One Table Farm video a hit on YouTube

10th September 2020 | Eativity editors

A short film about One Table Farm, a “climate change aware” family-run, farm-based cooking school in Cowaramup in the Margaret River region of the southwest of Western Australia, has amassed over 2.8 million views on YouTube.

The beautifully shot four-minute video was made by YouTube in February as part of YouTube Learning Stories to show how Australians are learning new skills on YouTube.

Watch and learn

One Table Farm is owned by Cree Monaghan, a former zoo vet, and her husband Tim Hall, a former corporate training manager, that first came to YouTube’s attention last year.

“YouTube contacted us out of the blue and said they’d seen a story about us online where we mentioned how we built our farm knowledge,” Monaghan says. “Everything from building a chicken tractor, pruning fruit trees to moving pigs we learned from watching YouTube.

“They sent a production crew of 13 people to our little farm [pre-COVID] and spent nearly four days filming our story. Originally it was a little overwhelming. But it was also quite humbling since they’ve only made four of these kinds of videos in Australia so far.”

One Table Farm
The couple started One Table Farm Cooking School in 2014.

Information at your fingertips

Ashely Chang, Culture and Trends Manager for YouTube Asia Pacific says that One Table Farm is a great example of following your passions and using YouTube to learn along the way.

“Cree and Tim are locals who used YouTube to learn,” he says. “They’re helping their community and our planet through a self-built, regenerative farm. Not only are they giving back to the land; they’re passing on sustainable practices through the cooking school.

“They’re just one example, one story. YouTube enables anyone, anywhere, at any time to access information. With over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, there are constantly new learning opportunities. And we’re devouring them, with hundreds of millions of views of educational content on YouTube every single day globally.”

Spotty the pig lives high on the hog at One Table Farm
Spotty the pig lives high on the hog at One Table Farm.

Living the dream

Monaghan and Hall lived in Perth, and always had the dream to live sustainably and regenerate the land. Monaghan also followed her passion for cooking and attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris; Hall ramped up his sourdough baking and, after buying 100 acres in 2014, they made the tree change with their three children.

“There was nothing here, just the land,” Hall says. “No water except the dam, no power, no shed, no house, no driveway, nothing. What we did first was plant the fruit trees, then built the house and the cooking school while also establishing the garden. It’s been a lot of work, and the work never ends, but it’s also immensely rewarding.”

One Table Farm
One Table Farm shares how to raise animals ethically and make better food choices.

A boon for the region

Sean Blocksidge, owner of Margaret River Discovery Company, says the success of One Table Farm’s YouTube video is also a fantastic win for the Margaret River region.

“It has to be the most successful reach we’ve ever had for promoting anything from the region,” he says. “By comparison, a successful Margaret River YouTube video would be doing well if it reached 10,000 views. Three million views for a tiny farm business is insane.

“We owe them all, including YouTube, big high-fives for sharing their story. And for promoting the Margaret River region in a time when most businesses are struggling.”

Monaghan and Hall share their farm and what they’ve learnt as much possible. They offer sustainable farm tours, paddock-to-plate cooking and sourdough workshops. Monaghan also has an additional veterinary qualification in animal welfare and ethics, so they discuss how to raise animals ethically and how to make informed food choices at the supermarket.

One Table Farm Community Supported Baking Scheme
One Table Farm started Community Supported Baking Scheme, which delivers organic sourdough to locals.

The couple is looking to expand their vision through collaboration with people sharing a similar ethos. That could be a “Biggest Little Farm” model, or small boutique industries such as market gardens, bush food production or ancient grain growing for bread making.

“If we run this farm in isolation and don’t share it with anybody, then it doesn’t reach its full potential,” Monaghan says.

For more about One Table Farm and their sourdough workshops, cooking classes and farm tours, visit onetablefarm.com.au