Harefield Organic Farm

How long have you supplied the Maple Street Co-op?

It’s been around 4 years now. We deliver Certified Organic avocados, ginger, turmeric and, recently, various vegetables, straight from our family-run farm close to Maleny in Bellthorpe. It’s great supplying the Co-op – Charlie who looks after the shop’s produce section is always smiling and helpful, and happy to take even littlest avos which we find are actually quite popular with customers, although commercial packhouses will reject them!

What’s important to you in terms supplying the Co-op?

The Co-op is very approachable and is very supportive of farmers. We really appreciate being kept up to date and being listened to.

What’s important to you in terms of your approach to growing?

To leave our land in a better state than when we acquired it by using regenerative practices and zero chemicals. We have gained and maintain Organic Certification to assure our customers of this.

What is important for our customers to know?

It is currently legal for anyone to SAY they grow organically without any checks or legal parameters. Organic Certification means that we have definitely complied with requirements from the certifier and gives consumers guaranteed peace of mind. This includes sustainable landcare, bush regeneration and keeping a strict log of everything we use on the land, every process we use and how we manage the land.

Have you any quirky facts about Harefield Farm?

We use pest control by Tilly, our Cavoodle pup! Avocados are sometimes damaged by pests using avo skins to sharpen their teeth and don't even bother to eat the fruit! This ruins the avos for selling, although the insides are still fine for us to use at home! Tilly does her best to chase them (unsuccessfully!) – the varmints try to nest in the beautiful staghorns growing on our trees!

We chose the name “Harefield” for two reasons: firstly, there are a lot of beautiful hares around our property; and, secondly, Harefield is a village in Hertfordshire, UK, where Martin’s family lived for generations until very recently!