Goodbye To Green Gate Farm

We moved to Green Gate Farm on April 19th, 2018. But this year is different from every other as we remember the year and then say goodbye. The time has come to say farewell to our beloved farm, forever.

I have become so attached to this house, more than any home we’ve owned. (And let’s face it, there have been a lot!) Saying goodbye was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Green Gate Farm was the place I rediscovered the creativity I lost, where I fostered new skills and learned to see the world around me and appreciate it.

So What Happened in 2022/23?

Gavin and I began the year with grand plans to expand our farm business. The farm tours were going well, our cut-flower garden was in full bloom and we built a small picker’s hut with the view of using it as accommodation. We were planning workshops to complement the business and my eventual retirement to run the business with him.

Then everything fell in a heap.

I’m not going to reopen old wounds. You can read it in my Saying Goodbye post. Needless to say, the decision was not made lightly, and coupled with other personal events that took place, 2022 became one of the most stressful years of my life. I cried a lot of the time and felt like I was being pushed to do things I could not or did not want to do. This was not good for my mental health and for the first time in my life, I felt utterly out of control.

BUT. . .

2022 saw WONDEROUS THINGS at Green Gate Farm too

We finished the attic bedroom and office with perfectly executed professional plastering and timber lining. I dreamed of this since we moved in. It was always at the bottom of the list of jobs because it was not a room we used a lot. I’d seen this space in my mind so many times and I am a little melancholy that selling was the push we needed to shift our butts into gear and get it done.

Our beloved geese, Rudolf and Margot, raised from eggs by us, gave birth to four goslings. Sharing summer with the growing babies was a gift. Seeing Rudolf and Margot caring for their little family will stay with me forever. Finding them a loving home who all grew to maturity and now live with other loving families.

• The farmhouse was featured in Domain Magazine and on the cover of the Realestate Magazine. We were interviewed and photographed which meant I had to give approval for photos of myself I had not taken. Another moment of no control
• We had the most delightful farm visitors, one of whom was a visually impaired girl. She cuddled our blind sheep, Marvin and was concerned at his ability to get around the paddock without a cane.

• Daphne had a baby: Willow! Seeing the little goat we bought two years ago give birth was amazing. Sadly, her partner Hilda gave birth to a little buck that died. She was so sad she did not recover from the birth, so we buried her under a tree.

What Else Happened?

Green Gate Farm achieved the highest residential price for a property in our town ever! It was bittersweet but also a reward for our hard work over the past five years. It is like the last gift our property gave us: the ability to retire early and live a comfortable life.

We celebrated Christmas with family and friends at a long table lunch, one of many over the past five years. The farmhouse was designed for entertaining en masse and we have enjoyed gathering our people around us and sitting at a table with them.

• We had visitors from interstate for most of the year, which just goes to show that my dream of creating an inviting relaxed home was achieved. Family, goddaughters, and three lots of friends stayed in our guest rooms for a number of months.
• We finished the bloody renovation!

The Time Has Come to Leave Green Gate Farm

I’m filled with sadness but excited for the next adventure too.

Last week we slept in every bedroom in the house. We organized the cows, who went to a new home last weekend. They live nearby and we still own them, so we can visit them any time we like. We packed up smaller items and sold our things. There were so many emotions as we did this.

Then, you all told me you wanted farm memories too. I was so blown away by your love for our home so I created a calendar with a few of my favourite images from the past five years. It sold like wildfire and I had to spend half a day I should have been packing, wrapping orders, and sending them in the post!

The Littlest Things Made Me Cry Over the Past Month:

Celebrating our last party

Ticking items off my bucket list

Finding old photos and sorting through things as I packed brought back so many memories.

Making that last video of the house caused me to shed many tears every time I heard the music.

Visiting our son’s room for the last time. (That caused a huge meltdown, but made the last day easier)

And then, a few days before we left, our beloved Poppy decided it was her time to leave the world too. It was as if she knew we were moving again and did not have the strength. After six houses and almost 18 years, she knew she’d had enough. I cannot tell you the unbearable heartache I felt and how many times in the last few days I saw her spirit standing at the top of the stairs waiting for me like she did every day. But then, on the last day we were at the house, she disappeared. I’m going to bring her to the new house soon. She’ll be with us there.

The week was tough. (I’m tearing up as I write this. AGAIN) Green Gate Farm was our dream and we lived it for the last five years. We laughed, cried, and yelled at each other. We filled our house with love. Now, we are handing her over to new custodians who will make their mark on her history too.

I hope you enjoyed being part of the farm family for the past five years.

Goodbye, Green Gate Farm. You will always have my heart.