Mariah Edgoose chats to Hurstbridge Farmgate’s Paula McLeod.
Exploring a story on fringe farming and peri-urban planning led Mariah Edgoose north-east of Melbourne’s CBD to a green wedge. Here, on a 20-acre property with a food production area of about half an acre, Paula McLeod and her partner grow food and share it with the community through Hurstbridge Farmgate. Ms McLeod said the land has a history of farming.
Melbourne’s peri-urban areas face pressure from development potential and as Melbourne grows, the urban spread can spill into agricultural land key to Melbourne’s ‘foodbowl’ and future resilience.
Planning schemes and policies are key to the future of the fringe. The Victorian government’s recent review discusses stronger protection for some of these vulnerable areas.
But sourcing accessible, local food was a hot-topic during the pandemic and part of what Ms McLeod and her partner do, is advocate to local and state government to try change the perception of locally grown food.
Ms McLeod said across green wedges, existing planning measures can make it difficult for the consumer to access food from local growers.
Ms McLeod said she believes agriculture, biodiversity and preservation can work hand in hand.
Feature image by Markus Spiske taken from Unsplash.
