top of page

FARM DESIGN

A Farm Optimised for Continual Production

Every farm has a cycle. The goal is to create a farm where all six stages of the cycle can be underway simultaneously. By moving animals and cropping from plot to plot, the cycle can be continually in process throughout the year.
 

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.43.24 am.png
Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.43_edited.jp

STAGE 1 - Fertilise / Intense Grazing
Sheep and Cattle eat out the grass and weeds

​

STAGE 2 - Pigs Till the Soil / Fertilise
Pigs till the soil (rip up roots) preparing land for sowing

​

STAGE 3 - Soil Prepared for Planting
Furrows created by hand

​

STAGE 4 - Planting

​

STAGE 5 - Watering
Drip line irrigation of flooded furrows.

​

STAGE 6 - Harvesting
Once complete return to Stage 1

​​

​

Water is at a premium, and there is no electricity.

So what is the best design?

The farm layout proposed is one with multiple plots radiating out from one central shelter and water point.
 

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.48_edited.jp

This farm layout has several features.

  • Single fixed shelter for animals

  • Single fixed water supply for animals

  • Minimized requirement for permanent internal fencing by use of relocatable electric fencing. Electric fencing keeps out pests at the same time keeping livestock in place.

​

Animal Shelter and Water
The animal Shelter and Water should be accessible by animals in the ‘uncultivated’ farm areas. This uncultivated area is the pasture for the sheep, cows and pigs.

​

Fencing

Each plot is individually fenced only when required using electric netting powered by a small solar energizer 

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.48_edited.pn

The Hypothesis

Plots are farmed when man power and seasons align.
Future plots remain ‘ready to go’ and can be cultivated when the manpower is available and the seasons are right. In the meantime there is no loss in letting them wait.

​

Permanent Crops.
Crops such as sweet potato can be established then to be permanently maintained and harvested.
 

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.52.59 am.png
Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.53.57 am.png

Fixed Shelter and Water Trough

Fixed Shelter: built using an existing abandoned building with concrete floor.

  • Concrete floor allows manure to be collected and utilised on gardens

  • Designated area for chooks with roosts and laying boxes. Ensure their netted ‘areas’ don’t include other potential roosting areas means they’ll always return of their own accord, and lay in the designated boxes.

  • Shelter from storms and rainfall. Providing shelter is key to minimising disease, especially for sheep and goats.

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.56.17 am.png
Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.56.20 am.png
Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.56.10 am.png

Fixed Long Water Trough

  • Long trough allows stock from multiple plots to access water without the trough needing to be moved

  • Ideally the trough would be installed on a concrete slab (perhaps in existing abandoned structure) to minimise mud. Minimising mud around water minimises foot disease in sheep, goats and cattle

Water Supply and Irrigation

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 7.58.31 am.png

Irrigation is only required for the dry season months.
Two options for Irrigation include:

Option 1: Drip Line (if budget allows)
Should drip line irrigation pipes and fittings be available, they offer the ideal irrigation solution for dry season cropping.
PROS:

  • Minimises water usage

  • Minimised loss through evaporation

  • Supplied by low pressure pump

CONS:

  • Drip points can clog if the water source is unfiltered


Option 2: Flooded Furrows (no cost)
Should the plots be established on gently sloping ground, flooded furrows can be used to irrigate crops.  
PROS:

  • Minimal installation cost

  • Supplied by gravity fed water source

CONS:

  • Requires skilled man-power to cultivate furrows with correct fall

  • Requires more water overall to flood furrows

  • Requires more supervision to irrigate plots

 

Road Side Stall

Produce sales begin by tapping into the existing community road-side trade. 

 

Locals are used to buying and selling local produce from road-side stalls. Starting is simple.

  • Clear a place on the side of the main road

  • Build a mobile road-side stall

  • If ok with Sara Beach owners, during tourist season the stall could be moved to the Sara Beach Kiosk


For a small additional effort, the stall could be designed to double as produce storage, meaning produce would not need to be moved to and from the stall every day.

To build a ‘storage stall’, a few items would be required in addition to metal roofing and timber.  
Insulation for roof (sarking)

  • Insulation for inside produce lid (wool and sarking)

  • Hinges

  • Foam

  • Paddle-lock

  • Metal strapping

Existing Crops

Existing Crops can be cultivated / harvested.
 

Banana
Bananas will fruit more regularly when trees pruned post-flowering.

Papaya (Paw Paw)
Papaya can be grown and re-sown with minimal effort. Papaya Leaf has significant healing properties.  

Sweet Potato
Establishing a sweet potato crop will provide a continual harvest for only minimal maintenance.

Potential Produce
All produce is organic!

Screen Shot 2025-03-23 at 8.02.10 am.png

Animal Produce can include:

  • Honey

  • Eggs


Animals can bred and sold

  • Calfs

  • Lambs

  • Piglets

​

Crops for Local Sale and Consumption

  • Sweet Potato

  • Banana

  • Pineapple


Crops for Sale to Resorts and Local Sale

  • Capsicum

  • Carrot (winter with irrigation)

  • Cucumber

  • Eggplant

  • Malabar Spinach

  • Pak Choi

  • Perpetual Spinach

  • Pumpkin

  • Snake Beans

  • Sugar Cane

  • Sweet Potato

  • Soft Leaf Lettuce (winter with irrigation)

  • Tomato (winter with irrigation)

  • Watermelon

  • Zucchini (winter with irrigation)


 

bottom of page