The Farm
The Aquafarm is built on a farm with a history of organic agriculture. It was once the first organic winery in Western Australia. Going way back to the end of WWI, it was the site of a group settlement for returned servicemen who grew vegetables and started dairy farming. In the 70s the Serventy family began rehabilitating the deforested land and set up Serventy Valley Organic Winery. A rich Swiss doomsday prepper then turned it into a paradise of self sufficiency. Now it is home to a group of 4 families who share the property – one of the most stunning of the South West. It features some old growth forest, some rehabilitated forest, a large creek system, numerous pastured paddocks and dams and a spectacular valley view that takes in parts of Devils Lair and Higher Plain wineries.
The Aquafarm
In 2017 John Bowskill began experimenting with hydroponic farming in a climate controlled greenhouse. In 2018 he studied aquaponics and became a certified aquaponic farm designer. The build started in 2019 with the first produce being sold at the Margaret River Farmers Market in August. Since then, it has become much more than John expected. More than 70 volunteers have so far spent time helping to build and run the Aquafarm which is an amazing place to learn about ideas in sustainability, land use, water conservation, environmental impact and new ways of farming.
