Farmwall® Is First To Launch Innovative Vertical Farming In Two Iconic Melbourne Venues.

MELBOURNE, 21 February 2018

Farmwall is the new Melbourne-based startup that is building vertical, edible farms that will live and grow inside some of the city’s most iconic cafes and restaurants. The team just installed the first two Farmwalls into two of Nathan Toleman’s award-winning cafes—Higher Ground on Little Bourke Street and Top Paddock in Richmond.

Founded by Geert Hendrix and Serena Lee, Farmwall is looking to demonstrate how we can live more in line with nature while enjoying a unique dining experience. Supported by Katie Parker, David Saunders, Matthew Manning, John Servinis, Aiden Colla, Thomas Paterson and Vaughan Elis—the team covers a wide range of skills including industrial design, sustainable architecture, software development, engineering and urban farming. While the team is diverse in skills, they have one thing in common—passion for sustainable food production.

“Cafes spend a fortune on herbs, which often come in plastic packets. We thought we could firstly save money and secondly save waste.” —Nathan Toleman, owner of Higher Ground and Top Paddock

Grappling with infinite population growth and finite farming land, awareness around sustainable food practices can be found in urban farming, a growing trend across major cities all over the world. Farmwalls demonstrate a natural approach to growing fresh produce, providing a unique dining experience patrons won’t forget. In the size a bookshelf, these vertical farms provide a consistent supply of herbs and microgreens, at the fingertips of the chef. By growing to produce on-site, Farmwalls reduce packaging waste and high food miles while delivering quality, freshness, and variety in Melbourne’s world-renowned hospitality scene.  

The small-scale farms use aquaponic principles—meaning a beautifully designed fish tank recirculates nutrient-rich water to each layer, creating a closed loop natural ecosystem. Urban farmers make weekly visits with new trays of sprouted seeds, allowing them to finish their growth cycle inside the Farmwall, on display to the patrons as well as the chefs.

To bring sustainable food production even closer, Farmwall is building an urban farm just

8 kms North East of the Melbourne’s CBD—welcoming visits from restaurateurs to test and trial produce. Farmwall aims to use chefs as mediators and food as the communication tool, to inspire a city to “stop eating our planet, and start feeding it.”

For further press information contact Serena Lee

0412 271 833 media@farmwall.com.au