Young WA farming family grows eco-house out of cereal crop

Ella Maesepp and David Potter are traditional sheep and grain farmers in regional Western Australia, but their home is not a typical farmhouse.

David Potter, Ella Maesepp and
 Quade in front of their eco-house
 in Katanning, WA.

They have taken sustainable living to the extremes on their 2,000-hectare property in Katanning, about 300 kilometres southeast of Perth.

In 2010, the newlyweds combined Ms Maesepp's passion for environmental conservation and Mr Potter's practical farming approach to 'grow' their own home from a cereal crop.

Read ABC story - “Young WA farming family grows eco-house out of cereal crop.”

Firefighter and farmer Vivien Thomson has more skin in the climate-change game than most

Vivien Thomson has
 self-published Ashed
 of Firefighters, about
the long-term effects
of fighting fires.

The floor of the lounge room in Vivien Thomson's farmhouse seems to be covered in kelpies, though on closer inspection there are only three of them. It feels like more because they are lying outstretched to keep cool, and taking up a lot of space. Thomson regards them with mild reproach as she strides past. They are outdoor dogs in theory, she says, but they sneak inside at every opportunity. "They've worked out how to open the door themselves."

In the kitchen, we sit at a pine table as Thomson talks about the circuitous route that brought her to this bungalow on a 1200-hectare sheep and cattle property at Muttama, near Cootamundra, NSW. I am keen to hear about her experiences as a rural firefighter and how they led to her becoming a campaigner for action to stop global warming.

Read Jane Cadzow’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Firefighter and farmer Vivien Thomson has more skin in the climate-change game than most.”