Guy’s guide to local veggies
For details of the local fruit farmers, see the relevant part of the Local Food Directory.
Ok, since you’re reading this, I’m going to assume that a) you’re not completely self-sufficient re veggies and b) you’re interested in buying local.
If so, it may not actually be that easy for you to meet all of your veggie needs from local producers. Here is a simple example: there appear to be no local producers of broad beans, rocket, rockmelons or sweet potatoes, even though these veggies can all be easily grown in Melbourne.
A final point by way of introduction: veggies are mostly annuals so a farmer may change what veggies they are growing from year to year. Any lists, such as those included in this article, are therefore indicative only.
There are 3 local farmers who grow a reasonably wide range of veggies:
| Farmer | Available from | Indicative list of veggies |
|---|---|---|
| Just Picked | Farm gate, from Dec to Aug1. Bundoora Park Farmers’ Market. Eltham Farmers’ Market. |
Beans, beetroot, cucumbers, garlic, lettuce, onions, pumpkins, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, zucchini and herbs. |
| Kinglake Vegetables | Eltham Community Craft and Produce Market. | Beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, carrots, celery, eggplant, fennel, kale, leeks, swedes, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, silverbeet, snow peas, spring onions, tomatoes and zucchini. |
| Sugarloaf Produce | Eltham Farmers’ Market. Hurstbridge Farmers’ Market. Kingsbury Drive Community Market. Yarra Valley Regional Food Group Farmers’ Market. |
Beans, beetroot, capsicum, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, rocket, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini. |
There are a further 6 local farmers who are specialised:
- Garlic: Arthurs Creek Garlic, Sure Things and Top Hundred Acres.
- Pumpkins and herbs: Weeping Grevillea Nursery.
- Basil and capsicum: Yarra Valley Gateway Estate.
- Tomatoes: Yarra Valley Gourmet Greenhouse.
Note that, whilst many of the local veggie producers appear to be chemical-free, none are Certified Organic2. If Certified Organic is what you want, then you can still buy it locally although it typically won’t have been grown locally. Your options here include:
- Balwyn: Apples and Sage Organic Wholefoods.
- Croydon South: Eastfield Natural Foods.
- Eltham: Dynamic Vegies or Organic Fix.
- Kew: Kew Organics.
- Montmorency: Edes & Bibi – Organic & Fine Foods.
- Mt Evelyn: Organic Empire.
- Northcote: Terra Madre (a truly wonderful shop!).
- Surrey Hills: The Organic Union.
- Templestowe: Yarra Organics at Pettys Orchard.
- Carlton Farmers’ Market: Spring Creek Organics.
- Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market: Angelica Organic Farm and Baw Baw Organics.
- Eltham Farmers’ Market: Peninsula Fresh Organics.
- Fairfield Farmers’ Market: Spring Creek Organics.
- Slow Food Melbourne Farmers’ Market: Angelica Organic Farm, Baw Baw Organics and Peninsula Fresh Organics.
- Home delivery: Greenline Organic, Kew Organics or Organic Angels. Click here to see which if these will deliver to your suburb/postcode.
Footnotes
1. Saturdays, Sunday and public holidays. 80 Old Plenty Road, Yan Yean, 3755.
2. Sure Things, a producer of garlic, being the exception which proves the rule.