xv. PERI URBAN FARMS + ART SPACES

PERI URBAN FARMS

Peri urban farms offer educational opportunities for Melbourne residents to learn and see sustainable, self sufficiency gardening in practice. Linda from North-East Permaculture Group described Edendale Farm, located in Eltham as “an out of suburbs or urban-rural fringe version of CERES.” These peri urban environmental education parks and farms promote awareness locally and across the region.

Other examples are within proximity to Melbourne’s outskirts, but require private transport access. Notable examples include the heirloom variety focus of Diggers Heritage Farm in Dromana; the permacultural Melliodora in Hepburn; the combined permaculture and bushfood focus of Peppermint Ridge Farm; and the St. Andrews Food Farm. RMIT University are currently undertaking significant research into peri-urban agriculture.

ART SPACES

Art spaces providing self sufficient gardens range from the previously mentioned Heide Heritage Farm to the Loophole Warehouse in West Preston, who provide vegetable patches for locally involved community members.

Heide Heritage Gardens