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Feeding a Restaurant from the Ground Up: A Central Victorian Market Garden with a Purpose

In the small town of  Chewton, on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, a market garden is quietly reshaping the relationship between food, land, and hospitality. This garden, tended by Alexander Marano, co-owner of  Bar Midland — a celebrated restaurant located in  Castlemaine  — is not just a source of produce. It’s a living example of ecological responsibility, ethical land stewardship, and the power of growing food with purpose.The guiding philosophy is simple but profound: to grow food on the land one stewards, to respect the deep cultural history of that land, and to leave it in  better condition than it was found. The garden supplies between  60% and 95% of the restaurant’s fruit and vegetables, depending on the season, and is built on principles that draw from permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and organic growing.“I understand that I legally own this land, but spiritually and historically, it belongs to the Dja Dja Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation,” says Alexander. “Every decision here is about respecting that deeper connection and giving back more than we take.”

How It Grows: Practices That Regenerate

The garden spans  180 square meters of open growing space, alongside two hothouses (6x4m each). Crops are rotated and beds are periodically rested to maintain soil health and structure, supporting long-term fertility and pest resilience. One hothouse, built from salvaged glass windows, is used for year-round crop production, while the other is dedicated to raising seeds. During Central Victoria’s cold winters — with temperatures as low as –6°C — and scorching summers reaching over 40°C, the team uses spent cooking oil from the restaurant  to heat the space efficiently and sustainably. The outside verge of the property — once dominated by introduced grasses — has been cleared of invasive species and  replanted with native flora including kangaroo grass and weeping grass, with hopes that  native animals, including kangaroos, will eventually return to feed on these plants. Special attention is being given to  reintroducing the native Yam Daisy (Murnong), an important traditional food of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. The garden also grows specific crops intended for preservation to extend their use beyond the growing season, including  polenta corn, stone fruit, pumpkin seeds (pepita), and paprika peppers.

Compost, Chickens, and Closed Loops

Every bit of restaurant food waste is composted using the hot composting method, returning nutrients to the soil. Twenty chickens not only contribute manure to the composting system but also provide eggs for the kitchen during the warmer months  — part of a carefully designed closed nutrient loop that mimics natural ecosystems. To protect young plants from frost, insects, and wildlife, the garden makes inventive use of old windows and small poly tunnels, turning potential waste into vital infrastructure. During peak summer, excess produce is dehydrated in the solar heat of the hothouse  — another low-impact, ingenious solution. Seed saving is a standard practice. No chemicals are used, and while the garden isn’t formally certified organic, it exceeds organic principles in many ways. Water comes from a combination of town supply, rainfall, and tanks, used with care in a region prone to climate extremes. The garden also grows a wide variety of annual and perennial flowers for florist, Dani Marano — blending aesthetics and ecology with economic resilience.

A Menu Designed by the Garden

At  Bar Midland in Castlemaine, the restaurant’s menu is designed around what is grown in the garden, resulting in a constantly evolving offering that changes weekly with the seasons and harvest. This approach not only supports sustainability but also celebrates the freshest local produce and reduces food waste.

A Learning Space and Living Example

In addition to producing food, the garden also serves as an educational space, hosting permaculture groups, volunteers, and part-time team members. The aim is not just to grow food, but to grow understanding — about sustainable systems, ethical land care, and how we can create food cultures that are rooted, regenerative, and resilient.

More Than Farm-to-Table — It's Land-to-Living-System

At a time when food security, climate resilience, and ethical sourcing are on everyone’s minds, this Central Victorian market garden offers a model of how a small-scale, place-based system can provide not just food — but meaning. It’s not just farm-to-table. It’s land-to-restaurant, compost-to-garden, seed-to-story..