After finishing university in Scotland, Gillian Swinton was 21 when she decided to head off on her OE. While working on the ski fields in Queenstown, nearly 15 years ago, she met a Southland farmer called Hamish, and the couple have been together ever since. Their rural experiences on their homestead, are detailed on a blog and Instagram, as well as in a recently released book.
What did you do before homesteading?
So many seasonal jobs. I’ve worked at ski fields as a liftie and a snowmaker in New Zealand, Canada and Australia; a station cook in Western Australia; lodge attendant on the Milford Track; a ranger for DOC in Fiordland; a veterinary technician, relief milker and calf rearer. Currently, I am working from home, freelancing doing digital marketing, as well as rearing calves. I think a common thread of it all has been working outdoors, in the elements, with the season and respecting nature.
What led you to Central Otago and self-sufficiency?
We always wanted to own land. Hamish is from a sheep and beef farm and has always grown his own food, caring for animals and creating. I just wanted space to do our own thing – freedom. I love that the dogs have space to be silly and we can put a few extra rows of spuds in or share our produce with the community. We have both picked up jobs where we have learned skills that have helped us: keeping bees, raising livestock, butchering meat, growing vegetables, trapping. In the past we have been in rentals or work accommodation and utilised those skills in some form or another. Now we have a wee farm, we have all that knowledge and we can integrate it into our daily life.
You’ve had some failures and successes on the land, can you tell us about some of them?
The magic of growing your own food is that you are always learning. Central Otago is not for the weak: blistering summers and bone-chilling winters make it a challenging climate to grow food. We have had years where we have had frosts every month of the year, losing spuds or pumpkins. We learn, we move crops. We now know it’s warmer by the trees, so that’s where the pumpkins get planted. We grow more crops that are frost-tolerant in the exposed areas. As heartbreaking as it can be to lose a crop, we learn and adjust for next season. Garlic has always been a success here, so each year we plant more. Our biggest harvest was 2000: enough to keep us fed, enough for seed and enough to sell.
You’re a keen fan of home preserving, do you have any favourite tips?
Look at what you are buying at the supermarket, and see if you could replace any of it next year. Buying jars of jalapenos, or pickles? Add a few extra chillies or cucumbers to your garden next year. Preserve what you actually eat. My friend and I purchased a pressure canner so we can safely preserve meat, beans, broth and soups for the pantry. It has been the biggest game-changer.
Do you have any advice for home gardeners as we head into winter?
Mulch and cover as much of your soil in winter is key. It adds nutrients while also tucking it away for spring and keeping it warm. We get a few bales of straw to do a thick layer, and then add a plastic silage wrap cover to keep it down. Winter is meant to be a time of rest, so pick up some gardening books and curl up next to the fire and relax.
Related articles:
- Winter vegetables to plant in your garden and how to care for them
- Poppy Prendergast shares her gardening hacks
- 8 gardening gifts for loved ones with a green thumb
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