The good news is that I earned more this financial year than the last. The bad news is that it was only $220. I've kind of been expecting an average year after the myriad crop failures of spring and early summer (early peas, salad mix, onions, beans weren't great either), so I have to look on the bright side: now I know how not to do those crops again.
On the plus side, the leased land is going very well, providing me with potatoes, leeks and tons of brassicas (below), that I would have struggled to squeeze into my home patch. Also, the corn came off well (phew!), and my holding crops are promising a comfortable start to the coming financial year over late winter and early spring.
I'm also looking forward to more people visiting and helping on the farm over the coming season. I've had a few spare days at this quiet time of the year, so I've been working on some wwoofer accommodation, based on the traditional Huon Valley picker's hut.
I'm also open to the idea of people coming and helping out on the farm in exchange for food and vegetables. I've had a few people (now friends) that have joined me on a regular basis to hoe, weed and plant for a day every week or so, which saves me time, meaning we can linger over lunch and harvest a few veges as a thank you. You can contact me here.
All in all, I'm looking forward to the coming year; I've learnt a lot, have more land to play with, and I can almost smell spring in the air...