ferment a ginger oxymel (vinegar + honey +) for an easy autumn medicinal
say good morning to the #hummingbird and hear all the #permaculture #smallfarm news
watch out for a #hummingbird duel when you grow crocosmia flowers #birdwatching #birdfeeder
hatch chicks with a broody hen #hatchingchickeneggs #backyardchickens #simplelife
set eggs with a broody hen to hatch chicks naturally #backyardchickens #hatching #chicks
make elderflower liqueur for a simple summer tipple #cocktail #foraging #simplelife
find the missing duck in broody season #permaculturelife #farmlife #ducks
life with a broody goose nesting on eggs all spring #farmlife #simplelife #permaculture
find the hidden nest in broody season when the ducks start hiding their eggs #farmlife #ducks
sow peas in succession using loo rolls packed with damp soil #gardening #permaculture #simplelife
take a cue from sunbathing chickens and get the laundry out in spring sunshine
press soil blocks for seed sowing without plastic waste in the kitchen garden at appleturnover farm
prevent frostbite on #chickens in a polar vortex! how to protect combs and wattles in cold weather
cook outside in a charcoal-fired earth oven when we gather to make biochar in a community kiln
learn to repair a burst tap, reskilling to build a resilient future, at appleturnover farm
build stackable raised beds for easy composting, early hotbeds and year round vegetable gardening
preserve an elderflower oxymel fermented in apple cider vinegar + wildflower honey. summer in a jar
divert greywater to mulch beds planted with hazelnut. join the next farm tour at appleturnover
upcycle overalls into a pinafore frock for long hot summers working outside on the farm + garden
run ducks in the veg garden to reduce pests organically, collaborating with animal and plant systems
divide plants to multiply resilience for a regenerative small farm future
espalier a fruit tree on a walled kitchen garden, dormant pruning quince for productive small spaces
start a new grapevine from an old one with dormant cuttings in a wood-chip nursery for food security
sow potatoes under haybales in a mulberry tree guild, a permaculture smallholding experiment
make a food forest with dormant cuttings + willow rooting tea, for biodiverse edible gardens.
build a coldframe to extend the local gardening season for affordable homegrown food year-round
start seedlings with less plastic using a soil block press for a healthy, productive kitchen garden
make the sweater you'll wear for life: crafting timeless warmth and resilience
restore wooden spoons with wood butter, taking care of our belongings for a sustainable future
plan the veg patch for successive crops in the four-season kitchen garden = household food security
transform lawns into kitchen gardens to grow your own for community sufficiency and resilience.
biochar + wood ash from the wood stove for microbial-rich soil + ph-balanced water-holding gardens
bake *inside* a wood stove with a three-legged cast-iron-pot for off-grid efficiency + resilience
winter farm chores after a snowstorm with the geese, ducks, chickens + goats on appleturnover
reheat tea in an enamel cup on the wood stove, stacking functions to meet more needs with less.
make toast on the wood stove to maximise energy using simple tools for resilience in the farmhouse
homemade shoe polish with charcoal + beeswax on the wood stove. sustainable, zerowaste + non-toxic
what if the small work of how we live could transform the world?
elisa rathje makes films about learning to live regeneratively at appleturnover farm. part walled kitchen garden, part silvopasture, all 1 ½ acres of this heritage apple orchard are turning food forest, fibre, fodder, fuel and medicinals garden, with ponds, root cellar, tiny summer house, art studio, espaliers, grape arbours, compost toilets, hazelnut greywater beds, hidden rainwater catchments and a creek running through a thicket.
appleturnover is home to a pair of little milk goats, a flock of chickens, runner ducks, a trio of geese, a small unschooling family of artists, writers and filmmakers, as well as a charming farm cat.
together we document slow, simple approaches to culturing resilient patterns at home and in our island community, drawing on traditional skills, permaculture living strategies and creative responses to everyday life in an era of ecological emergency.
visit appleturnover.tv to learn more.