Achacha – organic biodynamic

The journey to reach organic biodynamic certification on this Achacha farm at Giru, 45 km south of Townsville has been a thumping success. The owners have achieved significant cost savings as well as transforming the farm into a lush healthy and highly productive organic operation. Now for sale this organic Achacha farm is a fabulous opportunity to work and live healthily and sustainably.

It makes $ sense

Back in 2012 the cost of farm supplies – fertilisers, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides – was around $100k per year. A rough rule of thumb in conventional farming is that this bill would have increased every year, year on year by as much as 50%.  This is because as time goes on more and more of these chemicals must be used each year in order to achieve the same productivity.

In 2020 with organic biodynamic processes fully embedded in farm operations for several years the cost of farm supplies is now around $20k per year – an astonishing reduction at the same time production has increased. Being organic no artificial chemicals are used – no insecticides, no herbicides, no fungicides – meaning organic Achacha fruit do not contain harmful residues.

The journey

The current owners Bruce and Helen Hill started the transition to certified organic biodynamic in 2012. The hard work in transitioning to organic biodynamic has been done and for some years now it is just a relatively low cost simple maintenance regime. The results are clear to see – pick up a handful of dirt and it is dark and richly earthy, brimming with earthworms and full of beneficial microbes again.

A peek inside

The farm’s sustainable practises support farm production using a mix of organic/biodynamic principles including clever integration of horses, chickens and bee hives.  As an organic certified farm natural fertilisers are used instead of synthetic chemical fertilisers. Biodynamic practises also support plant and soil vitality with various natural compounds dispersed across the year via aerial spraying or irrigation drippers.

Animals also play their part – around 20 horses are agisted on farm and regularly rotated around the paddocks for weed control especially vines that would otherwise choke the trees. Unlike cows, horses tread gently around the irrigation systems playing an important complementary role on the farm.

Adding to the mix, a solar powered chicken tractor adds natural fertiliser with the bonus of organic free range eggs.

Finally on farm bee hives assist with pollination and the farm produces over a tonne of honey each year.

Transition Support

Bruce and Helen are both passionate about what has been achieved and the benefits. They are also happy to help new owners learn their proven approaches and bed these into farm practices across a transition period. Enquire now about this unique organic Achacha farm.