Producers of the Food Hub
We have a mission here at Common Ground Project to provide our community with locally grown food that is good for both human and planetary health. We couldn't do this alone! We connect with local growers who also share our vision, that way we can act as a central hub for you to get yummy food, and a distribution stream for our producers to get their food into the world. Here are some of our amazing producers!
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Introducing Tom - owner, educator and beekeeper of Coastal Nectar.Tom has spent the last 5 years practicing the gentle artform of beekeeping & the ways of the bees, one of the world's most valuable pollinators.
Tom acts as a connector around the Surf Coast, connecting consumers to small batch local raw honey. With hives nestled amongst flowering eucalyptus, wildflowers, and tea tree tokenistic of the Surf Coast region, his honey gives a local snapshot into each season in bloom. His business also provides important school bee education and workshops along the coast, connecting the local students & community to the importance of bees and their connection to the food we eat.
At Common Ground Project, we admire the work of land stewards such as Tom, who help feed our community whilst tending to the land and its inhabitants so beautifully. All of the workshops Tom has held here at Common Ground Project have been gratefully received, just as his ever popular honey that sits in our retail space.
We look forward to sharing more of Toms work within this space.
Thanks Tom!
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Mary Rose has been a Freshwater Creek local for the last 22 years, and is a woman of many hats. Biodynamic farmer, Steiner educator, and local food lover, Mary’s supply of apples and surplus produce abundance brings the Common Ground Food Hub great joy.
Mary Rose’s apples are hyper local to our project at Freshwater Creek, being grown just around the corner. We’re incredibly grateful to share in the joy of local food, and meet our communities desire for fresh, locally grown produce.
Thankyou Mary Rose for contribu ing your beautiful produce to our food hub!
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Fiona, Unearthed garlic
Fiona and her family live and farm in Paraparap. What started as a small home garden growing produce for family and friends, the farm has now turned into a business for Fiona.
Fiona sells her garlic cloves whole, or as a ready to go garlic paste made with her own garlic and Australian sourced ingredients.
Find Fionas garlic paste and cloves at our Food Hub markets Friday and Saturday, and our Food Hub fridge Wednesday- Sunday.
Thanks Fiona!
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Meet Giovanni!
Gio, a passionate grower and sustainability lover, is the backbone of Local Mushroom Co, a mushroom farming business located in Portarlington.
With an emphasis on closed loop systems and minimal waste, Gio utilizes and recycles organic waste as growing medium, and sets out to make sure his growing practices are doing the least harm to the planet as possible.
Gio supplies Common Ground Project with a beautiful mixed variety of oyster mushrooms, and they’re always a hit at our markets.
We’ve just got a fresh delivery from Gio in store today, pop in and stock up ready to wow the family with a garlicky butter pan fried oyster mushroom risotto for dinner. Yum!
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Another hyper local grower, we have John and Lynn of Freshwater Creek Garlic. The pair started growing garlic in 2010, giving them nearly 14 years expertise in small scale organic garlic farming.
Dedicated to farming in the best way they can, the pair hold organic certification, and continue to grow according to best practise.
Find John and Sarah’s garlic at our mini market and Friday & Saturday markets, or direct from John and Sarah through their website.
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Stephen of Mount Moriac took over the newly established olive vineyard that his family currently farm in 2004. Since then, Stephen has been dedicated to providing his broader community with high quality olive oil at an affordable price, and growing it in a way that fosters the continued health of the soil in which it is grown.
Being low impact on the environment is of high importance to Stephen, and largely sways decision making in his farming practise. While they aren’t certified organic, they make decisions about farming practises based off soil health and nurturing the ecosystem in which they farm and reside. These farming practises and choices lend to an olive oil that is robust in flavour, and has a distinct difference from store bought olive oil that a lot of us have come to be familiar with.
Come in to Common Ground Project and get yourself some of Stephens beautiful olive oil and taste the difference yourself!
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Foothills organics, based in Yeo nestled out behind the Otway Ranges, supplies us with some supplementary produce throughout the winter months, when we start to intentionally slow our farm down and put a portion of our beds to rest.
