U Pick Strawberry Farm South East Melbourne

Our Farm

We are a family owned and operated new farm located in Vervale 10 mins South of Garfield/Gumbuya World.  In 2018 we purchased land with the intention of creating our own haven and U Pick fruit farm to operate our business from.  Delays in obtaining approvals from Melbourne Water and local council hindered our original plans costing us the financial approvals we had with the bank.  We now require pre-sales to be able to kick off our new venture and see this as an opportunity to develop our client base.

Our farming methods are very much focused around principles of sustainability which include plans to that focus on the production of its products as organic produce.  Our aim is to use no chemicals in the production of our produce and to use companion planting to manage pests but also attract the right insects that support the crops development.

Our blog will commence shortly after we turn the soil on the land and our farm will have a live webcam setup showing progress of the crop.

About our Family

Renee is an Primary School teacher who has spent the last 6 years caring for our two young children.  During this time she has studied permaculture and grown various fruits and vegetables in our back yard in response to food allergies within the family.  Returning to teaching part time this year, Renee has taken on a role in her school teaching Sustainability and sees the farm as an further opportunity to apply the knowledge learnt over the past 6 years in the real world and teach the next generation about the food chain

Andrew is a registered builder with past experience working for some of Australia largest property developers.  After 20 years in the building industry he is looking to less stressful lifestyle by using his experiences in construction to deliver the farm on the ground.

About the Crop

Typically 1 acre of strawberries would produce about between 4000 and 8000 kgs of strawberries per year during the fruiting season.  A strawberry fruiting season typically starts in late October and runs until mid April but can run until May/June.

The total offering is for 2000kgs (50% a bad year’s crop) of strawberries with the ability for purchasers to draw down on pre-purchase quantities for the first two years of the crop.  

Companion Planting of Spring Onion and Leeks can also be purchased as an extra.

What happens if the Crop Fails

As a part of normal operation we will have Crop Insurance in place.  In the extremely unlikely event of crop failure your money will be refunded in full.

Developing the Farm

All money raised from this proposal will go into the establishment of the first crop and development of the farm which will include the farm website, blog, site webcams and security.

Our Offer

Our offer is the pre-purchase of strawberries at $10 per kg, an approximate 20% discount on 2018/19 rates currently being charged by other U Pick Farms.  A strawberry fruiting season typically starts in late October and runs until mid April.  

Purchasers can pick their pre-purchased amounts during the next two seasons (ie: 2019/20 and 2020/21) and you will be give will be given priority in each of the two years and notified when fruit is ready for picking. 

Purchasers will also be given a 10% discount card which will applied to all other purchases including any daily specials.