Captains Creek Organic Wines: An array of organic products at Blampied

DOUG and Carolyn May are not only jacks of all trades, they are masters of them all.

Top drop: Doug and Carolyn May produce an array of products from organic wine to organic flour on their 80-hectare farm. Picture: Andy Rogers

2017 FARM MAGAZINE INNOVATIVE FARMER OF THE YEAR FINALIST

CAPTAINS CREEK ORGANIC WINES

Doug and Carolyn May

BLAMPIED, VIC

DOUG and Carolyn May are not only jacks of all trades, they are masters of them all.

They produce an array of products from organic wine to organic flour on their 80-hectare property at Blampied, in central Victoria.

“Fair dinkum paddock-to-plate,” Carolyn calls it, rattling off all the crops, livestock and produce thriving on their organic farm near Daylesford — a vineyard, wheat crop, Angus cattle, Dorper sheep, free-range chooks, the list goes on.

What they don’t grow — such as vegies and fruit — Doug’s brother, Greg, maintains on a neighbouring slice of the May family farm.

The 240-hectare property was carved equally between Doug, Greg and their late brother, Rod, back in the 1980s, when their father, Maurice, drew up a succession plan.

Today, Doug and Carolyn carry on the organic tradition with their Captains Creek Organic Wines vineyard, where they produce six varieties of wine from two hectares under vine, 75 per cent chardonnay and the remainder pinot noir.

Organic viticulture is their focus. And when they aren’t tending vines, their hands are full managing 30 cattle, 50 ewes and 200 chooks. All of the produce, including the harvest from 2.5 hectares of wheat, is used in their on-farm restaurant.

Doug says their business growth happened organically — much like their approach to farming. “We decided not to get bigger, but then we needed to diversify and add more value,” Doug said.

The May farm became certified organic 30 years ago, mainly down to the efforts of Doug’s brother, Rod, who died in a road accident last year. Doug and Carolyn have run their section using the same principles since 1998.

About 25 lambs are slaughtered each year for use in the Captains Creek restaurant, as well as 150kg of flour milled from their harvest.

“Paddock-to-plate makes good sense financially and it’s also about reducing the supply chain as much as possible,” Doug said.

It’s this creative, self-sustainable business model, backed up by a willingness to go out on a limb, that places Doug and Carolyn at the top of the tree.