Our story began with a shared dream to follow a path less travelled
Rosie and Drew began their off-grid adventure in 2014 with a dream to follow a path less travelled. They made a tree change from the city of Melbourne to a 10 acre property on the outskirts of Dunolly, in Central Victoria’s “Golden Triangle”. The farm was in need of a considerable amount of rejuvenation and tender loving care but they both immediately saw the potential that it had.
Having spent the previous 10 years researching alternative energy and with his 13 years experience as an Engineer in the Royal Australian Navy, Drew was responsible for re-designing and implementing the solar energy system for the farm. For Rosie, growing saffron was a natural progression from her many years working as a chef in the kitchens of Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Her focus was to grow the kind of chemical free food she wanted to eat. Rosie also wanted to grow a food crop that other adventurous cooks would be excited to use. Saffron ticked all the boxes- an incredible versatile ingredient with low energy and water requirements and well suited to Central Victoria frosty winters and hot summers.
Unlike other saffron farmers they have chosen to grow their saffron in raised wicking beds. By growing their saffron in this manner, they are able to micromanage their soil and water usage and use vermiculture to create a sustainable eco system in each of their garden beds without the need for synthetic additives
Now in their fourth year of production, they look forward to each Autumn as an exciting time when their hard work blossoms. They gather every single strand of saffron gold by hand, check each one for its colour and condition to ensure every strand is the best it can be. Each strand is then dried to keep its perfect condition. They don’t add anything artificial from planting to packing so they know it will arrive to you the same way it left the farm. This is why getting your saffron from Squirrel Gully is such a gastronomic pleasure. No middle man, no herbicide’s, no pesticide’s, nothing but the best, taken directly from the flower as soon as it opens.
Join Rosie and Drew on their journey to produce quality local saffron and share their stories about living life to the fullest on their off-grid farm.
