Our farm is not a conventional chilli farm. We live on a five acre bush block in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Our land is hilly, and full of rock, so growing anything in the ground is always a challenge.
The 2007 winter here in South East Queensland was the driest we have experienced. Our water was limited to what was in the tanks and what fell from the sky. Consequently, we had to reevaluate our strategy for providing water to the plants. It was decided that the most efficient system was to concentrate on what was in pots in the tunnels, and sacrifice what had been planted in the ground. The result is a solid supply of chillies from pot grown plants, occasional bouts of bacterial wilt due to high humidity levels in the tunnel, and the loss of a lot of our two year old chilli plants lining the eastern bank of the house yard.
The good news however, is that all the seedlings that we had planted up the back, which we had given up as lost, came back to life stronger and healthier than before, as a result of all the rain that fell in our spring and summer season. Hopefully, future winters will be a little more moist than last year, and spring 2008 will reveal incredibly healthy and happy plants.
The animals and kids are also well and happy. The pony free ranges every chance he gets, then gets cross when he his put in his yard. The ducks and chickens that have survived the December/January fox visits are not laying well, but are part of a tranquil picture. Occasionally, a naughty chicken will escape their yard, and explore a few chilli pots. They tend not to do a whole lot of damage though.
Spencer the guinea pig is getting older now – and is spending more time lying down. He still loves a cuddle though. The dogs run around chasing each other and Coco is constantly trying to round everybody up. She is a kelpie through and through.
Poppy the Staffy cross just gets rounded up!
Another very important member of the Lanacoora Chillies family is this one here:
Little Bobby is a hard worker, and can often be seen trailing around the property gathering rocks, logs, levelling land for tunnels, having an oil change by his (non-mechanic) owner. Wish I had taken photos of that one!
Can’t remember being here without the bobcat. Every home should have one.