John & Linda - Chestnut Brae

Image: Richard Tilney-Bassett (provided)

Who: John & Linda Stanley, Chestnut Brae

Where: Carlotta, Nannup

What season: Year round, harvest April - May

Farm Highlight: Farm tour

Chestnut Brae farm is reputably the most beautiful farm in the South West. Brae is a Scottish word that means “Hillside”. The farm’s rich loam valley is fed by natural spring waters that flow 365 days a year. Together with the pristine forest air and grazed by contented pastured animals that replenish the lush fertile soils, Chestnut Brae’s owners feel they live on a piece of paradise.

John and Linda, believing small and diverse farming is the way of future, feel it is vital to nurture the soil, traditional skills, organic farming, and food diversity in order to foster future food security and environmental sustainability.

Regenerative agriculture, which goes beyond organic, and holistic management principles are employed on Chestnut Brae. The farm comprises 1000 sweet chestnut trees, 16 pecan trees, 3 walnut trees, various fruit trees, vegetable gardens, herb gardens, berry gardens, mushroom farms, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, marron, Angora goats and two Alpaca that guard the small flock of Wiltshire sheep. Cell grazing for pastured sheep and pastured pigs ensures highest opportunities for building soil health.

Chestnut Brae is one of 35 farms in the south west of Western Australia featured in Danielle Costley’s beautiful book “Beyond the Farm Gate” published in 2015 by Margaret River Press, and in “Australia’s Extra Ordinary. West” by Carmen Jenner published in 2019 by Creatavision Publishing.

John and Linda Stanley are authors of “Food Tourism – A Practical Marketing Guide”, which was “Winner of the Gourmand Award 2015 for best food travel book in Australia”. Linda Stanley has written a children’s book “Grandy’s Long Walk” which is based on a walker looking for the Nannup Tiger and is aimed at encouraging children to connect with nature.