Kitchen Farm is set to become a thriving and productive farm for the Adelaide Hills masterplan community to share wholesome and naturally grown paddock-to-plate experiences including farming education, community tours, programs and workshops and paddock-to-plate dining at Kitchen Farm Pantry.
Kitchen Farm makes productive use of 8 hectares of former agricultural land located in an Electranet buffer easement which is not able to be used for housing development and is too expansive to be landscaped and maintained for passive recreation purposes. This farm will ultimately turn land that would otherwise be underutilised, into a quality agricultural productive asset which we hope will become a world leading example of the successful integration of food production and community sustainability in a greenfield residential development. Regenerative and Permaculture principles will guide the agricultural practices of Kitchen Farm.
Newenham has promised that it will deliver a community farm, or “a farm for the community”, since the originally proposed masterplan, developed by Burke Urban, in 2016. Since then, Newenham’s Marketing, Sales and Community Director, Olivia Burke, has been working on models to bring this farm to life. Olivia’s passion for the vision inspired her to set up her own company called Regen Urban, based on the philosophy of regenerating urban places and it is this entity, that has started-up and founded Kitchen Farm. She has drawn inspiration from world leading examples such as The Farm in Byron Bay, Daylesford Farm in the United Kingdom and Babylonstoren in South Africa.
Kitchen Farm is unfolding in an organic fashion and being developed in stages. The first stage of Kitchen Farm has seen the opening of Kitchen Farm Pantry, our humble neighbourhood café. This was opened initially to service the Newenham residents and local community with coffee in a friendly and inviting space. Since opening in August 2021 as a small pop-up café out of a hole in the wall of the Newenham Sales and Information Centre, Kitchen Farm Pantry has grown into a vibrant rustic café, serving up local treats in a welcoming and family friendly environment. The ‘Pantry’ as we like to call it will eventually stock Kitchen Farm produce and serve up clean and wholesome meals crafted from our fresh seasonal produce.
Since 2022, Newenham and Kitchen Farm formed an initiative with Community Living Australia to create a group of Newenham residents and CLA clients, who come together 3 days a week to participate in various farming and permaculture activities.
The Newenham Green Team have already propagated thousands of plants, constructed multiple timber nursery benches, and most importantly helped to plant thousands of plants in the Newenham verges to help build biodiversity in the environment as well as help create an abundant and natural Adelaide Hills aesthetic. The Green Team will actively participate in the operations of Kitchen Farm as the farm grows and develops.
Kitchen Farm has further been working towards opening their ‘Kitchen Farm Nursery Garden’ which is the main feature of the first stage of the farm. It will include a 3 Acre productive garden and nursery and will be the primary focus of the farm for the next 12 to 18 months. The garden and nursery will propagate seedlings and native plants, as well as freshly grown produce, to be sold to to the public, at Kitchen Farm Pantry later this year.
Whilst the future opportunities for the farm are endless, the true focus of Kitchen Farm will be empowering resilience and creating true well-being in the Newenham community, as well as embracing the broader community and helping everyday people become educated, passionate and confident about soil health, biodiversity and growing and eating nutrient dense food.
If you’d like to know more about joining our fabulous community or to secure your future at Newenham, email sales@newenham.com.au or contact the Sales Team on 0429 107 497.
The Sales and Information Centre is located at 164 Flaxley Road, Mount Barker (check the website for open hours) or you can book by appointment for a personal tour at a time that suits you.
Come and experience this beautiful pocket of the Adelaide Hills for yourself and see why so many people are choosing to live at Newenham.
