Farm name: Dugite Farm, a name carried through from Brett’s Grandfather who named it after the local snake that was/is so prominent here.

Operator’s names: Brett Kirkpatrick and Leonie Inger

Location: Thompson Brook, Donnybrook

Products:  Biodynamically grown seasonal vegetables, beef and biodynamic preparations.

Livestock: Cattle

Breeds: mixed breed of cows from Angus to Murray Grey and Angus and Limousine bulls

Feed: Grass fed grazing with hay harvested from those fields to feed out over late summer and into winter. Second butternuts, cauliflowers, cabbage etc.

Annual production: run off around 30-40 yearlings a year

Size of the farm: 65 ha plus another 20 ha leased biodynamically run land next door

Vegetation/landscape: Jarrah/Marri mainly with many more mixed exotic trees planted since they  have been on the farm. Loamy clay soils and rolling hills – gorgeous

Farming background: Brett is a fourth generation farmer on this land, runs Biodynamic workshops and makes all the preparations on farm. He has also been involved in 2 Biodynamic spraying studies done in the Southwest of WA. Leonie is from a dairy farm background.

Organic or Biodynamic: Biodynamic, certified with Australian Certified Organic (ACO)

Other activities: Brett does some biodynamic spraying on other farms, and subcontracts building and farming skills. Leonie works as a nurse in Donnybrook. They will be opening a cottage later in the year for short stays on the farm.

The farm story: Brett and Leonie came to farming after studying Naturopathy and doing a thesis on biodynamics.  They run the farm on a sustainable philosophy and environmental theme (they run a stand alone power system).  They are also using Holistic Farm management techniques to support their desire to keep nutrient and fertility on farm with as little external input as possible.  Their belief is that the  farm should not only be a place of work but a source of pleasure and recreation, that has been their goal.

Contact details: inger7@bigpond.com 9731 8308