Farm: Belvedere Farm
Location: Cedarton
Owners: Nick and Brydie Holliday
Years of production: Full time working farm since 2020
Nick and Brydie Holliday have been farming on Jinibara country at Belvedere Farm, Cedarton for a number of years, having adopted the practices of Agroecology, which is a sustainable way of farming that applies ecological concepts and principles of farming.
While not new to farming, Nick shared with GC&M News why they’ve chosen to farm with agroecology practices, and what it means for their produce and their community.
Can you tell me a little about yourselves and how you began farming?
I’m a fourth generation farmer, however previous generations haven’t been able to pass their land on to the next generation. I grew up on a farm in Kenilworth, but went away from farming in pursuit of a career in law. After a number of high-stress corporate jobs, I was presented with the opportunity to purchase our current farm land and jumped on it. I built the house in 2016, met my wife Brydie in 2019 and we became full time farmers in 2020.
Can you tell me about Belvedere Farm – what type of farm is it?
We have 18 acres in Cedarton, and lease another 80 acres at our neighbouring property, Barookin, which is an old dairy farm. We farm using agroecology practices and have 400 pasture raised chooks – which is soon to grow to 1,000 – which produce approximately 250 eggs per week for us. Our eggs supply local restaurants and cafes, and go directly to families through Reko Farmers Markets and through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program; our eggs are also available for the public to purchase at Maple Street Meats, Maleny. We also have between 50-60 pasture-raised, heritage bred Berkshire pigs, and a small herd of grass-fed and grass-finished cattle; both supply pork and beef to members of our CSA.
Can you tell me a little about Agroecology and the significance it plays in your way of farming?
Essentially, we are producing food in the ecosystem for the community, without the use of chemicals. Some refer to it as regenerative farming. We have a multi-species and diverse farm, and each plays its part in operating successfully. Our chickens, pigs and cattle all play their part in management of the land. We’ve also been able to adopt a number of practices to manage pests without the use of chemicals, for example, our pigs have been excellent in managing lantana, a particular difficult weed to get rid of, on our property.
While I was living in Brisbane and commuting back to the family farm in Kenilworth, I would have a boot load of chemicals and it just seemed to be a losing battle trying to manage and eradicate weeds and pests; I didn’t want to incorporate that way of farming in our future and with agroecology, it is all about using the land and species to effectively manage and supply produce to the community.
Along with ecological farming practices, agroecology specifically recognises the importance of community and political movements – it’s not just about the way in which we manage our part of the land, but changing systems for a better future.
What do you love about your profession? Being a farmer is very stressful, there’s such a complexity to the profession which is so often impacted by external factors. But the rewards are beyond anything I’ve ever experienced and I love our community. We’ve met and learned from some incredible people along the way and it’s great to be involved with likeminded and supportive people – farmers and otherwise – through CSA, which essentially connects farmers direct with consumers. We’re always growing and I truly believe what we do is important.
