Margaret River’s ‘Biggest Little Farm’ – One Table Farm – is all about regenerative farming and they call themselves a ‘climate change aware’ farm-based cooking school – and they’ve had big views on YouTube.
One Table Farm is a small family-run business owned by Cree Monaghan, a former zoo vet, and her husband Tim Hall, a former corporate training manager, that first came to YouTube’s attention last year when they’d commented in an article that they’d used YouTube to learn how to do things on the farm from how to instal a tap to how to build a mobile chicken coop, how to hook up a plough to a tractor, to pruning fruit trees and to moving pigs.
After a series of interviews from about 500 or so candidates, YouTube sent a 13-person crew to Margaret River to make short film about One Table Farm as part of ‘YouTube Learning Stories’ to show how Australians are learning new skills on YouTube.
“YouTube spent nearly four days filming our story. Originally it was a little overwhelming to be honest, but also quite humbling since they’ve only made four of these kinds of videos in Australia so far. It was a lot of fun,” Cree said.
Their video has attracted a lot of attention, almost 3 million views, even sharing YouTube’s home page with Powderfinger.
Cree and Tim share their farm and what they have learnt as much possible offering sustainable farm tours, paddock to plate cooking and their popular sourdough workshops. Cree also has an additional veterinary qualification in animal welfare and ethics so they discuss how to raise animals ethically and how to make informed food choices at the supermarket.
“If we run this farm in isolation and don’t share it with anybody, then it doesn’t reach its full potential,” Cree said.
Sean Blocksidge, owner/operator of Margaret River Discovery Company said that Cree and Tim’s story is remarkable.
“What blows my mind is how many people have watched their video on YouTube – almost 3 million! That’s nuts.
“It has to be the most successful reach we’ve ever had for promoting anything from the Margaret River region. By comparison, a successful Margaret River region YouTube video would be doing amazing if it reached 10,000 views. Nearly 3 million views for a tiny farm business is insane.
“We owe them all, including YouTube who created the video, big high-fives for sharing their story and promoting the Margaret River region in a time when most businesses are struggling.”
Before making the tree change, Cree and Tim lived in Perth and always had the dream to live sustainably and regenerate the land. Cree also followed her passion for cooking and attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Tim ramped up his sourdough baking and after buying 100 acres in 2014, they made the tree change with their three children.
“There was nothing here, just the land, no water except the dam, no power, no shed, no house, no driveway, nothing,” Tim said.
“What we did first is plant the fruit trees, then built the house and the cooking school while also establishing the garden. It’s been a lot of work, and the work never ends, but it’s also immensely rewarding.”
Tim and Cree are looking to expand their farm vision through collaboration with people sharing a similar ethos – be that a ‘Biggest Little Farm’ model, or small boutique industries such as a market garden extension, bush food production or ancient grain growing for bread making.
It seems that nothing is off the table for One Table Farm.
For more information about One Table Farm and their sourdough workshops, cooking classes and farm tours, visit www.onetablefarm.com.au
