Acorn Homestead

Acorn Homestead Acorn Homestead — plants for food and medicine. Workshops in foraging, herbalism and plant crafts.

After 3 busy years, our covered wagon is finally ready to roll across the prairie ! With heartfelt thanks to the followi...
05/04/2026

After 3 busy years, our covered wagon is finally ready to roll across the prairie ! With heartfelt thanks to the following ranch hands:

Peter and Sue for gifting the additional hardwood rails, Wayne for guiding the timber work and for building the stairs, Ron for organizing and delivering the steel work, Jo for assisting with the stitching of fabric, John for helping with positioning the lashing ropes, and of course Jim, for riding shotgun way back in March 2023 when the base was originally towed onto the homestead.

The before-and-after shots are substantially different — and the team is suitably impressed ! Happy Easter from Acorn Homestead.
👩‍🌾

Flowers from zucchini plants are quite delicious to eat. In the kitchen, they are commonly filled with stuffing mix, the...
21/02/2026

Flowers from zucchini plants are quite delicious to eat. In the kitchen, they are commonly filled with stuffing mix, then battered and fried. Yum! But can you differentiate between the male and female flowers?

As a youngster I was warned by the elders: “Don’t pick the female flowers — we’ll lose all our vegetables!” It’s true! The zucchinis that we harvest grow at the base of the female flowers, so picking the female flowers will diminish the crop.

And something else to consider… since the flowers flourish only very briefly, pollination must take place quickly. If the local bees aren’t visiting the flowers fast enough, we can assist with manual pollination to encourage a better yield. 🌼🌻

Happy gardening !

What an absolute delight! The current solar radiation storm is so intense that we have been treated to a magical Aurora ...
20/01/2026

What an absolute delight! The current solar radiation storm is so intense that we have been treated to a magical Aurora light show here on the homestead. 🌈 ✨

The Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) is flowering now, showcasing its pretty catkins, which smell a little like bread! T...
27/12/2025

The Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) is flowering now, showcasing its pretty catkins, which smell a little like bread! The nuts won’t be ready until Autumn, but December is an ideal time to collect some leaves and inner bark for medicinal use. 🌰

Some herbalists utilitse the plant for its high tannin content, which can provide a useful astringent action to the tissues. Furthermore, the “demulcent” properties were historically said to be soothing for many respiratory conditions. 🌰

13/12/2025

Did you know that the Spotted Pardalote typically makes its nest by digging a burrow under the soil? Well, here on the Homestead, one audacious little couple has dug themselves a burrow underneath the broad beans in one of our vegetable crates!! They are minuscule — and magnificent!!

The vibrant colours of early summer! Each plant has parts which are considered edible or medicinal. The Evening Primrose...
06/12/2025

The vibrant colours of early summer! Each plant has parts which are considered edible or medicinal. The Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) and the Common Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). 🌼

Today we used our chickpea flatbreads to hold together pickled beetroot slices and our freshly foraged Dandelion greens ...
29/11/2025

Today we used our chickpea flatbreads to hold together pickled beetroot slices and our freshly foraged Dandelion greens (Taraxacum officinale).

Flatbreads were made with equal parts of besan flour, plain flour and rainwater, to which we added taco seasoning and salt.

The flatbread batter was fried in olive oil and our little pancakes were sprinkled with linseeds while they were cooking.

Easy, healthy, fast and filling!

Here is our most recently completed project on the homestead... 🦬 Since towing her home in March 2023, we have reinforc...
17/09/2025

Here is our most recently completed project on the homestead... 🦬

Since towing her home in March 2023, we have reinforced the undercarriage, rebuilt the wagon box, coated her in linseed oil, lifted her up onto blocks, positioned the bows, crafted the steps, tinted the wheels, attached the hardware, and secured a canopy to the lashing rings! 🌵🤠 Isn’t she beautiful?!!
PS: canopy photos still to come!!

Lessons from the old ways… always keep these items close by — a thimble for working with fabric, a darning mushroom for...
13/06/2025

Lessons from the old ways… always keep these items close by — a thimble for working with fabric, a darning mushroom for mending socks, an awl for mending coats and shoes, an ample supply of carb soda and vinegar, and the Good Book to guide you on your journey. As my great grandma used to say: “But for the grace of God, go I.” 💖🙏🏽

On a rare day of winter sunshine, we like to hang some clothing out to dry in the open air. Laundry chores are much more...
05/06/2025

On a rare day of winter sunshine, we like to hang some clothing out to dry in the open air. Laundry chores are much more satisfying now that the dedicated wash station is fully operational!

Nourishing winter greens — like Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and Land Cress (Barbarea verna) — are already available ...
01/06/2025

Nourishing winter greens — like Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and Land Cress (Barbarea verna) — are already available to forage. 🌿 In the veggie garden, the Perpetual Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum v. porrum) are already available to harvest, while generously sprouting multiple juvenile offshoots ready for re-sowing. 🌿 Looking forward to the next big cauldron of soup!
🌻.

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Bunyip
Bunyip, VIC

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