What a wonderful evening listening to Jo and James Robinson from Scrubby Gully Farm share the story of their amazing life, their farm, their businesses and the many ways they contribute to our community.
Since 2000, they’ve built Scrubby Gully Farm around a simple philosophy: what’s needed on the farm is made on the farm. Their sustainable, hands-on approach has helped them work with Central Otago’s extreme climate — from freezing winters to hot, dry summers.
More than just flower farming, Jo and James run workshops in:
Wedding flowers
Seed starting
Sustainable gardening
Wreath making
Dry flower workshops
They make their own compost, grow and create from what they have, and generously share their knowledge with others.
Jo is also the “Camera Queen” , sharing their farm life, flower growing and knowledge through their Facebook, YouTube and podcast community. Their beautiful flowers are sold locally, including at the Queenstown markets, with Jo particularly enjoying creating bespoke wedding florals.
And then there’s James’ Coastguard hat!
James volunteers with Coastguard Clyde, covering a huge area from St Bathans to Tarras, Beaumont and beyond. With a dedicated team of 18 volunteers, they contribute around 2,400 volunteer hours a year, carrying out vital rescue work across our lakes and waterways.
And yet another hat — James is President of the Lake Dunstan Boat Club, which has recently been landscaped and is available for weddings and events. The club supports sailing for local children, Laser regattas, power boating and even model yachts.
So many hats, so many talents!
Jo and James truly are “Mad Hatters”, finding as many ways as possible to make their passions work, create different income streams, teach others, care for the environment and give back to their community.
A huge thank you to Jo and James for such an interesting, entertaining and inspiring evening with Rotary Cromwell.
Thank you Jo & James — what an inspiring evening!