Growing with principles we align with, Foothills is both certified organic and a regenerative farm meticulous with practices that tend to the soil and ensure the ongoing capacity to hold and grow vegetables in their soil.
With diverse crop rotations, and natural pest management techniques, you can rest assured that the produce coming from Foothills is of the highest quality.
You’ll find their potatoes and leek within our retail space, and stocked in your weekly veg boxes!
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Sam and Alexandra are living and farming in Moriac, roughly 5km away from our project here at Common Ground.
Their main farming operation is Angus Cattle production, however their business is multi pronged, and after receiving a hive as a wedding present, the two became fascinated by apiculture and started producing honey as a sellable product.
Stop by our retail space Wednesday- Sunday to buy some of Sam and Alexandra’s beautiful honey, or find it at their farm gate if you’re passing through Moriac!
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Lynn of Sunshine Pots lives and grows her flowers on her property in Freshwater Creek.
Growing a mix of flowering natives and ornamentals, her bouquets are filled with a delightful range of contrasting colours and textures, making any space beautiful.
You can find her flowers in the Common Ground Foodhub, or at her farm gate in Fresh Water Creek.
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Meet Riona!
Riona from Birdland Farm runs a no till market garden in Drysdale, relying predominantly on a CSA model as her sales outlet, as well as selling to wholefoods stores across the Bellarine. A CSA model allows for a deeper relationship to be built between farmer and consumer; a relationship of mutual benefit, where the farmer can come to expect a steady sales outlet, planning their crops and season plan according to subscriptions, and where the consumer benefits in receiving fresh, organic produce filled with nutrients and vitality on a regular basis. Riona grows around 30 varieties of vegetables throughout the year, and is in the process of adding more culinary and medicinal herbs to the mix, as well as expanding flower production. We love being a hub where growers from our region can connect, and we’re grateful to have seen the wonderful work Riona is doing on her farm. In the winter season, as we put some of our beds to rest, you may find some of Rionas beautiful produce in our Food Hub market, your veg box orders, and the offsite markets we will be attending
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Ket Baker is the baker and supplier of the beautiful sourdough products you may find in the Food Hub retail space.
With a passion for food done well, Ket Baker is a 100% sourdough bakery, meaning there is no use of commercially manufactured yeast in the production of their bakery items. Utilizing nature's wisdom to naturally ferment the sourdough bakery goods, you may find their products easier to digest, full of nutrients, and exceptionally delicious!
We’re stocked with their sourdough (white loaf, honey and walnut, and mixed seed) from Friday-Sunday. Or find them in their bakery shed in Wallington 7 days a week!
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Meet Nina!
Nina is the head farmer of the pilot project, Farm My School, which converted an unused school soccer oval into 1.5 acres of market garden. Farm My School is an initiative that was started as a means to access farmable land, with the intention of feeding the community and making nutritious food accessible. Their business model sees them selling veggie boxes, primarily to the school community that they farm on, however also to the broader community of the Bellarine.
In these winter months, as CGP is dialling back our farm operations slightly, putting some beds to rest and gearing up for a big summer season next year, we will be stocking more local growers, so you may see Nina’s beautiful produce in store! We’ll be sure to let you know if the Kale or Chard you are buying comes from Nina.
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Meet Ben!
Ben is the farmer behind Birdrock farm, a family run Angus Beef farm in Ceres, focusing on quality grass fed and finished beef.
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Meet Bridie and Tom!
Bridie and Tom are the growers and land stewards behind Kinsfolk Farm who you’ll probably recognise from the Torquay Farmers Markets!
This powerful duo farm 2 acres on Wadawurrung Country, Moriac. They employ organic principles to grow delicious and nutrient dense vegetables, and prioritise the health of the soil (which sequentially nourishes all that follows- the humans that eat it, the land that it is farmed on, the business that relies on it, and the farmers that grow it!)
You will often see some of our produce at their stall at the Torquay Farmers Market, and likewise their produce at our Foodhub space here. Stocking each other up with what we aren’t growing at the moment, or what didn’t take in the ground, allows us to bring a diverse mix of produce to our consumers, and keep everyone happy. Find Kinsfolk’s produce in our fridge and your veggie boxes every now and then, or find them consistently at the Torquay Farmers Market every Saturday!
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