Seventeen years old, living on the family farm in western Victoria with her life ahead of her. It all sounds pretty idyllic for Holly Draffin, until she was struck down with Lyme Disease in April last year. Forced to take time off school, she filled in the time showing off her family’s historic property to the wider community through her Instagram account Emu Hill Ag. She describes the immense response as a positive light in a dark situation. To learn more, Holly Draffin joins me now to discuss.

• Holly’s favourite place on the farm.
• Being a generational farm and the significance of the Emu Hill property for the region.
• Emu Hill is a busy farm with 70% broadacre cropping and 30% prime lamb.
• Holly shares how she contracted Lyme Disease in April 2022 and how this impacted her.
• After months of intense sickness and being bed-bound for months, Holly finally received the Lyme Disease diagnosis but, needed to move to Mexico to seek treatment.
• Living with Lyme Disease at the young age of 16.
• Starting an Instagram account as a way to share Holly’s passion for the land, while being bed-bound.
• Holly says, ‘My passion came through in the darkest of times – it was the light that kept me going.’
• Starting with their own farm, Holly has built @EmuHillAg to be a regular project which, showcases life on the land.
• Juggling life with Lyme disease now as she still battles her illness and symptoms.
• What Holly loves most about the land.
• The most unexpected things to come out of this experience for Holly.
• Bridging the gap between city and country and common misconceptions about life on the land.
• Holly’s ultimate dream for the future.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.

Links:

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