Crazy Acres
From the Beginning
Crazy Acres has been operating on a 25 acres mango farm in Berry Springs since 2008. Moving from Kununurra, while 7 months pregnant with their first child, Karen, and her then partner John, had a very busy few years ahead.
Taking on a working mango farm meant that the first harvest was due at the same time as their first son, Jay was born, just 2 months after moving in.
Both Karen and John grew up on the land and made the decision that was where their family should grow up too. Karen was born in the UK, leaving at 18 and working in Europe as a chef before heading to Australia permanently in 2004.
2009 saw the Crazy Acres Farm Shop open selling homegrown, local and interstate fresh produce from the property 7 days a week, and within a few months, deliveries to wholesale customers across Darwin had started. Next came workplace and home deliveries with weekly online orders received, packed and generally delivered with a small child in tow!
Family is complete
By mid 2010, Mitchell had entered the Crazy Acres family, and, at 3 days old was on his first of many ice cream deliveries with mum. He quickly became affectionately known amongst the locals and grey nomads as “the baby in the box” when he spent most of his days sleeping in a fresh produce box on the front counter.
With the increase in the drive market and a constant supply of 2nd-grade produce, we decided that preserves were a good idea. This idea then expanded to home-made ice cream as well. By 2011, customers coming for fruit and vegetables could also purchase a jar of local honey, home-made mango jam, chutney, or mustard pickles. Under the huge mahogany trees on the property, they could sit and enjoy home-made ice cream, often while two toddlers entertained them.
Making ice cream started with a small machine that could churn out 7 portions, in around 30 minutes in our home kitchen. The first machine was a gift from a very dear friend, who believed in the vision of starting an ice cream business. 3 of those machines and working through the night got the business started on the journey into the ice cream world! Approaching the GM of the Deckchair Cinema in Darwin was the best thing we could’ve done as they welcomed us in with open arms and we’ve never looked back.
Food for thought
By now, expansion was again on the cards with the next progression being the addition of mango smoothies, fresh salads, and a “Farmers Platter” Making home-made bacon and cheese damper every day for delicious platters of homemade pickles, honey roasted ham, matured cheese and fresh salads soon took off and the menu expanded to a few fresh salads and platters for the first Dry season served out of a tiny kitchen.
There was a huge decision made following that first year of a café, and that was to stop the Farm Shop, and go full steam ahead with Crazy Acres Farm & Café.
This meant getting a restaurant permit, building a purpose built kitchen and committing to a commercial ice cream machine and blast freezer. This new equipment saw Crazy Acres go from churning 21 portions an hour through the night to 25 portions in under 5 minutes. Karen didn’t know herself!
Making the most of the Dry season weather, ice cream was sold at one off events, and sometimes markets. The café was open 7 days a week, private events were held under the mango trees and catering for events off site. Everyone worked hard and kept very busy. Help was often in the form of backpackers and grey nomads who were keen to park up on the farm for a few months. Most years there was a “Crazy Acres family” which spanned across both ages, and nationalities.
By now the ice cream was in the café freezer next to a range of Mango pops and the classic choc coated frozen banana, and the demand was growing annually.
Karen travelled to Melbourne as the NT Food Ambassador, representing the Territory. Crazy Acres hosted many celebrities and big names. Additionally, Karen appeared on TV across the country with Justine Schofield. Justine used Crazy Acres Mango chutney in one of her dishes, which she cooked under the mango trees and helped make a batch of the famous mango ice cream.
Mango jam and dried mango went to Melbourne, Gold Coast, Cairns. It even went to Singapore with Tourism NT to showcase what the Territory had to offer.
By now, stockists were popping up across the Top End. Demand had grown to the point that Karen was juggling a fulltime café job with that of making ice creams by night.
When opportunity comes knocking
In 2014, when the opportunity arose to purchase the Rainbow Café (as it was then known) at the nearby Berry Springs Nature Park, I didn’t hesitate. It presented a fantastic opportunity and Crazy Acres Kiosk was born.
A hugely popular spot for swimming in the pristine waterholes. You can get our delicious homemade ice creams which sit alongside icy cold drinks, sandwiches, local pies and a range of swimming accessories. You can even hire a pool noodle for the day!
After a bumper 2019, who knew a global pandemic would change the world.
With no international visitors, little domestic tourism and a very limited workforce, the café closed. The kids had the farm to themselves for the first time in their life. The focus became ice creams, pops and the Crazy Acres Kiosk that Karen continued to run.
Crazy Acres treats for everyone
Every year after the kiosk closes at the end of the Dry season, it’s time for the really hard work to begin. The whole family works in mango season. We currently have 1100 Kensington Pride and 300 of the Nam Doc Mai variety. Nam Doc are the Asian variety, most commonly used green in salads etc.
Kensington Pride are one of the most popular varieties. These are the ones you eat in the bath tub or over the sink with the juice dripping from your elbow.
2023, another opportunity came along, and Karen added another local business, Lush Ice Pops to the portfolio.
Expanding the flavours of pops and concentrating on making flavours that anyone can eat, no matter what their dietary requirements. These pops are available from the Crazy Acres Kiosk as well as selected outlets around the Top End.
Come visit us at the Crazy Acres Kiosk for a insanely delicious treat. Open 7 days a week while the pools are open for swimming.
Things To Do | Berry Springs Nature Park And Kiosk | Swimming Area (crazyacres.com.au)
