Rivers Road Organic Farms

Rivers Road, Canowindra, New South Wales, Australia

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Thankyou for visiting Rivers Road Organic Farms (RROF), a group of certified organic farmers in the beautiful Central West of NSW.

Please continue here if you are looking for Rosnay wines and olives or Gardners Ground wines.

On the banks of the Belubula River, near Canowindra, the rich soils and reliable water are shared in a unique model of rural development - Community Title under an organic covenant. Community Title may be compared with Strata Title of high rise apartments who share common facilities such as elevators. In Community Title freehold landowners form a Neighbourhood Association which owns shared facilities such as water distribution, buffer zones, native revegetation and roadways. The total area of RROF is 140 hectares, divided into 12 irrigated farm blocks. All but two of the farm blocks also have a house lot in a cluster on the ridge in the middle of RROF, and all construction is of ecological design and materials.

The Statham family, who planted their first organic vineyards and olives in 1997, lodged the Development Application for the project in 1998. Today they are just one of seven different owners growing certified organic grapes, olives, figs, vegetables, wool and lamb.

The project differs from all other known similar projects, in that all of the growers share this objective: "The objective of this Neighbourhood Scheme is to facilitate the creation of viable intensive organic agricultural developments by promoting co-operation and self-reliance among the proprietors of Lots in the Neighbourhood Plan." (Rivers Road Organic Farms Management Statement, By-Law 1)

With this objective, RROF is now an example of the organic spirit of cooperation and diversity – with the growers coming from a wide range of backgrounds – working together in the aim of becoming successful organic horticultural producers.

The Growers

• Gardners Ground was developed by Herb and Jenny Gardner on, Blocks 5, 6 and 7, from 2001. With backgrounds in engineering and nursing, and a successful printing business in Sydney, the Gardners have applied their business and planning skills to organic farming and their wines are now exported to Japan under their “Hawkwind” brand. They are also well into building their own strawbale house.
• Andrew Wooldridge and Margie Crowther joined the project in 2003 with the aim of progressively developing Block 13 beginning with the building of a livestock based soil improvement service for the whole of RROF. Using the latest in intensive cell grazing, low stress livestock management, and applying biodynamic preparations, they not only improve the soil and ground cover, but provide delicious certified organic meat to local consumers. They are also managers of the 20 hectares of community land known as "Block 1".
• Greg Kocanda joined in 2003, bringing several generations of vegetable growing knowledge as well as extensive contacts in the local vegetable growing industry, the Sydney markets and the inputs supply sector. A wide range of organic vegetables are sold in Sydney under the name “Block 11, Rivers Road Organic Farms”. Greg also supplies a comprehensive range of organic farm inputs and agronomic advice to the other growers.
• Sue and Steve Brown are professionals who wanted to live closer to the land with their two young sons. They joined in 2004 and have since found work in the region and planted half of Block 8 to olives. They also plan to build a strawbale house.
• Rob Lamrock was actually born on the property but now works for an Australian seed company. He purchased Block 10 in 2004, and is cooperating with Greg Kocanda to produce vegetables and seed crops.
• Richard and Florence Statham are producing wines and olives on the four blocks developed by themselves and their sons. Rosnay Organic Wines Pty Ltd was established in 2001 and is a family owned company employing Sam Statham as a director and Oliver Statham as marketing manager. Sam and his wife Simone have purchased one vineyard and olive block from Richard and Florence, and also lease part of another block to grow figs.
• The appointed Manager of the Neighbourhood Association is Sue Dowling of Dowling Management Services. Sue is a specialist in Community and Strata Title, based in Orange. She can be contacted on 63624990.