A “tree change” is what has allowed the freedom to enjoy home-grown produce and appreciate the bounty that the earth can provide. We are aiming to become more self-sufficient as time progresses, severing the ties of corporate Australia and commercialisation.
The farm is home to over a dozen buildings, all dating from the latter half of the 19th century. They are buildings that have been rescued from their original site and relocated to Bunjil Farm. This rescue epitomises our philosophy of reusing and recycling wherever possible.
In trying to find an appropriate name for the farm, we needed to look no further than our own local heritage – the indigenous people from the Kulin nation looked after this land long before us. They are the oldest continuing culture on the planet. In their culture, Bunjil was the creator of earth – the mountains, lakes, fauna and flora and all the laws and customs. He is represented by the eagle totem. Permission for use of the name was obtained from the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for languages. Their enthusiastic support is very much appreciated!
After Bunjil created the earth, he asked the crow to cause a whirlwind, sending Bunjil to the sky. There, he became a bright star in the night sky. Bunjil continues to watch over his creation, hoping that all humanity will follow what he taught and care for the earth. We must not take more from the earth than we give back. In the traditional Aboriginal dot paintings, stars and the sun are represented by concentric circles surrounded by dots. We have adopted one of these as our logo.
It’s hardly surprising that the indigenous culture spanning millenia has a creed that holds true for all of us – today and into the future. The fundamental message is environmental care and sustainability. Bunjil Farm has adopted those principles – no pesticides or herbicides are used and our environment is respected in every way we can.
At Bunjil Farm, you can experience open space, lily laden dams, blue wrens, shy robin red-breasts, corellas, rosellas, warbling magpies, kangaroos, timid echidnas …. If you’re really lucky, you might spot a wedge-tailed eagle soaring overhead (Bunjil himself). He visited us on the day we harvested our first hemp crop, circling above us making sure we were doing the right thing.
Our permanent residents include chooks, ducks and alpacas. Our water supply is from rainwater tanks.
According to season, we also research, grow and process hemp, under licence. Hemp is non-drug cannabis and is grown widely throughout the world to produce textiles, building materials and food. Our first harvest was in the Autumn of 2013.