About Honeyvale Farm
Who we are: regenerative farming in the Northern Rivers
Our mainstay is beekeeping, though we have a wide range of produce such as honey, wax, free range eggs, pork, geese and composting worms. We provide services such as pollination, beekeeping, mentorship, agistment and swarm removal. We are fully off grid, have replanted 20 acres of our land back to The Big Scrub Rainforest and will shortly be planting 750 pecan trees. Our vision is for Honeyvale Farm to be a biodiverse enterprise which produces more than food. Honeyvale sustains us as farmers, provides ecological services to the environment, and produces employment and nourishing food for both our local and wider community. Our little patch of paradise will do more of this for us than it did for past generations, and will do even more for future generations than it has for us: this is regenerative farming.
The story behind Honeyvale Farm
Jackie, Luke and Honey moved from our previous farm in Queensland to a 3/4 acre block in the Northern Rivers of NSW in 2019 to be closer to family. Honey told us in no uncertain terms that this was not enough room for a kelpie, even with chickens to tend to. After searching long and hard for the perfect place, we bought Honeyvale Farm in 2020 after falling in love with the beautiful soils and pastures of the Alstonville Plateau. Honey identifies strongly with Todd in "The Biggest Little Farm." Except she even has the farm named after her. We bought in the depths of severe drought, then swung straight into the worst flooding the Northern Rivers has ever seen: it has been a wild ride! But we saw the potential for what this landscape could offer to our local environment and community; we have never looked back!
Zero waste and the circular economy in our community
At Honeyvale we believe it's high time for an update on the whole concept of landfill and waste as a word. The fruit, veg and bread that aren't sold out the front door of our local supermarket head out the back door to be fed to our animals and to our soil nourishing compost. It's a lot of work, but we make sure that the right foods go to the right mouths. If you want to do your part for a zero waste, circular economy then start by changing your thinking: where do the things you use come from and where do they end up after leaving your hands? A simple way to start is good use of kerbside recycling and taking soft plastic to REDcycle bins at Coles and Woolworths (you don't need to shop there to do this). What leaves your place as waste? Pick the most common item and replace it with something better for our future!
Animals of Honeyvale
From microscopic organisms in our compost to cows on pasture, living beings make Honeyvale Farm tick. Plants, animals, fungi and microscopic organisms work together to cycle nutrients and build life. We take the care and welfare of our residents seriously, no matter what size they are. The animals of Honeyvale all live a lifestyle suited to their needs for space, shelter, friendship, and nourishment. Read on to see our farm gallery and how we keep our animals.
Our bees
We love all our insects but bees are our favourites. These hard working ladies produce honey and wax for us as well as pollinate our food. The Northern Rivers has the highest concentration of amateur beekeepers in Australia. With Varroa destructor not just knocking on our doorstep but now having a foot in the door we are passionate about making sure every one of these beekeepers knows how to do their best to care for their bees.