Friends of The Farm

Friends of The Tassie Farm are everywhere. And we’ll be introducing them to you – one by one. They are artists, writers, humanitarians, designers, farmers, wine makers, photographers, editors and sports people. They all have one special trait in common: a passion for doing something they love.

Huon Pine Picnic Plank by Gilbert Fraser-Easton.
If you’ve always wanted to showcase a piece of Australian history in your home, Gilbert Fraser-Easton has hand crafted a series of Huon Pine Picnic Planks that could conceivably come from pines that are at least 1000 years old. Huon Pine originates from forests on the Huon River in Tasmania and each plank is individually selected so its grains and natural features are highlighted. Considered as the world’s most pliable boat-building timber, Huon Pine contains a natural preserving oil that’s rot-resistant and gives the timber natural lubrication, so it can be bent, shaped or sculptured without splitting. For these reasons, Gilbert decided to make these unique Picnic Planks – one side can be used as a chopping board, the other for serving. http://www.facebook.com/huonpinepicnicplank

Nick Attfield – Blacksmith, Tasmania.
Not only is Nick Attfield a trained blacksmith, he’s also a volunteer member of the Middleton Fire Brigade and a founding smithy of the Tasmanian Artist Blacksmith Association. If you’re a follower of our blog, you may recognise his name. Nick runs his own forge from the 23 acre farm he co-owns with Kerry. Nick learnt his craft at the Hereford College of Technology in rural England and has exhibited in Melbourne, South Australia and Tasmania. You can see more of Nick’s work by visiting http://www.nickattfieldwroughtiron.com
Or Shelley Panton’s Studio in Middle Park, Melbourne. http://shelleypanton.com
http://www.facebook.com/shelleypantonstudio

Beck Scougall, lives and works in Cambodia.
Her company, Saarti, makes soy and bees’ wax candles. Sa art is Khmer for beautiful and Aarti is a Hindu ritual involving candles. Beck’s manufacturing process uses natural, ethical products through fairtrade employment. The renewable, eco-friendly soy wax is combined with bees’ wax which is sourced from the Maddox Jolie Pitt Foundation, who harvest their wax ethically and sustainably. Saarti’s ceramic bowls are handcrafted by Prolung Khmer, an NGO established to train locals in the art of traditional Khmer pottery.  The candles are 100% natural, free of toxins and burn up to three times longer than toxic paraffin candles. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/saarticambodia
A special thanks to Lindy Bekerman for letting The Tassie Farm know about Saarti.

The Tassie Farm first read about Scott Neeson in The Age in 2009.
We were so blown away by his selfless humanitarian efforts, we started becoming involved in his world-acclaimed charity, Cambodian Children Fund (CCF). Before starting CCF in 2004, Scott (pictured) lived and worked in Hollywood. At one stage in his illustrious career, he was President of 20th Century Fox International. But he gave all that glamour and wealth away. In fact, he’s been quoted as saying he happily exchanged his Porsche, yacht and the Academy Awards for head lice and the 11 hectare Steung Meanchey toxic dump (as seen above) where thousands of Cambodians lived and worked. Eight years since this epic career change, CCF now provides education, nourishment and safe shelter for 1200 children and their families; three meals a day for an additional 500 children; maintains four residential homes for neglected and abused children; operates after-school programs and vocational training centres including a bakery and restaurant; and runs day care centres and a dental clinic. If you’d like to see what else CCF is doing in Cambodia, go to https://www.ccf-australia.org and http://www.facebook.com/cambodianchildrensfund or click on these links:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/pohskitchen/stories/s3597451.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2012/s3480081.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/world/a-world-away-from-hollywood-20091217-kzwt.html 

World Goes Loco for LoQI by Belinda Withers and Johanna Kuipers.
LOQI is the latest tote coming out of Europe. And the brains behind this sustainable fashion pouch is Jane Skarratt’s cousin, Belinda Withers. Binny, as she’s known, lives in Berlin. She and Australian designer, Johanna Kuipers, have created an on-trend reusable bag that’s produced without using harmful substances. Take a sneak peek at Binny and Jo’s launch designs loqistore.com

Rosie Kentish and Ulithorne Wines.
Kerry and Nick’s close friends, winemaker Rosie Kentish and artist Sam Harrison, live in Middleton, South Australia. (Not to be confused with Middleton in Tasmania). Rosie’s winemaking started in the McLaren Vale on their 60 acre property where she was tutored by winemaker Brian Light. Since then she has developed many award winning wine varieties including Rose and Vermentinu styles in 2010, when she travelled to Languedoc, France and northern Corsica (which is where these photos were taken). If you’d like to purchase any Ulithorne Wines and find out more about Rosie’s winemaking, visit  www.ulithorne.com.au  or swing by their cellar door – the Mill at Middleton. www.themillatmiddleton.com.au

Grant Vaughan’s woodcarving classes in northern NSW.
Imagine learning to carve or sculpt wood in a place called Rock Valley. It sounds rustic, down to earth and almost undiscovered. And it’s home to one of Australia’s most coveted wood artists, Grant Vaughan. His studio is hidden among 85 acres of  bushland, 15kms north west of Lismore on the north coast of NSW. Grant started sculpting 30 years ago but as soon as he began exhibiting his carved forms in Chicago’s SOFA expositions (from 2000), his work has been acquired by the Boston Museum of Fine Art, Cincinnati Art Museum and The Detroit Institute of Arts. Grant’s pieces are also in the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House and the Powerhouse Museum, along with many private collections throughout the world. If you’d like to find out more about Grant or his classes, email him at info@grantvaughan.com.au call 02 66293 277 or 0407 800 528. You can chat about the different class levels, when they’re being held, the cost and how to find the serene world of Rock Valley. grantvaughan.com.au

Melinda Kerr
Digital media wizard, illustrator and photographer, Mel Kerr created photographycampus.com in 2010.  She wanted to create a place to live, learn and love all things photography. And that she has. Click online and learn from a collective of Australia’s most well known  photographers, art directors and stylists. This photo  was taken by Mel while on a recent assignment in Shanghai. photographycampus.com
Jane and Mel co-authored four best-selling children’s books about the world’s hairiest surf hero, Tipper the Nipper.

Amanda Cromer freelance copywriter, journalist, blogger and author.
Kerry met Amanda while she was freelancing for an ad agency in Hobart. When Amanda and her family popped into the farm for scones and home made raspberry jam, she saw the makings of an idyllic story and immediately pitched Nick and Kerry’s Farm to House & Garden. A couple of months later, Amanda, photographer, Nick Watt, and Tassie stylist Charlotte Bell spent a day shooting the newly renovated cottage. Amanda’s story will be published soon. Until then, check out Amanda’s blog tasmaniantravels.me