We moved to Mountain Creek Farm in November 2022, at the start of what would become our first full season on the land.
At the time, the property had been largely untouched for several years. There had been no consistent weed management or grazing, and it showed. The grass was nearly taller than me in places, fences were riddled with holes, and much of the existing infrastructure was either damaged or unusable.
There were only two water sources on the entire property a spring-fed creek running through the land and a small dam in one of the main paddocks. The creek had flooded the year before, in 2021, taking fences with it and leaving no real separation between paddocks. There was no infrastructure for cattle at all, and very little in place to support the kind of farm we hoped to build.
Taking Stock
Around the house, the landscaping consisted mostly of rocks, with an aging boundary fence that no longer offered much protection or structure. The driveway was steep and uneven, impossible to mow safely, and whenever it rained the gravel would wash away, leaving deep divots behind.
It quickly became clear that before we could think about livestock, gardens, or self-sufficiency, we needed to stabilise the basics.
Work Before Vision
Much of that first season was spent spraying weeds, replacing fences, and slowly putting infrastructure back into place. It was repetitive, physical work — the kind that doesn’t look like much from the outside but forms the foundation for everything that follows.
We patched fences before replacing them. We planned paddock layouts before committing to livestock. We learned where water naturally moved across the land before trying to control it.
Progress came in small, unremarkable ways. A fence line restored. A section of land cleared. A problem identified early enough to avoid bigger mistakes later.
Life Continues Alongside the Work
In December, just weeks after moving in, I found out I was pregnant with our second son.
Life on the farm didn’t pause for that news, but it did add another layer of perspective to the season. There was work to be done, and there was also a growing awareness that we were building something not just for now, but for the years ahead for our children, and for the life we wanted them to grow up in.
That balance shaped many of the decisions we made in those early months.
Laying Foundations
Looking back, our first season was less about farming and more about planning, putting in the infrastructure.
We were learning the land’s limits, and accepting that meaningful change would take time. There was no rushing past the groundwork. Every choice needed to support the long-term health of the property and the people living on it.
This season taught us that self-sufficiency doesn’t start with abundance. It starts with responsibility.
Mountain Creek Farm 
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