https://www.facebook.com/104128375270249/

Springdale Farm

Home
Australia
Collinsvale, TAS
Springdale Farm

Using organic and regenerative practices to grow and supply fresh produce to our local community!

01/09/2025

Sho sugi ban batten and board is up and scaffold is down! 🔥

Mel got her inner pyromaniac on and broke a few HSE rules... like dont work off two ladders - one foot on each, ~3-4m up in the air on the roof. Luckily we ticked off more milestones with all involved safe and sound. Except for that large post, the wheel barrow, and Mel's mum's leg. The brusing only lasted a couple of weeks 😅

Pulling down the scaffold and stepping back to see the house take shape was awesome! Theres's still a long way to go but we are moving forward one job at a time.

We've pretty much caught up on progress to share to date, this is what we see looking out the yurt windows now. Updates will slow down a little and be in real time, but we'll double down our effort as the days get longer and our next looming deadline approaches - baling season! February seems a while away but I'm sure before we know it a truck load of straw bales will be delivered to enclose the lower level like giant lego bricks. So much to do between now and then! Next up we'll be getting stuck into the deck - stay tuned ☺️

28/08/2025

After taking a season off to start the home build, it’s wild how fast the grass took over the market garden—should’ve tarped it or squeezed in some cover crops (anyone know how to stretch more than 24hours out of a day?), oh well! 😅 We’re fighting back, reclaiming a few beds at a time. 45m down, hundreds to go! We might have to use some serious tarp power 💪.

27/08/2025

Woohoo! 🎉 The roof is on at Springdale Farm! 🏡 Being under cover has transformed the feel inside our home—we’re sleeping better now that the structure, posts, and beams are (mostly) shielded from the weather.
We left the roofing to the pros while we tackled windows, eaves, and battens, prepping for our rough-sawn cladding. Nervous about flashing the windows right, we might’ve gone overboard with three layers of protection—better safe than sorry! No leaks here...we hope! 😅 Next up: we’re playing with fire to install our sho sugi ban siding. 🔥 As the scaffold starts to come down its feeling a little less of a construction site and a little more homely ☺️

23/08/2025

Onwards and upwards at Springdale Farm! 🏡

The second-level frame of our dream home is up, defying Tassie winter’s frosty mornings and relentless rain.
Huge thanks to Luke McDonald and the team Raw Building Tas for powering through during the weekdays while we hammered away evenings and weekends. 🙌

The kids even ventured away from screens to dream up their future rooms and swung a hammer or two—their (temporary) enthusiasm surprised us! 😄

We wrestled with a 45° gable-end pitched roof, tying in dormers and a lean-to for our massive walk-in pantry (or should we call it an above-ground cellar?).

Miraculously, it all came together within millimeters of our SketchUp plans. 📐

16/08/2025

Our build is starting to feel like home! 🏡 With the foundation set, we shaped the timbers we felled last winter and milled in January. Those hefty logs, now on sawhorses, got worked over with hammer and chisel—until Mel’s toe tried to “catch” a ~30kg off-cut. 😬 Ouch! A Sunday evening trip to the urgent care clinic confirmed no breaks, just a sore, bruised toe and a limp for a few days. Note to self: it takes three of us to move one post, they are heavy!

We worked through chilly Tasmanian May nights, with daytime help from Luke McDonald and his crew Raw Building Tas —big thanks! 🙌 Securing the big timbers to the slab and tying in stud walls, we walked the lower level for the first time, feeling out each room’s space. Our wind-twisted trees had attitude but are now firmly locked in place! Next, we’re going vertical for the second level. 🌳💪

11/08/2025

We did it—ground’s broken, and our foundation’s poured! 🏡 Our little two-story home is now rooted on some seriously reactive clay. It took over 30+ pier holes, some dug over 1.8m deep, and our 8x8m slab guzzling an extra 11m³ of concrete because those trenched beams just wouldn’t hold shape. 😅 Autumn’s dry spell turned the clay to crumbly powder, making us sweat over every detail—Is it square? Are the pier holes clean? Will the formwork hold? Is the weather about to turn on us? Let’s just say sleep was in short supply!

We wanted a burnished concrete finish for the slab, but it didn’t quite pan out. Now we’re hunting for simple, cheap, and dog-proof flooring ideas to make it our own. Got any tips? Can exposed concrete be salvaged as a finished surface? Drop your thoughts below—we’d love to hear from you! 🙌

Now we were able to sleep easy it was time to start preparing the large timbers for the frame. 🌳💪

07/08/2025

Late last year, we spent ~6 months exploring our property and selectively felling diseased or dead trees to craft the post-and-beam frame for our homes lower level. Luke’s chainsaw skills got a serious workout! We scored some massive 11 meter logs—straight as arrows before the first branch. Hauling those beasts out with our trusty (and slightly overworked) blue tractor was no joke. Picture a few “oh crap!” moments: one tree, taller than what Luke had guessed, gave the tractor a surprise hug, and another time, the tractor lost traction, sliding back down the hill with the log and Luke clinging on, white-knuckled, while Mel watched in horror. Spoiler: Everyone (and the tractor) made it out in one piece! 😅

After endless days slogging away on our Alaskan chainsaw mill, we called in the big guns: a Lucas Mill and a skilled operator. In just two days, we churned out as much dimensional lumber as two weeks on our mill—plus a bonus pile for our future kitchen! 🙌
Next we will share the prepping and pouring of the foundation—the next step toward making this house our home. Stick with us for more chaos, triumphs, and maybe a few more “oh crap” moments. 🌳🏡

04/08/2025

🌱🍂Hey Springdale Farm friends! 🍂🌱
Wondering where we’ve been? We’ve been pretty quiet the past year because we’re building a house! 🏡

Yep, we’ve taken on a bit more than we can handle (as usual!), so we’re stepping back from growing for another season while we swap our gardening gear for tool belts. It’s a slow go, building in our spare time, but we’re excited to share the journey with you.

We’re crafting a unique ~110m² two-story off grid home. The lower level is post-and-beam with our own trees we milled on farm, wrapped in rendered straw bale, and the upper level will be standard stud-framed walls with Shou Sugi Ban-style hardwood batten and board rough sawn cladding. Like our farming values, we are building with sustainable materials and methods (while juggling surveyor, engineer and council needs along with our budget🤦‍♂️)🌿🏠

This photo is from a while back—we’re further along now! We’ll catch you up on the last 8 months of progress. What part of the build are you keen to hear about? Let us know below! Stay tuned. 😊

❤️ Luke & Mel

Address

Springdale Road
Collinsvale, TAS
7012

Telephone

+61474562152

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Springdale Farm posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Food & Beverage Service in Collinsvale?