Matthew's Puggle Farm is under shade and too wet for most of the year, which has hindered his farming aspirations. The experience has confirmed that he does want to pursue this farming life more seriously. Now Matthew wants to upscale.
It's a year of experimentation and Matthew has kept chooks for eggs, but now he'd like to get heritage chickens at Puggle Farm to free range for their meat.
Matthew has been planning to build a commercial kitchen but the cost is prohibitive. Ross tells him about a caravan fitted out with a commercial kitchen that's for sale on Bruny Island.
Inspired by last year's trip to France, Matthew decides to add a couple of geese to his menagerie, and while picking them up off a local farmer, he is distracted by a home-built cold smoker.
Matthew and Nick's new shop venture, A Common Ground, provides many challenges: meeting demand with a varied supply of seasonal local produce; and maintaining commitment to ethically grown and prepared food whilst managing the bottom line.
Fifty acres of pasture is a lot of grass to manage and the local NRM, who are the mob who consult on how to improve and maintain a healthy farm...have told Matthew he desperately needs to get animals to graze his grass.