Local Profile - Cloudland Flower Farm
Since becoming part of the Gunning community nearly 12 months ago, we have met some amazing people. Some of whom we are now fortunate enough to call our friends. When you first become part of a country town, it can be a bit daunting. The towns are small and often very close knit. But that wasn’t our experience in Gunning! Our family was welcomed into this little community instantly and it has brought something to our lives that we didn’t realise was missing – connection, community and simple living.
Today in the next instalment of our ‘Local Profile’ series, we are interviewing the lovely Jane and Jay from Cloudland Flower Farm in Lade Vale. I first met Jane at our Wreaths&Wine workshop at the cottage in December last year. Lade Vale is a short 10 minute drive from Gunning and it’s the perfect place to pick up a beautiful road side posy or perhaps a dozen fresh eggs produced by Jane and Jay’s free ranging chickens. Here is our little yarn with Jane and Jay.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Jane – I am a born and bred Canberran and proud of it. I have four beautiful children and two gorgeous grandsons. They all live in Canberra except for my eldest, my gypsy child, who currently lives in Vietnam. I live between my apartment in Tuggeranong, Canberra and our farm in Lade Vale, NSW. I am a public servant through the week and a flower farmer on the weekends. I share my flower farm journey with Jay who I met in late 2015.
Jay – I was born in Canterbury, England and migrated to Australia in 1980. After joining the RAAF in 1984, I was posted to Canberra which I called home for many years. I have two wonderful sons who both live in Canberra. I live fulltime at the farm which is my third experience at off-grid living. I spent 20 plus years working in Canberra as an IT contractor, but am now semi-retired and consider myself a full time flower farmer.
How long have you had property in the region and why did you make the move to the country?
Jane – when I met Jay, he had just moved back from Lightening Ridge where he lived for three years in the opal fields in a cottage that he renovated and transformed into off-grid living. When he returned to Canberra, he didn’t want to buy a house in suburbia and loved being out of the city. He liked the idea of having some land to pursue his dreams of sustainable living and I liked the idea that maybe I could grow flowers. I wanted to stay close to my children, so we originally starting looking for 4 – 5 acres just south of Tuggeranong. It was so expensive and, after scouring online and doing letterbox drops in the area, we were getting discouraged. While housesitting in Gundaroo two years ago, we had a drive to Gunning to look at some land. We loved the feel, look and size of the town. That day we found our little slice of heaven, 10 minutes out of town in an area called Lade Vale. It was just what we were looking for – 4 clear acres with a spring fed creek and a little shed with solar power. Jay and I put in an offer straight away – when you know, you know! So on 10 April 2018, Cloudland Flower Farm was born.
Now tell us about your flower farm story - how did it start and why?
Jane – I have always loved flowers, they are my passion. I seek them everywhere I go – when we travel anywhere, they are what I look for. I visit every florist and flower farm I can find, here and overseas. And they just take my breath away and give me immense joy. In 2000, I needed to think about a career and decided I wanted to be a florist. I studied part-time and worked in a Canberra florist for 6 years. I then joined the Public Service to have a more secure job to better provide for my children. Now they are grown, I decided it was time again to follow my passion. I didn’t really want to go back into arranging flowers – I wanted to grow them.
Jay – I have always loved the idea of a self-sustained lifestyle and have always been fiercely independent. After a few previous experiments at off-grid living, I felt confident that I could do this on a grander scale. My dream of this lifestyle and Jane’s passion for flowers worked together perfectly and when we saw this block, I could see it for what it could be. After more than 20 years as an IT contractor in federal government, I saw this as my perfect escape.
Do you specialise in growing any particular flowers?
In 2013, Jane fell in love with the images of a peony farm in Victoria that was featured in Country Style magazine. After a long awaited visit to the farm with Jay for her birthday in 2016, a firm decision was made to grow lots of peonies. We have also very successfully grown beautiful dahlias, cornflowers and sunflowers. We aim to grow more edible flowers and natives, including bottlebrush, kangaroo paw and NSW Christmas Bush. It’s very much trial and error at the moment to see what grows best in our area.
What is your favourite flower and why?
Jane – I honestly don’t have a favourite, there are lots I love – peonies, dahlias, old fashion roses, lavender – the list is very, very long. I love the form and colour of all flowers. I enjoy looking at them up close and taking in every tiny detail.
Jay – I love lavender so much that I wrote the following haiku 20 years ago -
English Lavender, breeze through an open window, memories of a child.
What are your plans and mission for your brand?
Our primary plan for the farm is to grow beautiful flowers all year and sell them at our farm stand and to local businesses. We also want to provide a flower farm experience by offering accommodation in Storm Cottage, our totally off-grid tiny home. In the near future, we would love to see weddings and other events held at the farm. Our mission is to grow and supply fresh, organic produce, promote sustainable living, connect with the local and wider community, and bring joy and serenity to all who visit.
And lastly but most importantly, where can we pick up a bunch of your flowers or some of your fresh eggs?
Our farm is located at 256 Berrebangalo Creek Road, Lade Vale – 10 minutes out of Gunning and 40 minutes from the north side of Canberra. We have a flower stand at our gate where we leave pretty posies and produce for passers-by, with payment via an honour system. We advertise on social media – Facebook and Instagram.
Want to know more or get your hands on Jane and Jay’s flowers? Drop them janependers@hotmail.com or catch them on Instagram at @cloudland_flower_farm
All pics are by Tim Bean Photography.