We have some exciting news. SAGE’s Stepping Stone Farm now has some small land areas (1000- 6000m2 ) available for lease to aspiring market gardeners seeking a low-cost solution to starting their own organic vegetable growing business. There is good soil and water, and the shared use of existing infrastructure, tools and machinery.
After 4 years of training a new cohort of market growers SAGE is now offering opportunities to small scale farmers aspiring to establish their own businesses. The teaching farm west of Moruya was established by SAGE in 2019 as a teaching farm
to prepare future market gardeners to take up vital places in local food systems, a key objective of the well-known Moruya-based NGO.
Under the tutelage and mentorship of expert grower Joyce Wilkie, Stepping Stone Farm has seen several graduates now running their own farms, selling at the Farmers Market and beyond. During this training and development it has become
clear that knowledge and experience isn't the only barrier to new growers.
In the 2019 report “ Regeneration-Growing New Farmers” a joint effort by national group Young Farmers Connect and Melbourne based Farmer Incubator, it is confirmed that access to capital, access to land, accessing hands on learning
pathways, the social challenges of isolation, entering a new industry as an outsider and lack of funding and support are some of the key impediments to new growers establishing businesses in food production. Stepping Stone Farm now sees addressing these obstacles as an opportunity to bring more food to the table.
Stepping Stone Farm is now well established with infrastructure and with proven productivity having developed a loyal clientele for its delicious fresh vegetables at
SAGE Farmers Market and supplying local restaurants and cafes.
The Farm will now offer the land, infrastructure, equipment and machinery to 3 or 4 new or experienced market growers to continue delivering great food. Growers can apply for a designated area, all of which are serviced by the irrigation system. They will also have use of all the equipment, machinery and wash and process facilities on
a shared basis. The new growers can operate independently but opportunities for collaboration and support, and the network of existing skilled growers and markets
are a feature of this community developed and supported project.
For more information growers can contact Mark Barraclough, President, Stepping Stone Farm via secretary@sageproject.org.au
