| HOME | ABOUT | ORCHARD | TECHNIQUE | APPLES | PHOTOS | DATABASE | LINKS | CIDER | FARMLIFE | CONTACT | NURSERY | ORDERS |
Peter and Zofia Cooke bought the valley property in MiaMia, Victoria in 2002 close to the township of Redesdale and Lake Eppalock.
The property has a wide flat valley with a creek running through it and average rainfall of 16 inches per year (in 2002 it was 25 inches).
Harcourt (the apple centre of Victoria) is 20 Kms west of MiaMia. The district is largely sheep grazing country with some cropping and
in more recent times many vineyards and a few olive orchards have evolved. Two of our neighbours have vineyards and make fine Chiraz.
Until 2006 we were dependant on creek and dam water to irrigate our orchard and gardens - then we found abundant drinkable bore
water which has allowed us to expand the orchard to hold a reasonable array of heritage apple trees and other varieties.
Peter grew up on a small heritage fruit farm in Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria. Most of the neighbours had apple and cherry orchards and
grazed a few cattle. He learned to appreciate the home grown fruit when it was picked fresh from the tree along with fresh home baked
bread spread with butter just taken from the old wooden butter churn or fresh baked scones smothered in home made black berry jam
and whipped cream fresh from the home cream separator. Full cream milk came in a billy can still warm and fresh from the cow. As a
farm boy he would bag a rabbit or two and sometimes bring home native black fish from the local stream and when the season was right
pick baskets of delicious field mushrooms. There was no electricity until he was a teenager. Firewood was used for cooking and heating
and the fridge and night lamps ran on kerosine. He learned to use an axe or pull on the other end of a cross cut saw when very young.
Zofia grew up in outer suburban Dandenong when houses had big back yards, ducks, chickens, fresh eggs, numerous fruit trees and a
productive vegie garden. The fruit and vegies were preserved the traditional way with the old Fowlers Vacola preserving outfit. If the
rooster attacked father one too many times in the chookpen, he finished up on the dinner table. Zofia also developed a liking for home
grown produce fresh picked from the garden.
We are developing MIApple Farm so that family and friends can also appreciate home grown heritage fruit, vegetables and flowers that
have real scent and flavour and have been grown using the principals of permaculture and organics. Then to grow heritage fruit trees
(particularly heritage apples) that can be made available to others who want to develop their own heritage orchard.
So far we have managed to grow a wide variety of herbs and flowers, we harvest lavender every year, we have an abundance of
vegetables and berries for home and family use - many of which have been preserved and now the fruit trees are starting to produce.
The field mushrooms have been delicious in season and Peter has even managed to bag the odd bunny for the dinner table.
We want our family and friends to appreciate the difference between the commercial misused word "fresh" (from the fridge) and the real
aromas and tastes of fresh picked produce with natural fresh from the field flavour.
Family visit to MIApple Farm Peter in the reading room Zofia - head gardener
A big shovel for a big garden Stairway in the rock garden Rollo the working farm dog.
Young apple tree netted for birds Waterering the new rock garden Our dog Rollo - gone fishing
