The thing about being farmers as well as being Farm Store Keepers is that when we consider products and services for the store we think about how we could use them ourselves in our farming
operation. Being certified organic and on our own regenerative farming journey we are not attracted to products, services or companies that don’t support organic and regenerative practices and we are particularly wary of the increasing amount of green-washing that is bastardising the word ‘regenerative’.
operation. Being certified organic and on our own regenerative farming journey we are not attracted to products, services or companies that don’t support organic and regenerative practices and we are particularly wary of the increasing amount of green-washing that is bastardising the word ‘regenerative’.Because of this we have a store that is full of ‘curated content’, products that we know will be of benefit to producers who don’t want synthetic or short-term solutions. The details oriented amongst you would have noticed that not all products on our shelves are certified organic – that’s because that pool is still relatively small. But rest assured we believe everything we stock to be the best available (and best value) option we can find while we continually work towards more options for certified producers.
Our approach makes us pretty different to any other rural store you’ll visit, it also means there are plenty of people who think we are sadly lacking because of 
what we don’t stock. It means we feel like the proverbial black sheep when we attend industry functions and we feel an enormous responsibility to ‘prove it works’ to silence the naysayers even though our combined organic and regenerative journey is exactly that, a journey where we are constantly learning, trying, adjusting and improving. Just like in nature, there is no ‘we’re here!’ endpoint; we are continually evolving.
what we don’t stock. It means we feel like the proverbial black sheep when we attend industry functions and we feel an enormous responsibility to ‘prove it works’ to silence the naysayers even though our combined organic and regenerative journey is exactly that, a journey where we are constantly learning, trying, adjusting and improving. Just like in nature, there is no ‘we’re here!’ endpoint; we are continually evolving.Sometimes, actually quite often, we want to pack it all in and go and live out our own farming journey quietly but then we think of all those out there doing wonderful things and producing wonderful food on the landscape in their care and we feel compelled to do as much as we can to make the journey easier. Because when we first came to this area in 2006 we were told by everyone we asked that “you can’t raise livestock organically in coastal areas” and “it’s all very well to be a greenie (care for the environment) but it won’t pay your mortgage”. It turns out you can be organic and contribute to a better environment and make a living, but working out how to do it is a lot easier and a lot less lonely, if you get some sort of support along the way.
The good news is that there are plenty of supply companies out there now making products and offering services that support regenerative and organic farming and we are excited to curate an annual field day where we get as many of them as we can together, so you have access to all that support and knowledge at once. This is AGVENTION!
If you believe there is no place for poison in the food-chain, and we shouldn’t have to compromise the environment to produce food and that real food production is one of the most worthy of human endeavours, or if you know someone that does…. then please spread the word about Agvention on the first Friday in September at the Kandanga Farm Store.
