Farmer Incubator's Pop Up Garlic Farmers program is a great way to try farming in a risk free and supported environment while building skills, knowledge and networks as you go. You'll get the opportunity to meet experienced farmers, visit established small-scale farms and hear from experts across a diverse range of fields. Then put your new knowledge into practice by taking a crop of garlic from seed to market using organic and regenerative farming practices at your selected pop up garlic farm.

Format

PUGF runs from 26 February to 5 November 2022
The program includes 8 workshops over the nine months at various locations across Melbourne
You will work at one of 6 farm sites to grow your own crop of garlic. Each farm will have a Site Facilitator to support you and a group of fellow pop up garlic farmers to share the experience with
You will be expected to spend at least 1 day a month at tending to your crop. Note: this is just an average and there will be peak times (during planting and harvest) when you need to visit your farm more and quiet times (during winter) when you might need to visit less often.
We require all participants to grow without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Furthermore, most of our partner farms are either certified organic or biodynamic and we strictly adhere to these standards
Participants will need to organise space for curing and storing their garlic off-site after it has been harvested

Farm Sites

Select one farm to grow your garlic throughout the program:

Bulleen– Heide Kitchen Garden: A once in a lifetime opportunity to be a garlic farmer at the breathtaking Heide Kitchen Gardens! This stunning heritage-listed garden was created by Sunday and John Reed who moulded Heide into a personal Eden, connecting art with nature and creating a nourishing environment for the artists they championed. The Heide kitchen gardens are lush and productive, with seasonal organic produce being used by the Heide café. (2 spots available)

Greensborough - Beales Road Farm: Grow your garlic at Beales Road Farm hosted by urban agriculture crew The Veggie Empire! This wonderful urban farm grows seasonal veggies and food plants while supporting its two team members with disability to develop farm skills through an approach that buddies them with young farmers and horticulturalists. The team can be found selling their veggie and herb seedlings fortnightly at Alphington Farmer’s Market. They also sell veggie boxes to local supporters between February and May and supply a local Earthbound Bolton. (5 spots available)

Keilor - Days Walk Farm: Days Walk Farm is Paul Miragliotta's picturesque, certified organic farm. You will be right inside a buzzing farm atmosphere and meet farmers as they go about tending their crops. The Maribyrnong River runs along the border of the property and is a great place for a swim after a long weeding session! (5 spots available)

The Patch - Wild Wren Farm: New site! Grow your garlic at Wild Wren Farm, a two acre north-facing clearing nestled in the picturesque forest hills of the Dandenong Ranges, an hours drive from Melbourne CBD. The 9 acre regenerative farm is a diverse mix of Mountain Ash Gullys, springs, an old apple orchard, and a market garden. It is run by seasoned garlic farmer Siobhan Simpson who supplies veggie boxes to locals as well as hosting workshops. There is also a bus that runs every hour, 7 days a week from Belgrave Station right to the farm. (4 spots available)

Bolinda - Wildwood Organics: New Site! Grow your garlic at Wildwood Organics, a newly established 4 acre Certified Organic Market Garden operating out of Hollyburton Park in the Macedon Ranges Shire. Wildwood Organics is in its first season of operation and is currently selling Veggies on a weekly basis to two restaurants in Melbourne, Ceres Fair food and also doing weekly veggie box deliveries. You will be growing in a particularly beautiful part of the world alongside experienced farmer, bee keeper and permaculturist, Ben Dunn. (5 spots available)

Seaford - Downs Estate Community Garden: A flourishing community hub bordering the beautifully scenic wetlands on Old Wells Rd, Seaford. The team at Downs are focussed on growing food in ways that are kind to the earth and our health, while also hosting a range of community activities, workshops and events. This unique space with gardens, orchards and wide open grasslands fringed by native vegetation is a forty minute drive from Melbourne CBD, also accessible by train or bike and can be visited any day of the week (5 spots available)

Cost

Your program fees includes the following:

8 x workshops throughout the program
your garlic seed (50 bulbs / approx 500 seeds)
land use & access from February until harvest (Nov/Dec)
water, mulch & compost
a copy of Penny Woodward's 'Garlic' book (also known as the Garlic Bible!)
Crop Enterprise Budgeting planner
4 x lunches, and tea/coffee available at every workshop
new friendships/community connections/business partnership opportunities
your own crop of organically grown garlic at the end of the year to sell, give away or simply keep for yourself :)

**If you prefer to pay by bank transfer to avoid fees, please contact hello@farmerincubator.org with your preferred site and we'll send you an invoice

Course Schedule

Here is the list of fantastic workshops you can be a part of as a Pop Up Garlic Farmer. Please note that dates are subject to change. Final dates and locations will be confirmed and emailed out to all participants 2 weeks prior to start date.

Workshop 1: Introductions & Planning
Saturday 26th Feb, 9:00am - 1pm, Oakhill Food Justice Farm
Workshop 2: Soils & Agronomy
Sunday 6th March, 10am - 3pm, Fawkner Bowling Club
Workshop 3: Planting & Cultivating
Saturday 2nd April, 10am - 3pm, Days Walk Farm Keilor
Workshop 4: Weeds, Pests & Diseases
Saturday 7th May, 10am - 3pm, Yarra Valley ECOSS
Workshop 5: Farm Tour
Saturday 6th August, 10am - 1pm, TBC
Workshop 6: Co-farming and Accessing Land for Your Future Farm
Saturday 10th September, 10am - 3pm, Harcourt Farming Co-Op
Workshop 7: Marketing Your Product
Saturday 1st October, 10am - 3pm, Bar Romantica, Brunswick East
(**Please note: this event is held at a restaurant and the cost of lunch is NOT included in PUGF registration price)
Workshop 8: Harvesting and Decision Making
Saturday 5th November, 10am-3pm, Days Walk Farm Keilor

Interested but can't commit to the whole course? Or growing garlic yourself and want to get the most of your crop? Book in to join us for 4 of our PUGF workshops later in the year!

**State Government guidelines requires all participants to be fully vaccinated. Upon registration, please email a copy of your vaccine certificate to lizzie@farmerincubator.org

Contact the host of Pop Up Garlic Farmers Program 2022