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Urban Agriculture Micro-Business Tour

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Event description

NOTE: Though this tour date is for the first day of Spring, this is just a placeholder as the actual date has not yet been confirmed.


Greater Melbourne’s 4.37 million people required about 15,080 tonnes of food per day, about 3.45kg per person. 41% of this food come from Melbourne's “foodbowl”, areas of agricultural land on the fringes of the city. By 2050, Melbourne will require 60% more food, about 24,132 tonnes of food per day, to feed its predicted population of 7 million.*

How do we feed a growing city were urban sprawl is encroaching on productive land? Part of the solution is an increase in urban agricultural projects that harness the power of local communities, use marginal and disused urban land and decentralise food systems.


The CERES Urban Agriculture Micro-Business tour proudly showcases two
businesses at the forefront of Melbourne's slowly-but-surely growing
urban agriculture movement. This tour will take you to backyard
operations of Spoke & Spade (Heidelberg)  and the Mushroomery (Brunswick/Alphington).

During this tour you will learn about the ins and outs of running an urban ag businesses: Crop planning, selling and marketing, tools, business models, growing crops and mushrooms, harvesting, troubleshooting issues as they arise and the future plans of the farms.

*Stats from Melbourne’s Food Bowl Report by UniMelb, 2015 https://research.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2355155/Melbournes-Foodbowl-Now-and-at-seven-million.pdf

What you will learn

  • Ins and outs of running an urban ag businesses
  • Crop planning, selling and marketing, tools, business models
  • Growing crops and mushrooms, harvesting, troubleshooting

What you will get

  • Hands-on experience of preparing a mushroom bucket for growing
  • Knowledge and demonstrations from real urban ag businesses

What to bring

  • Note pad and pen
  • Cash if you'd like to buy any fresh produce at Spoke & Spade
  • Clean rubber gloves for mushroom demonstration

What to wear

Comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and comfy shoes that can get muddy

Appropriate for

Those interested in starting an Urban Agriculture Micro-Business

NOTE: Though this tour date is for the first day of Spring, this is just a placeholder as the actual date has not yet been confirmed.


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Refund policy

CERES reserves the right to cancel workshops due to insufficient numbers. If we cancel the workshop you will be entitled to a 100% refund, or you may choose to transfer to another date, subject to availability. If you decide to withdraw 7 or more days prior to the workshop date CERES will retain a 10% administration fee. If you decide to withdraw less than 7 days prior to the workshop date CERES will retain 100% of your workshop fee.