Michelle and Chris McColl
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Michelle and Chris McColl both have a background in Agricultural Science, and around 40 years experience in horticulture. They have worked with a range of crops in many environments, from South Eastern Australia, to Central Australia to the Middle East. For the past 16 years they have been running a small, mixed certified organic farm at Kalangadoo, about 30km from the edge of the Southern Ocean about halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne.
They are developing a farming model that is bio-diverse and aims to supply the local community with premium quality food. They believe a system that relies on natural processes (e.g. small herbivores to control unwanted vegetation, insectivores to control unwanted insects, raptors to discourage unwanted birds species) is the most sustainable system. Their focus has always been on sharing knowledge, as they believe it is vital to show others that a small mixed farm can be an economically viable option. |
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The McColl farm, and another small orchard they share-farm, have been their sole source of income for the past 16 years. They are strong advocates of “localisation”, and firmly believe that small mixed farms supplying the local community really are the future of farming.
Their four children have helped plant, prune, thin, pick, pack, deliver and sell the fruit and juice. 'We are also indebted to the numerous friends and Wwoofers who have helped us with such good grace and made our lives a little richer.' (Kalangadoo website)
Michelle and Chris propagate their own trees, grow the fruit, make juice and dry fruit at their orchard. They deliver to local shops and sell direct at Farmers’ Markets and at the “farm gate”.
Their aim is to :
1. grow the tastiest most nutritious fruit for the local community.
2. show that small scale mixed farming is the way of the future
Their four children have helped plant, prune, thin, pick, pack, deliver and sell the fruit and juice. 'We are also indebted to the numerous friends and Wwoofers who have helped us with such good grace and made our lives a little richer.' (Kalangadoo website)
Michelle and Chris propagate their own trees, grow the fruit, make juice and dry fruit at their orchard. They deliver to local shops and sell direct at Farmers’ Markets and at the “farm gate”.
Their aim is to :
1. grow the tastiest most nutritious fruit for the local community.
2. show that small scale mixed farming is the way of the future
'After starting out with four varieties of apples the McColls now have about 90 varieties of apples (about 4000 trees), eight varieties of peaches (about 200 trees), three varieties of nectarines, plus apricots, quinces, olives, plums, cherries, kiwifruit, figs, grapes, pomegranates, almonds, a bay tree, a Juniper tree and we still need to plant some walnuts, chestnuts and various other bits and pieces.
From these 90 varieties of apples we have selected about 30, purely on the basis of taste and disease resistance which they grow in commercial quantities.' Kalangadoo website
From these 90 varieties of apples we have selected about 30, purely on the basis of taste and disease resistance which they grow in commercial quantities.' Kalangadoo website
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Don't miss visiting the McColl's website, it is an education!
Kalangadoo Organic Orchards |
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