Product: Fresh organic vegetables
What: At a small market garden in the Yarra Valley, we grow vegetables that are so full of life and so delicious that 30-metre-long queues form every week when they’re sold at market.
Where: Wesburn, Shire of Yarra Ranges, Wurundjeri Country
Who: Business partners and farmers Josh Tucker and Tobias Mager
Josh, do you love what you do?
We don’t just grow what sells best. We cultivate vegetables for people who want a full range of nutrient-dense, healthy produce. We have a dedicated following, with a queue 30 metres long at the market each week. It’s a great relationship, and we appreciate being told how full-flavoured our vegetables are, how vibrant they are, and how long they last. It feels good to feed people such tasty, healthy food.
How do you grow your vegetables?
Tobias, who is 60 and born in Germany, was raised with the teachings of biodynamics. I met him at one of his biodynamic workshops eight years ago, where he expressed a desire to start a market garden. We follow many principles of biodynamics, including making special compost and applying biodynamic preparations. Our operation is small, with two one-acre farms. We use minimal tillage and avoid herbicides, opting for black plastic to manage weeds and a small walk-behind tractor for necessary tasks. Most of the work is done by hand. We also raise our own seedlings, some from saved seeds.
What do you grow?
We cultivate around 40 different types of vegetables. In spring, we grow broad beans, snow peas, head lettuce, and broccoli. Summer is extremely productive, with tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, corn, cucumbers, and five varieties of pumpkin. In autumn, we harvest leeks, celeriac, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and potatoes.
Where can we find you?
From December to June, we are at the Eltham Farmers’ Market. Additionally, every Friday afternoon, we have a stall at the Valley Market at ECOSS, where one of our farms is located. ECOSS is an environmental and educational not-for-profit community hub committed to showcasing sustainable solutions. It is situated at 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, and the market runs from 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm every Friday. ecoss.org.au