Producer - primary | Local Food Connect

They believe in making a bee’s life as peaceful as possible. Minimal interventions, a lifetime in the same place, and lots of good plants to forage. They place their hives with avid gardeners who respect the contributions of the humble bee. In return, the bees give them honey – but not at their own expense.

The Bearded Bee also provides bee and swarm removal services.

Name:

The Mushroom Co

Category:

Eltham Farmers’ Market, Mushrooms, Producer – primary

Products:

A range of exotic mushrooms and mushroom kits

Local outlets:

Alphington Farmers' Market

Eltham Farmers' Market

Township/suburb:

Ringwood

Municipality:

Maroondah

Notes (in their own words):

The Mushroom Company grows shiitake, shimeji, brown oyster, enoki, king oyster and black fungi mushrooms and sell them at farmers’ markets. In winter, they grow chestnut mushrooms and nameko as well, and they are the only company in Australia to grow nameko. The mushrooms are grown as spawns in test tubes, then transferred to jugs with cooked grains, then transferred to mushroom bags. No chemicals are used. They also sell growing kits if you like to experiment with growing your own. The only thing they spray on their mushrooms is clean water. If you visit them at a farmers’ market, Wendy will introduce all of the mushrooms to you, as well as some recipes for you to enjoy them.

Name:

The Mushroom Shed

Category:

Eltham Farmers’ Market, Mushrooms, Producer – primary, Seedlings & Plants, Vegetables

Products:

Mushrooms, mushroom kits. Also herb and veggie seedlings.

Local outlets:

Bulleen Art & Garden

Coburg Farmers' Market

Eltham Farmers' Market

St Andrews Market

Whitehorse Farmers' Market

Bundoora Park Farmers’ Market

Township/suburb:

Montmorency

Municipality:

Banyule

Notes (in their own words):

The Mushroom Shed is a local grower of swiss brown and white mushrooms and also provide ‘grow your own’ kits for people who want to grow their own mushrooms at home. They also do a wide range of herb and veggie seedlings, in pots/punnets – concentrating on heritage and unusual varieties, with over 40 varieties of heritage tomato seedlings available in Spring. You can see Mark and Helen at farmers’ markets both locally and in other Melbourne suburbs. As a small producer, they sell only direct to the customer via farmers’ markets (no wholesale), giving the customer ultimate freshness and an opportunity to talk directly with the grower.

Name:

The Mushroomery

Category:

Mushrooms, Producer – primary

Products:

A range of mushrooms and mushroom kits

Local outlets:

Online

Alphington Farmers' Market

Carlton Farmers' Market

Coburg Farmers' Market

Township/suburb:

Alphington

Municipality:

Darebin

Notes (in their own words):

The Mushroomery is a little urban mushroom farm which offers a variety of mushrooms to both the local community and restaurants, including oysters, lions mane and swordbelts. You can buy the mushrooms either as once-off purchases or via an ongoing subscription/arrangement. They also sell mushroom kits, mushroom pickles, mushroom mulch and mushroom garum. Plus, at markets, mushroom toasties.

They grow their mushroom in reusable buckets, rather than single use plastic bags, thus reducing waste.

As well as selling mushroom, Buttons, who is the owner of The Mushroomery, also wants to spread the knowledge of how mushrooms grow and what benefits they can have for both your and the environment’s health. She feels that those of us in the urban bubble are losing connection and understanding of the food systems that support us. She hopes that her urban farm will be a visible place where people can learn more and that she can contribute to bridging the gap between rural and urban areas.

Name:

The Veggie Empire

Category:

Producer – primary, Seedlings & Plants, Vegetables

Products:

Vegetable seedlings and seasonal vegetables

Local outlets:

Online (via Open Food Network)

Alphington Farmers' Market (2nd and 4th Sundays)

Edendale Farm (seedlings only)

Township/suburb:

Greensborough

Municipality:

Banyule, Nillumbik

Notes (in their own words):

The Veggie Empire grow fruit, vegetables and herbs at Beales Road Farm. They sell both seedlings and vegetables to the public. They also provide vegetables and herbs to the food relief program at Greenhills Neighbourhood House in Greensborough.

Beales Road Farm is a small regenerative urban farm in suburban Greensborough that operates under a landshare arrangement with local man Hayden Mclean, who generously shares his land with the team. The farm is closed to the public but keep an eye on social media for special events and offers.

The farm team comprises NDIS-funded team members Josh and Scott, plus supporting horticulturalists and other volunteers.

The farm includes a small propagation nursery where the team grow seedlings for planting out on the farm and for sale. This includes a shaded hard stand work area and a poly tunnel. The Veggie Empire would like to thank Local Food Connect, Nelson Alexander Real Estate, Somerset Organics and Yarra Valley Water, all of whom provided support for this development.

In 2021, Ann Stanley visited The Veggie Empire. Read her writeup of the visit.

Name:

Top Hundred Acres

Category:

Eggs & Chickens, Eltham Farmers’ Market, Producer – primary

Products:

Eggs (certified Free Range by FRFA).

Local outlets:

Farm gate – Friday & Saturday, 9am-5pm.

Eltham Farmers' Market

Hurstbridge Market

Hurstbridge IGA X-press

Nature's Harvest Hurstbridge

Rivers of Yarrambat

Health Bar Melbourne, Research

Township/suburb:

Yan Yean

Municipality:

Whittlesea

Notes (in their own words):

Top Hundred Acres’ produce is nurtured from the ground up using sustainable, chemically-free farming practices. They supply pastured eggs and garlic fresh from their farm to local stores, cafes, restaurants, caterers and direct to you.

Their hens (around 1,000 in number) are not de-beaked or wing clipped; their stocking density is less than 700 birds per hectare; they are fed natural grains (no yolk dye or meat meal); and they are rotated to fresh pasture (using portable sheds and fencing).

Situated in the heart of the Plenty Valley, Top Hundred Acres’ farm has been in the family for three generations and counting.