Musk Fires at Trewhella Biodynamic Berry Farm

(The following account of the recent fires is from Liz Burns at Trewhella Farm)

Well after the best sleep in ages & 10 mm rain last night & 1 mm the previous night (the first in 2 months) I’m feeling incredibly grateful to be living in such a special community. While this piece of land drew me here 23 years ago, I did not realise that it also drew some incredibly special people as well.

Ironically, this has been our best season & there are still berries to be picked, especially blues & Nashi paears. For the first time, we had the crop, labour & markets all in sync, but did not reckon on the havoc that a bush fire threat could have on our priorities.
Bernardo heads off back to Bolivia in a couple of weeks after 2 years on the road, so I guess it’s the end of the harvest season.

The fires got far too close for comfort, taking out my neighbours back paddock, on which my cows were due to graze next. Their portable trough was melted on the edge but is still functional, so is the only real damage that we suffered. Though the farm is spread with black embers, but remarkedly, did not start any new fires.

A special thanks to our neighbours who stayed & defended not just their own places, but our little Dolphins Hill community, the CFA for whom I have gained enormous respect, Fernleigh farm for providing not only a safe haven, but an incredible hospitality on a night that I was so sure had lost all my material possessions and finally to some mysterious force that change the wind just as the fire was bearing down Dolphins Hill.

The smell of wet bush, the joy of birds singing has given me a new appreciation of the meaning of life and community.