Garden Insights - Half Moon Farm

Garden Insights + Share Table

Garden Insights: Half Moon Farm

presented by Justin Russell

Sunday 4 August 2024

2.00 pm - 4.30 pm

8655 New England Highway, Hampton, Q 4352 

This event is organised by Permaculture Toowoomba Inc.

Bookings are Essential

Bookings are essential so that we have contact details and know how many will be attending.

What We'll Do

We’ll start at 2.00 pm with a welcome and introduction. We like to visit a range of different gardens, each as unique as the gardeners who live there. It’s wonderful to see the diverse garden styles, approaches, and plants that can be grown in our bioregion.

This month we're in for a treat with a visit to Half Moon Farm with Justin Russell to explore this 3.5 acre property on the edge of Hampton village.

What We'll See

Justin will host a tour of the property, talking about its history, unique characteristics/challenges, current state of development and future plans. He will give demonstrations of fruit tree pruning and tips about late winter/early spring vegie growing. All questions welcome! 

The Half Moon Farm roadside stall will be open for cash sales of avocados and other goodies. 

The Story Behind the Garden

Justin and Kylie purchased the property in 2016 after 10 years at a nearby property in Merritts Creek. Nestled atop the Great Dividing Range at an elevation of 745m, Half Moon Farm is the former site of the Hampton Primary School and is a mix of open spaces, productive orchards, a vegie patch, large established trees and a small area of remnant/reveg forest. The site has extremely nutrient-poor, free-draining soil. This, combined with a limited budget and a busy family, has required a patient, flexible, "slow gardening" approach that stands in contrast to makeover culture and expensive site landscaping.

Justin Russell

Justin has many years of experience as a gardener and a writer. He has worked as a landscape designer, garden consultant, nurseryman and market gardener, and wrote about gardening for two decades from 2001 until 2021, producing work for national outlets such as Burke’s Backyard, Organic Gardener and Gardening Australia, as well as local Darling Downs publications. For seven years he wrote weekend gardening columns for The Chronicle and Highlife. A “midlife gap year” in 2021 saw Justin build a wooden sailing dinghy, followed by a Master of Creative Writing. He is currently setting up a small woodworking enterprise while writing and gardening in his spare time. Justin is married to Kylie, and they live in a multigenerational set-up on Half Moon Farm with two of their three young adult children and Justin’s Mum and Dad. 

Afternoon Tea (provided)

A light afternoon tea will be provided (including Gluten Free and Vegan options).

What to Bring

• Chair
• Water Bottle
• Sun protection
• Clothes and footwear suitable for outdoor weather conditions
• Donations of surplus produce for the Share Table

Share Table

Do you have surplus?

We encourage you to bring your surplus produce, plants, seeds, books, craft supplies, and resources to share with others at our events.

Some ideas of what you could bring include – fruit, vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey, milk, jams, pickles, preserves, jars, ferments, starters, SCOBYs, seeds, plants, seedlings, cuttings, tubers, pots, tools, gardening magazines, permaculture books, recipes, patterns, manure, coffee grounds, compost additives, worms, mealworms, wool, fabric, craft supplies, soap, natural cleaning products, plastic alternatives, produce bags – the list is extensive.

Please bring whatever you can and then take home whatever you need within our culture of generosity and free sharing

Directions and Parking

Turn off the New England Highway into Collingwood Road at the Visitor Centre. Google Maps incorrectly shows Collingwood Road as Old Esk Road, but the road sign is marked Collingwood Road, so don't let Google Maps confuse you!

Plenty of parking spaces are available at the front of the property. Please turn into the lane that runs parallel to the New England Hwy via Collingwood Rd or Esk-Hampton Rd (at the Hampton Visitor Centre. Look for our farmstand under a big camphor laurel tree. 

Access

Suitable for strollers, walkers and wheelchairs. An alternative entrance off Collingwood Rd is available for wheelchair and walker access.

Everyone is welcome including children with close adult supervision for their safety.

We hope we see you there!

Cost

• Financial Members of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. - Free
• First-time Visitors to a Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. Event - Free
• Non-Members - $10 per person
• Children attending with an Adult - Free (but please book so we know the total numbers)

Membership

Annual Membership of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. is due by 31 December each year. It's only $40 per person or $30 for a second or subsequent adult living in the same home.  After 30 June, fees are 1/2 price for 1/2 year.

If you join now, membership is valid for until the end of 2024. 

Members can attend all events and workshops during the year at no cost. You can pay your membership at checkout when you book to attend this event.

Please complete a Membership form which will be available at the event for anyone wishing to join, or available here for download at http://www.permaculturetoowoomba.com.au/membership/