The Farmers
Emma Bowen has a background in permaculture, market gardening, urban farming, design and community engagement, and most recently was founder and manager of Pocket City Farms, a quarter-acre urban farm in the centre of Sydney on a converted lawn bowls club, that provided organic produce, education and a place for connection to the local community.
In 2020, Emma, along with her partner Michael and two young kids Banjo and Fern, made the move to Tasmania, landing on what is now Rising Farm, a 50-acre former apple orchard in the Huon Valley. Here, she’s in the early stages of returning the farm to food production, developing a permaculture orchard, building upon her passion for sustainable agriculture on a larger scale.
Emma’s passionate about the transformative power of farms and gardens and the immeasurable value they bring to our physical and mental well-being as individuals and communities. Alongside her farm work she is also a permaculture garden designer and community project consultant at Yarrow.
The Farm
Rising Farm is a 50-acre farm that is very much in its infancy, with work currently being focused on increasing organic matter in the soil, ready to be planted out in 2024.
The land, on the Huon River just outside of Cygnet, has been home to apples, apricots and cattle in the past. Drawing on her background and inspired by the work of Mark Shepard and Stefan Sobkowiak, Emma has plans to establish a permaculture orchard, growing nuts, some fruit, and garlic and maximizing the diversity of the farm.
Rising Farm uses minimal till practices, encouraging soil life to stay intact as much as possible. Cover cropping, compost teas, rotating pet sheep, are all currently being used to increase the fertility of the soil. Emma is also currently studying biodynamic practices with BDTas and hopes to incorporate some of these into the management of the farm.
Passionate about integrating community and their local farms, Rising Farm hopes to become a place where locals and visitors can get involved with the farm in various ways, from pick-your-own produce and events, as well as via agritourism accommodation.