With a huge selection of places to eat out on the Gold Coast, we can sometimes forget that cooking a wholesome meal for ourselves is a really fun time. With that in mind, do you know where to go for local produce? Sure, you can always hit up a weekend farmers market, but we’re going one better.
We’ve got some epic hoers and growers on the Coast, so buckle up your tractor belt and grab a barley sprig, because we’re taking you rural with five farms you can actually visit on and around the Gold Coast.
Farm & Co.
Cudgen
You know those sunflower field photos that are blowing up all over Insta? Well, those sun-worshipping beauties are from this place! Farm & Co. is harvesting a variety of crops, and you’re invited to peruse their sunny fields, pick yourself a new yellow friend for $5 and say howdy to some happy chickens. Best enjoyed with a Blackboard coffee in hand (catch the mobile coffee Land Rover most weekends), spend all day filling your camera roll before stopping into their cosy shop stocked with a range of fresh produce, barn-made soups and the friendliest farmers you’ll ever meet. Open seven days, this 30-year-young avocado farm has transformed into something much bigger—a place for Kingscliff locals and visitors to enjoy fresh produce without harmful chemicals, every day of the week. PS: If you missed out on the sunflower selfies, keep an eye on their Insta page for when they're back in season.
When: Open to public Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm & Saturday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm
Where: 529 Cudgen Road, Cudgen, NSW
Freeman’s Organic Farm
Currumbin Valley
Stemming from a rich history of pioneering banana growers, The Freeman Farm was first established in 1915 and remains the only continuous commercial fruit and vegetable farm in the Currumbin Valley for over 100 years, so you know they must be doing something right. Freeman’s Organic Farm is perched high on Tomewin Mountain and enjoys panoramic views of the Currumbin Valley and offers the public a chance to purchase their amazing fresh produce haul from their fruit and veg store. Their cafe now operates Friday to Monday where you’ll find organic eats like non-traditional toasties, their signature farmer bowls, raw-vegan cakes, the most delicious croissants, and much more! And it's dog friendly too. Sundays are also home to vibin’ live music so keep your eye on their Facebook page for the latest acts.
When: Open to the public Monday, 8am to 1pm, Friday, 8am to 1pm, Weekends 8am to 3pm
Where: 618 Tomewin Mountain Road, Currumbin Valley
Currumbin Valley Harvest
Currumbin Valley
Venturing past the rock pools is definitely worth the drive when it results in stumbling across Currumbin Valley Harvest. Harbouring a true passion for sustainability and honouring Mother Nature, these guys are laid back and welcome guests to wander around their harvest until your heart’s content. The Shed Cafe brings the goods too, offering baked delights, freshly made tea (the herbal tea with garden fresh mint, lemon and ginger is next level), coffee and 100% fruit juices straight from the farm. With the Harvest Market and adjoining cafe open to the public on Friday to Sunday only, this biodynamic farm provides some of the finest fruit, veggies, herbs and local wares on the Gold Coast, making it a farm you simply must visit. Once you’ve filled your netted bag, drive an extra five minutes inland to much-loved Cougal Cascades for an afternoon rock hopping and swimming under waterfalls. Next weekend = sorted!
When: Open to the public Saturday and Sunday, 7am to 1pm
Where: 1380 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Valley
Tropical Fruit World
Duranbah
Established in1972, Cudgen’s Tropical Fruit World (formerly know as Avocadoland) began as a rundown small crop farm mixed with cattle grazing freely. However, Bob and Val Brinsmead decided they would transform the idyllic location to a colourfully brilliant tropical fruit paradise, and that they did. Now run by their eldest daughter, Tropical Fruit World’s sustainable farming techniques such as water recycling and companion planting add extra juiciness to their mixed bag of lychees, pineapples, mangoes and papayas. And having been some of the first to grow avocados in New South Wales, they still offer some of the best in the area. But deliciously nurtured fruit is not all this place offers. You can also expect boat and train rides, an animal farmyard, a place to kick back with a game of putt putt and so much more. Why not head out on a plantation safari, fruit tasting tour or tour of the park? Taste your way around this M1 emblem by stopping off on your next Byron trip, or by crossing the border and making a day of it.
When: Open to the public seven days, 10am to 4pm (entry fee applies)
Where: 29 Duranbah Road, Duranbah, NSW
The Farm Byron Bay
Ewingsdale
A sneaky half hour’s drive south of the border, there’s not much that Byron Bay’s The Farm doesn’t offer. Think: fresh fruit and veggies, livestock, a mind-blowing cafe slash restaurant with ingredients sourced from the farm, pastries and sourdough by Bread Social, tours and hands-on workshops covering things like egg collecting and farm school for the kids. The strong community spirit of The Farm is found throughout their entire approach to growing and plating up. The Produce Store provides visitors with fresh, sustainable and local produce so, stock up before your beachside or farm field picnic with a Three Blue Ducks hamper or simply dine at the restaurant, open seven days a week.
When: Open to the public seven days, 7am ‘til late
Where: 11 Ewingsdale Road, Ewingsdale, NSW
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Image credit: Unsplash