The Farmer’s Place

Local fare is always on the menu at The Farmer’s Place. The Surf Coast’s latest eatery on Anglesea Rd, Freshwater Creek is set on a small working farm and proudly serves food made from fresh produce growing in the garden or sourced from the local area. Market shelves are stocked with grains, fresh produce, meats, dairy products and condiments from local suppliers as well as house made specials such as winter warming soups of fresh seasonal ingredients. Outside there is plenty of space and visitors are encouraged to explore and check out the vegetable gardens, orchards and farm animals.
Popular with locals and visitors alike, The Farmer’s Place provides a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy the best produce the region has to offer. Accompanied by a great local beer and wine list and with regular live music and open mic nights on offer, there is much to love about this unique setting.

The owner of The Farmer’s Place, Robert Pascoe, is a local farmer who is also the owner of Closed Loop, a Melbourne based environmental company focusing on recycling and resource efficiency.  The Farmer’s Place combines Robert’s passion for sustainability, love of local food and community and has resulted in the creation of this unique paddock to plate to paddock operation.
Sustainable principles are demonstrated everywhere at The Farmer’s Place; the building is a rustic welcoming space made of recycled shipping containers and reclaimed timber and the fit out has been fashioned from recycled materials to demonstrate what can be done with materials that were otherwise going to be thrown away.
Solar panels fitted to the cafe’s roof ensure that The Farmer’s Place is generating its own energy and minimising its environmental footprint. Rain water is collected and stored in dams and large onsite tanks and water is also treated and recaptured from the septic tank for use on the orchards.

The site also uses the latest Closed Loop technology to compost food waste onsite. Scraps that are not fed to the goats or chickens are placed in the onsite composting unit and the resulting nutrient rich soil conditioner is mixed with soil and used to fertilise the vegetable gardens and grounds. Unlike most other businesses, the composting unit is not hidden out the back in a waste compound but instead takes pride of place on the deck of the restaurant.
Owner Robert Pascoe is keen for all who visit to be able to identify sustainability in action; from seeing responsible waste, water and energy practices to being able to engage with the whole food cycle.
“We are passionate about sustainability and about how we produce and use food for the future” says Robert Pascoe. “Through The Farmer’s Place we hope to create a sustainable food hub which showcases the best produce of the region, promotes and supports local production and enables people to reconnect with their food and where it comes from”.
When: Mon-Wed 7am-4pm; Thu-Sat 7am-10pm; Sun 7am-4pm
Where: 675 Anglesea Rd, Freshwater Creek, Victoria
Website: www.thefarmersplace.com.au
Contact: 0499 333 093