Honeycomb Farm aims to establish a thriving agricultural initiative in the Great Lakes region that goes beyond traditional produce farming. It will specialize in cultivating cold-climate heirloom and endangered plant varieties sustainably, while also serving as an educational community space. The farm will enhance local food security and tourism by selling fresh local produce at an on-site market and potentially to local restaurants. It seeks to be a place of natural beauty that preserves and propagates indigenous foods.

1. Honeycomb Farm
(Culinary Tourism and Sustainable Local Production)
Enhancing the Food and Tourism landscapes of the Great
Lakes

2. AIMS
• A Thriving Agriculture Initiative that goes beyond the
traditional produce farm!
• A Fresh Food production centre and inspiring
community space
• Specializing in cold-climate food plants and
heirloom/endangered varietals
• Sustainable production
• Partnerships with CSU (Research), TAFE (Horticulture
Students), Local and State Governments
• Increased Food Security and Variety for the GLA
• Education initiatives (workshops, food preparation)
• Cultivation and propagation of Indigenous plant foods
• A Place of verdant beauty including artwork, interactive
elements, relaxing spaces, seating, shade.
• Seasonal local market eliminating the Food Industry
‘middle-men’. Fresh, local, seasonal, affordable.
• Reclaimed Industrial ‘brownfields’ – a model for Central
West Communities.

3. A PLACE OF BEAUTY
• Incorporates local artists and artworks, providing a place to inspire as well as to
produce
• Encourages local and visitor interaction via a multi-layered/multi-disciplinary
approach
• Distinguishes itself as a unique and pleasurable destination for all.

4. FOCUS ON COLD-CLIMATE HEIRLOOM/ENDANGERED VARIETALS
APPLES
• Well suited to our climate/soil
• Perennial
• Focus on eating varietals that you won’t find
in a supermarket
• Breakwell’s seedling, farmeuse snow apple,
somerset red-streak, sugar-loaf pippn,
Kingston Balck, Spartan, Improved
foxwhelp. Beauty of Bath, Brown Snout,
Court of Wick, Cornish Aromatic, Dorset
Golden, Pink Pearl…
• Vitamin/Mineral content mazimised due to
immediate availability and no time in cold
storage
• Potential restaurant market in addition to
local consumption
• ‘Novelty’ increases visitors/tourism
potential.

5. BERRIES
• Ideally suited to cold mountain climates
• Perennial
• Nutrient dense and incredibly expensive to transport,
unavailable to many budgets. Here, they’ll be on your
doorstep, fresh and affordable
• Raspberries, blueberries, Tayberries, Haskap, Gojiberries,
Gooseberries, Kiwi, Lingonberry, Black/Red Currant,
Bilberries
• Massive potential for local restaurant/chef sales
• Low maintenance
• Produce available to locals for further applications –
Jams, preserves, pies (market sales)
• Future commercial opportunities

6. HEIRLOOM BRASSICAS
• Incredibly Nutrient Dense
• Under-consumed by all Australians
• Sulfurous compounds increase with cold storage and
transportation
• Nutrients most bio-available when freshly picked and
consumed
• Colder climates = less bolting
• Limited variety available in Supermarkets
• Reduced food waste with education (the whole plant
can be eaten; leaves, roots, stems, flowers, bolted
flowers)
• Potential restaurant/commercial value crop

7. HEIRLOOM POTATOES and PUMPKINS
• Low maintenance and thrive in local soils
• Focus on non-supermarket varietals
• Multi-cropping potential (Corn/Squash/Beans –The
‘Three Sisters’
• Easy storage and dense nutrient profile
• Variety encourages consumption, - what pleases the eye is
more likely to be consumed regularly
• Excellent commercial viability: restaurants/chefs
• Economical to produce with excellent imput/yield
parameters

8. EDUCATION + RECREATION + AESTHETICS
• Inclusion of teaching/recreation space: Pergola
increases garden functionality and use
• Creative bed design (herb gardens, annuals)
encourages visitors and increased local
utilisation
• Outdoor cooking area: provides further
education opportunity via: Nutrition education
in preparation of produce
• Combining beauty and functionality should be
a priority. Portland Gardens should aim to
stand out from boxy community plots
• Sustainable building methods preferred: Straw-
bale (less energy consumption), solar heating,
drip irrigation from existing lakes, composting,
companion planting/pest control, seed-saving

9. • Include seating and spaces for
quietness and contemplation
• Signage for directions and
education
• Water-features can be utilised
for both aesthetics and water
oxygenation & distribution, as
well as possible inclusion of
water-plants (cresses,
indigenous reeds/roots/yams)
• Visitors and locals alike should be welcomed into a garden of thriving produce, artful
design, creativity, sustainability and discovery.
• A green haven in the town’s hub.

10. PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION
• Seasonal roadside market stall, or utilisation of signage to
pergola/education structure
• Must be easily accessible to all locals and visitors
• Williwa road frontage preferred to maximise visibility and accessibility to
those on route to Mudgee or in Portland town centre
• Excess produce to disadvantaged community members/meal
services/community outreach
• Paddock-to-Plate initiatives and events encouraged
• Prices kept affordable and equitable
• Profits from produce sales utilised for garden maintenance
• Garden aesthetics should be extended to marketing considerations.