Bianca 'Our Acre on the Hill'

What's your thing? 

Gardening, when I had kids it changed from there, you can be a bit riskier, but when you become a Mum then I become more invested. I care more. I started looking at the backs of packers and you see numbers. ‘What is it? 

Being rural, we don't have a F & V place, we only have major supermarkets, so if you want your own you have to grow it or find someone that does.

We have chickens, we have 40 as we live on an acre. 

I promote community sufficiency, you need community, we don't try to do it all ourselves, but try to find people with similar mindsets.

Where did the love of calendula come from? 

Originally it was planted a s a pollinator, then I was so sad with the flowers that were wasted. How could these be used for other products? We are both passionate about making something out of what we grow, make the world a better place. What can make with what we have been given? Less waste, less impact on the earth.

How did the calendula  Researched with what you could do with the flowers. Can make salves & creams, tea,

When we plant we always think - Is it useful, does it bring us joy, how do we make the most use of what we plant. It used to be ‘can I eat it’? Now its, 'can I use it'? 

What products do you make? 

Bath salts and salves - a lavender, comfrey, calendula and a ‘bug off’ with citronella oil. Going to make a Vicks replacement soon.

Small batch , hand poured, no nasties. 

What are the props of calendula that are good for you? Soothing, good for skin probs, mix with bees wax from a local bee farmer. 

What is Comfrey? - a green wide leaf bushy plant that has a tap root that pulls nutrients up from the earth for other plants. Its good for arthritis and broken bones, heals skin very quickly, like bed sores, a miracle treatment. Chicken love eating it and it accelerates the breakdown of compost. 

Lavender - soothing and calming, muscle relaxation, lots of people buy it for massage. 

What the bigger picture goal? 

To have a productive acre that sustains the family with the vegetables, fruit trees (80 of them including figs and mulberries and elderberries!!)  and making an income. Elderberry syrup kits are on the way, great for coughs in winter, super immune boosting.

They will be doing sourdough and kombucha and ACV making workshops. 

Where can people see & order these chemical free products?

Ouracreonthehill.com 

Have you always composted? 

Its something we have only done in the last 18mths. Our council doesn't have the green waste bin so it was going into landfill. Worse when its in plastic bin liner.

We have 7 compost and 2 worm farms. The worm poo gets mixed with water and then fertilises the plants. The chickens eat meal worms, crickets and food scraps. They also get porridge every morning, with chilli and ACV, I learnt that they cant taste the chilli but it raises their body temperature and in winter they are more likely to lay eggs.