Regenerative sharefarming with accommodation: Tasmania.

General Information

Regenerative sharefarming with accommodation: Tasmania.

Listing description:

Night Sky Farm sits in the bush 7.5 kilometres above the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, 30 minutes south of Hobart and close to a range of farmer’s markets. We back onto the Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area and are a Land for Wildlife property. In addition to the main house and our own vegetable gardens/orchards/hothouse, the property has: 

• A one-bedroom cottage with electricity, a wood heater, a gas stove and shower, a composting toilet and a 150 sq metre back garden area 

• Around 1.5 acres of currently unused paddock 

• A medium-sized dam. [ 1.3 megalitres when full, currently at around 0.7 megalitres. ]

We would like to find a young person or couple to take up residence and develop the cottage garden and paddock area for your own chemical-free, wildlife-friendly agricultural use, personal and/or for profit, in exchange for help around the property and a sliding scale lease (see below). 

The property is at an altitude of 370 metres, and so is cool, but gets good rainfall (annual average 1200 ml). The paddock area, which is due to be slashed and ripped in February, gets all-day sun; the soil will benefit from improvement but has good drainage. We have rainfall and soil temperature records for the last seven years. The property grows excellent garlic, and we have spare establishment stock of around 1000 rounds (Dunganski, Gossimer, Kapow). We also have spare establishment stock of a range of berries, perennial vegetables etc. for the cottage garden. A local apiarist agists his hives with us, so we have good pollination. 

Unfortunately, since we are a wildlife-focused property, we can’t host dogs or cats. As we are older, we ask that people be vaccinated. 

Land Details

Property location : Margate, TAS

Total land size (Acres): 28 Acres

Non Arable / Arable Area: 25 acres/3 acres

Opportunities to expand : No

Zoning: Environmental living

Current uses: self-sufficiency, conservation and landscape/habitat/biodiversity restoration.

Current practices: permaculture-inspired, regenerative growing methods (not certified organic). We try to minimise the use of fossil fuels and plastics in our operation. 

State of the surface of the cultivatable area: Will become more evident after slashing and ripping in February.

Description and historical use of land available for farming: The property was a blackberry farm until approximately the 1980s, after which the owners ran several head of cattle. Since 2006, only chemicals approved for use for organic agriculture have been used on the property. 

Description of road access: All areas accessible by farm vehicles (ATV, tractor etc), most accessible by 2-wheel drive.

Electricity access: Yes

Mobile phone signal: Good

Short-term goal or vision for land: For the next ten years: agricultural-quality cleared land to be improved and managed for chemical-free, wildlife-friendly food production while surrounding land is restored for biodiversity and wildlife habitat.

Long-term goal or vision for land: Beyond the next ten years: regeneratively-managed/agroecological/permaculture farming property to be part of a collaborative relationship between landholders, leaseholders, conservation organisations and First Nations land-back initiatives.

Known environmental hazards: Bushfire. 

Current residents living on property: Owners and one tenant. 

Housing and/or onsite living opportunities: A one-bedroom cottage with electricity, a wood heater, a gas stove and shower, a composting toilet, a few small sheds and a 150-sq meter back garden area.

Availability of farm buildings: Access to larger shed storage available by negotiation.

Is the land fenced: Partly – to be negotiated.

Availability of farm machinery and tools: No. 

Water Source: Rain (average rainfall 1200 mm), dam.

Water rights to these sources: Yes -- shared access to dam. 

Is there restricted access of visitors?: By negotiation.

Preferred agriculture production: Organic/ permaculture /regenerative growers (market garden, garlic, berries, fruit or nut orchard, etc.). Due to the presence of predators (quolls, Tasmanian devils, wedge-tailed eagles, grey goshawks), the property is not best suited to poultry. 

Preferred farming practice: Organic/ permaculture /regenerative.

Soil details: Free-draining grey-brown soils requiring some amendment prior to growing. 

Arrangement

Details regarding preferred land sharing arrangement

Preferred arrangement: 

• Accommodation/cottage garden: The equivalent of one day per week of general garden and farm maintenance work around the property, plus cost of utilities (electricity and gas). 

• Paddock: Lease on highly reasonable terms (no lease costs for any establishment period, sliding scale lease thereafter). 

Would you be willing to mentor or advise the entering farmer(s)?: Happy to advise. 

Do you require references from the land seeker(s)?: Yes

Agreement duration preferred : 2-10 years