About Us
In 2002 Greg and Sue O'Donoghue purchased a property at Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula Victoria. The major objective was to transform this 27acre holding into a sustainable Victorian tourism attraction. The initial starting point was the removal of cattle and non indigenous plants from the property to allow the natural habit and species to re-emerge. In conjunction with this project trees were planted around the boundaries and other parts of the property to help create a natural corridor for native habit.
Next a 500 tree olive grove was planted in 2003. Followed by the planting of the vineyard, herb garden and coffee trees (grown inside). Free range chickens and organic sheep are also raised on the property. During the development of the property the major objective has always been to create a tourism experience which is driven through sustainable farming, artisan manufacturing and sustainable tourism principles. The key to obtaining the correct balance and creating a point of differentiation from competitors has been the introduction of biological farming.
There are many approaches to biological farming, however ours is fairly simple. We aim to recycle all our organic matter created from our vines, olives, herbs, vegetables, chooks and sheep into nutrients for the soils (soil food web). We do this through creating composts of all tbi-products from farming which creates organic matter and a product called compost tea. The aim is to use the organic matter and compost tea on all agriculture instead of chemicals and fertilizers. The end result of this process is a chemical free natural healthy product that is excellent for consumers. It also is extremely healthy for the environment and our future generations.
The next step in the sustainable biological farm solution is to take the grapes, olives, vegetables, herbs, organic lambs & free range eggs and create produce for tourists to taste, enjoy and purchase. A major aim in this strategy is to produce a unique garden fork to table fork experience which has zero carbon miles. The aim is to create an experience for the tourist that is based on the wellness concept, where people take time out to refresh and recharge. What better way to do than experiencing a working farm that is fully sustainable.
We now aim to build a centre with a commercial kitchen that can transform the fresh seasonal produce into simple healthy food for the tourist to consume both on and off site. The olives are picked fresh from the trees located on the farm, the eggs come from free range chooks and the lambs graze on organic matter in the paddocks. Artisan style breads will be made in the kitchen and organic Italian style sausages. All waste is recycled on the farm. Cardboard and newspaper make up one of the layers in the Compost. The only product to leave the farm is glass for recycling. The site has its own water supply and sewerage system. It only depends on electricity from outside, however solar panel systems are being looked at as a possible solution in the future.
Visitors also have the opportunity to explore the olive grove, wander through the vines, pick fresh herbs, meet and greet the chocks, sheep and two friendly kelpies Inca and Rasa or go for a wander along Main Creek which flows through the property. The property also has 7 acres of remnant bush, which is ideal for walking, bird spotting or just taking time out to refresh and recharge.
Currently there are no tourist attractions where people can experience a biological holistic approach to farming and food. With the impact of climate change and ever growing obesity in the community which causes diabetes and heart related disease, people are looking for alternatives. We aim to provide a center of excellence that can become the bench mark in Australia for people to think well being, a time to refresh and recharge. Another aim is to lift the profile of people learning to cook simple fresh food picked from the farm and served to the plate. With the introduction of mass junk food, many children have not experienced this simple pleasure.
Professionally Greg has a Undergraduate Degree in Business, a Postgraduate in Supply Chain Management and an MBA. He is currently studying a Master of Viticulture at the University of Melbourne. Sue has a professional back ground in health with a nursing degree and postgraduate in Occupational Health and Safety. She is currently completing a number of short courses on biological farming and compost tea. For the past 5 years they have operated and managed their own gourmet food business Green Olive at Red Hill.