LIKETHEROSESbloomingatCroftersFold,DanielleWhite’s
ownrootsareburieddeepinthesoilofVictoria’sMacedon
Ranges.Sixgenerationsofherfamilyfarmedthelowhills
outsideKyneton,a placeshecallsherspiritualhome.
“IthinkinmysoulI neverlefthere,”saysDanni.“While
inMelbourneI camebackmostweekends.I alwayshad
a strongaffectionforhome.”
LikemanyyoungpeopleinregionalAustralia,Danni’s
decisiontoleaveherhometownwaspragmaticratherthan
personal.Studyaspirationsmeantrelocatingtothecity
whereshegaineda PhDinwomen’shealthatMelbourne
Universityandpursuedhercareer.Butin 2004 Danni
returnedtotheareasheloved,purchasinga cottagein
Kyneton.FiveyearslatershemetAshleyWren,originally
fromBallarat,whowasgrowingorganicorchardfruit,
berriesandgarlicinnearbySpringHill.“AshandI knew
straightawayitwastherightthingforbothofus,and
wegotmarriedin2010,”saysDanni,now53.
Ash,also 53 anda PEteacher,soldhispropertyandset
upa gardeninthebackyardoftheirKynetoncottage.“We
swiftlyoutgrewthatandboughtthecottagenextdoor,”says
Danni.“Ashstartedgrowingorganicgarlictherebutasthe
cropsizegrowsexponentiallyeachyearwedecidedtostart
lookingfornomorethan 20 hectaresnottoofarfromtown.”
Theyfoundthatplacein 2012 atPipersCreek,
10 kilometreseastofKyneton.CroftersFold,asthey
calledit,wason 12 hectaresofpastorallandthathadbeen
settledinthe1850sandcamewithanoldpumphouse,
a mid-20th-centurytimberfarmhouse,anolderbrick
gabledcottageanda shearingshed.“Wehadonelook
atitandboughtit,”saysDanni.ToAsh’sdelight,there
wasalsoa smallplotofpinotnoirvines.“Ashworked
invineyardsinhisyoungeryearsandhadalways wanted
to grow his own wine grapes,” she says.Theirinitialplanwastoestablishanorganicgarliccrop.
However,aftera yearorsotheyrealisedthegraniticsoilof
PipersCreekwasn’tidealforgarlic,butitwasperfectforthe
rosesthatthecouplebothloved.“Therewerealreadysome
rosesinthevineyardasindicatorsofvinehealth,”Danni
explains.“So,wedecidedtogrowthemasthepruningfitted
inwellwiththevines.Garlicisknownasthe‘stinkingrose’
—wewentfromthestinkingrosetotheperfumedrose!”
In2016,thecoupleplanted 350 rosesandnowhaveabout
1000.Daniellesaystheaimistobea small-scaleartisanal
farm,growingbee-friendlyflowerswithoutchemicals.
“Wearenotcertifiedorganic,butourpracticesare,andwe
arefairlyclosed-loopfarminghere.”
Toensuretheirbusinessissustainable,thepairalso
focusedonselectingrosesthatareprovenperformersas
cutflowers.“Wewantedhealthyvigorousplantswitha
stemlengththatwasusefulandperfumedflowers,andthat
rulesoutquitea few[varieties],”Danniexplains.
Whenaskedtonameherfavouriterose,Danniisinitially
reluctanttochoose,buteventuallysettleson‘AddictiveLure’
foritsluxuriantsoftpinkcuppedbloomsandsweetscent,
thelavender‘BlueMoon’withitscitrusyaroma,andthe
café-latte-tonedrose,‘SoulSister’.
However,forDannirosesaremorethanjusta pretty
bloom.In 2017 shewasawardedanAgribusinessFellowship
bytheInternationalSpecialisedSkillsInstitutein
Melbourne.Herprojectcentredaroundraisingawareness
ofbee-friendlyflowerfarmingandestablishingitsplace
withintheagribusinessandagritourismsectorsinthe
region.“Ibelievesmall-scaleagriculture,floriculture
included,hasa placeinaneconomythatcaresnotjust
aboutprofit,butpeopleandtheplanet.”
Whiletheywereestablishingtheirbusiness,Ashand
Danni initially moved into the main timber farmhouse and, >42 COU NTRY ST Y LESEPTEMBER 2019