About

About Us

Jamie and Lara McCall have been farming organically and welcoming guests to stay in their farm bungalows since 1997.

They offer a genuine agritourism experience. A love of the Margaret River Region and ongoing lived experience in viticulture, wine making, organic farming  and surfing equips them both to inspire you and help make long lasting memories of your Margaret River visit. 

Jamie’s background includes sailing, pearl diving, furniture making, building and Journalism.  Jamie studied Maritime Operations and Journalism. He worked on the Leeuwin Tall Ship, The West Australian and had his own furniture making business. From a young boy he kept chickens and quail and wanted to be a farmer. Inspired by his father’s small cattle farm and a close family friend where he spent many school holidays.

Along time ago before having children, Lara studied Economics and worked as an Economist and Investment Adviser. Lara has always enjoyed surfing, swimming and being in nature. She has a Polish heritage and it was her grandmother and mother that gave her the skills and love of growing food and cooking. She inherited a passion for the ocean from her surfing father. Lara’s father built a shack at his favourite nearby beach over 50 years ago.  It was their second home.  A place with a simple routine of being at the beach most of the day surfing, swimming and bbqs on repeat.

The rest is history as Lara and Jamie made their home on a farm just 10 minutes from this original surf shack.

Lara and Jamie love to surf, swim, dive, walk and spend time outdoors.  Wine, cooking, self-sufficiency, animal husbandry and nutrition are also interests. They are also enjoying being involved with community groups; Nature Conservation, Local Bush Fire Brigade, Community Pantry and the Edible Gardens Festival.  They also mentor volunteers in the areas of small scale farming, Biodynamics, market gardening and agritourism. Allowing them to share their experience and mistakes too.

Journey into Organic & Biodynamic Farming

From the very beginning when planting the first vineyard Jamie and Lara decided to start the organic certification process, as their three young sons played in the dirt.  They have found it challenging at times but not difficult, just a different way of doing things.  Patience, observation, working with nature and using animals in the systems are the key to their success.

What we do

Jamie and Lara both work full time on the farm.  Jamie looks after the cows, pigs, sheep and geese and gardens. He enjoys the ongoing building, maintenance  and fencing projects.  Revegetation of soaks, viticulture, orchards and market garden.

Lara looks after winemaking, accommodation, guests, tours, chickens, preserving food and the market garden.

They both enjoy helping each other and working together.  Every March is grape vintage and wine making and every July they enjoy the routine and work  pruning the vineyards together.

The Future

Now their three adult children and their partners are getting involved on the farm too. With off farm jobs in nutrition coaching, wine making and building they are getting ready to get involved.

Burnside Organic Farm’s vision for the future lies in inspiring others to produce their own food, sharing their ideas about resilience for future sustainable living, and helping and encouraging others to create their own story. Building strong communities that are prepared for economic, social and environmental change.