Get to know the farmers who feed you!

Valuing the food that we eat starts from knowing where it came from. That means knowing who grew it, how it was grown, and what it takes to get it from paddock to plate.

At this farm tour, we'll take you out to Willowmavin, about an hour north of Melbourne, to meet the farmers behind Dalhousie Farm & Remi's Patch--two of our core suppliers for our Grow / Source / Eat fruit and veggie parcel program.

We're big fans of both farmers because they work hard to not only produce fresh, nutrient-rich food, but also because they use farming practices that sow care and kindness back into the soil.

You'll get a hands-on intro to bio-intensive farming from Remi of Remi's Patch, complete with the chance to harvest your own organic veg to take home. Annemaree of Dalhousie Farms will introduce you to her hundreds of happy hens, explaining her chooks' give-and-take relationship with the land. She'll also have tea and cake available for everyone, and a fire pit burning if it's cold!

What's Included

Transport to and from the farms, starting and ending in Alphington
A tour of the farms by the growers: Learn about bio-intensive organic farming, pick your own produce, meet hundreds of happy hens, and gather around a fire if the weather calls for it
Light snacks (Lunch will not be included but we will be stopping at a cafe where you can purchase food + drinks! You're also welcome to BYO food, of course)

What To Bring

Warm clothes and closed shoes
Water bottle
Produce bag and cash for farm gate shopping
Sunscreen and a hat

Schedule

9:15 - Assemble at the Alphington train station parking lot
9:30 - Departure from Alphington. Please be on time! It's a tight schedule and we want to make sure you can make the most of the day
10:30 - Farm tours and activities
1:30 - Departure from Willowmavin
Along the way: Community lunch pitstop! You'll have time to buy lunch or eat what you brought, sit down as a group and discuss what we learned together.
4:00 - Arrival back at Alphington

*This is a walking tour on working farms. Unfortunately that means it's not suitable for young children or persons requiring assistance.

A Note on Ticket Prices

Full-priced tickets cost $97.88. These tickets help fund our Community-Supported slots, which are available to those who are keen to come along but are not able to afford the full price.
Concession/Community-Supported cost $72.25. If you're keen to come but can't afford to pay full price. No explanation, concession cards or proof needed.
Sustain members and Grow / Source / Eat subscribers get a 10% discount. Email Arianna at arianna@sustainaustralia.org to redeem your code.

About Dalhousie Farm

Dalhousie Farm is a small scale regenerative farm run by Annemaree Docking. The farm integrates pastured eggs, dairy beef and horse agistment. The eggs are produced by rotationally grazing chickens behind the larger herbivores followed by extensive periods of rest and recovery for pastures and soils. The chickens take approximately one year to move through the system. The aim is to build soils without the use of synthetic fertilisers and to offer our hens the best free range life possible, with plenty of opportunity to do this things chickens enjoy, such as foraging, hunting, socialising, dust bathing and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

Dalhousie Farm eggs are sold direct to the consumer via buyers clubs, food box programs, farmers markets and direct to cafes, restaurants and wineries both locally and in Melbourne. The demand for Dalhousie Farm product is high and the support for the farm’s regenerative approach is very strong amongst our clients.

Dalhousie Farm aims to foster a 'community of farmers' through synergistic enterprises on the same small acreage. This includes Remi's Patch, a small market garden operating on leased land selling organic, biointensively produced vegetables into Melbourne and at farmers markets. There is a small olive grove which is being reactivated, as well as other occasional products, such as hay cutting. A beekeeping / honey production operation is hopefully in the near future, as well as a gradually growing herd of dairy goats!

As Dalhousie Farm develops, it is planned to open the farm to local community, schools, farm stay and travellers for local food and regenerative agriculture learning experiences. The farm was proudly a part of the Farms2Schools program conducted by the PPWCMA last year.

About Remi's Patch

Remi’s Patch is a 2.5 acre bio-intensive organic market garden run by Remi Durand. Remi, who originally hails from France, is passionate about sustainable and organic food production and firmly believes that we are what we eat. He brings years of experience to his fields, as well as formal studies in biodynamic dairy farm management and market garden management.

In making use of a biointensive system, the farm grows large amounts of food relative to its small farm size. Importantly, they do this while paying the utmost attention to the quality of soil nutrients. They grow most things by hand with the help of simple tools, working in ways that maintain and improve the land.