A group of Great Lakes locals are hosting an informative long table dinner at Bulahdelah to welcome potential "tree change" property buyers to their patch of paradise.
The Great Lakes region on the Barrington Coast is an increasingly attractive option for city buyers wanting to downsize or seeking a lifestyle change. It has beaches, lakes, national parks and fertile farming land, and is an easy drive from Newcastle or Sydney.
"The recent pandemic highlighted the merits for city dwellers of shifting out of the city and adopting a wholesome life in the country," Great Lakes Food Trail deputy president Dale Bradshaw said.
"This event will appeal to those who have moved to the country already or are considering a move."
The Great Lakes Food trail is a self-drive tour through the Great Lakes region from Bulahdelah to Wootoon and Bungwahl to Forster. Members open their farms, vineyards and breweries to the public twice a year; in autumn and in spring.
The February 23 "So You Want To Live On A Farm" dinner at the River Myall Holiday Resort is being organised by these members, many of them former "city slickers" who embraced country life and have plenty of advice to share about setting up farming enterprises on the coast.
Chefs Peter and Kerry Hodges from Tea Gardens restaurant, Tillermans, are curating a dinner menu using produce sourced locally from Great Lakes Food Trail members' farms, to be served with Great Lakes wine and beer.
Three guest speakers will lead a discussion about the "great Australian dream" of moving out of the city and to the country in search of a better lifestyle. Andrew Smith, a third generation dairy farmer, will talk about larger scale farming opportunities; permaculture expert Brett Cooper will share his experiences setting up a small farm operation; and Mid Coast Landcare Farmer of the Year Andrew Yeo will discuss the "tips and traps" of farming on the coast.
"This dinner is a response to the sheer number of people considering a move to the region, or who have already moved there, and the topic of discussion stems from the experience of a number of the producers on the Great Lakes Food Trail who have moved from the city to establish a rural business," Bradshaw said.
"If you talk to local real estate agents they'll tell you that enquiries from Sydney have at least doubled in recent times.
"What we're trying to do is help buyers get into some kind of farming activity. It can be mainstream farming or simply producing enough vegetables to feed your family and have some left over for the local market."
Bradshaw spent 20 years in the military and says he "always had a hankering for the country". In 1991 he bought a property near Bulahdelah as a weekender for his family. Fast forward three decades and he and his partner Sooze Bosire have relocated there, permanently, and established the Old Inn Road Vineyard.
While still living in Sydney the pair drove to TAFE NSW Kurri Kurri every Monday for two years to study viticulture and first-year wine making.
"I was getting close to retiring and we decided we wanted to start our 'second lives' on the farm," he explained.
"The farm had to make some money if we were going to move there so we thought 'Why not open a vineyard? If we can't sell it we can drink it!' It's a great business plan [laughs]. We're only small but we've won probably 10 medals at different wine shows. It can be done."
Bradshaw says part of the appeal of buying property on the mid-north coast is that the farms are generally smaller in size than, say, in western NSW. It's not as daunting for newcomers.
"We want to encourage regenerative farming practices in our region wherever possible, which means we're not just sustaining the land, we're making it better," he explained.
"Even those people who have bought a weekender, there's no reason why they can't start to think about turning the land that they own into some kind of productive purpose.
"Farming on the coast brings with it its own advantages and challenges, and our speakers are more than happy to share their tips and what to look out for.
"On the night I'll let everybody know that if they don't get their questions answered, or they want to talk to somebody about something specific, we'll put them in touch with someone who can help."
Tickets to the So You Want To Live On A Farm dinner on February 23 are $150 (plus booking fee) per person and include dinner and drinks. They are on sale now at thegreatlakesfoodtrailnsw.com.au. Accommodation options are available on the website.
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