but most of the relatives are far flung, the friends are busy with their own lives, and the neighbours have their own properties to manage. Sadie, a city girl who moved here for me, probably didn’t sign up for the endless rounds of work I’ve subjected her to by my physical failures. Though she does seem to relish much of the farm work and shine with pride at her successes.
For two weeks I’ve been out of action, and, in that time, feeding, milking, mucking out, spreading of gravel, parenting, stacking of firewood, and general chores had to go on. We’re ambitious with what we try to do on our modest little patch of earth, but when all is right, it feels like a doddle.
The last couple of weeks, as I’m sure Sadie would attest, are more like hard yakka than a doddle. The payoff, however, is that no matter how much it might feel like a chore, this way of living has more to recommend it than the work most people do in their lives.
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26 Jul 2011 19:28 AEST
From:
25 Jul 2011 19:32 AEST
From:
Raining but warm here
I bought "A Winters on the Farm" last week for my partner as a welcome home present when he returned from India after a three week sojourn! So tonight its raining here in beach side Melbourne but at this very moment we have the 'very chocolatey chocolate cake' cooling on the cake rack and your 'rich beef stock' simmering for the third hour!. So with a good shiraz and wonderful aromas filling our house we are both pretty thankful for your love of good produce and your careful cooking creation
19 Jul 2011 13:27 AEST
From:
Swings & Roundabouts
We totally agree and know what you're going through. You'll soon be better and then Sadie can relax a little - but she does sound like she's loving it!! Living on a farm with cows, chooks etc..big responsibilities but don't worry, it is how it is, come rain hail or shine, you do what you have to - I wouldn't trade it.
15 Jul 2011 9:24 AEST
From:
Your visit to Maleny Queensland
Thank you Matthew for taking time out to visit us in Maleny, Queensland as part of your "Winter on the Farm" book launch. Hope the warmer Qld. weather has helped you mend. We turned on a beautiful day, the Luncheon of food from our local producers and meeting you in person will remain one of my most memorable occasions. Looking forward to the new 'Goumet Farmer' series and turning out the Winter Warmer recipe's in my newly autographed copy of your book.
14 Jul 2011 20:33 AEST
From:
New Series Hooray!
Matthew great news about the new series I can't wait to see it. Even better we'll be dropping by the new shop when we visit Tassie later this year. keep up the good work and hope you foot gets better soon.
14 Jul 2011 20:16 AEST
From:
Winter sun
I agree with all the above. When one is unwell, the hills seem so much bigger and all the work a little over-whelming but then the sun appears and it's paradise on earth again.
14 Jul 2011 13:32 AEST
From:
I miss it
I miss being in the country and having a farm like lifestlye... :(
13 Jul 2011 15:32 AEST
From:
Thankyou
Well written Matthew. I too have my own Sadie, her name is Sue and together we chose to make a move from our beloved Australia to trial Expat life. Just this week we sat and agreed that no matter where we are, together is what makes the yakka seem like a doddle. We too have the farm in our sights and our current adventure will enable us to make it a reality. For now, we content ourselves with your blogs, books and DVD's. Well done & thank you for helping us see bits of our dream through yours.
13 Jul 2011 14:56 AEST
From:
The Good Life
Matthew I'm glad to hear you're on the mend. Growing up on a farm as a small child I knew the ongoing nature of the tasks and it was something we considered very carefully before moving from beachside Wamberal to look for our own small patch of earth in Tassie. Like you and Sadie we decided it was something we wanted to do and after talking about it for years actually did it. I'm just back in my home office now after the four of us (hubby and two boys) inspected a potential farm. Exciting times.
13 Jul 2011 12:09 AEST
From:
:-D
Ah my dad was telling me about the abottoir being shut down (possibly) - not good news for all the people down south. Hopefully it won't come to that!
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About this Blog
Ever wondered what it’d be like to leave a cushy city job and set up a small farm without any experience of rural life? Join Matthew Evans as he adjusts from being a restaurant critic to learning exactly where his food is coming from, on a farmlet in Tasmania’s beautiful Huon Valley.
Matthew Evans was once trained as a chef, before crossing to the dark side of the industry and becoming a restaurant reviewer. After five years and 2,000 restaurant meals as the chief reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald, Matthew realised that chefs don’t have the best produce in the land, normal people who live close to the land do. So he moved to Tasmania, to a small patch of earth where he’s raising pigs and sheep, milking a cow and waiting for his chickens to start laying.
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