Volcano Produce has set up a permanent home delivery service as its Illowa organic farm continues to grow.
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Owner Ben Pohlner said the move was a natural and necessary step as the farm kept expanding its footprint and producing more fruit and vegetables.
Like many businesses the spray-free producer brought in delivery services during COVID-19 restrictions, but pulled back again when lockdowns lifted.
"When restrictions lifted we eased off on the deliveries so we could concentrate on growing the farm," Mr Pohlner said.
"Basically, it's a lot of work doing home delivery. But people kept asking us."
The first towns trialled on the delivery rotation were Hamilton, Macarthur and Tarrington.
"We started that northern route six weeks ago and it has been really well supported. The further you are from the big towns the harder it is to get great fresh fruit and veg," Mr Pohlner said.
"There are also people with mobility issues who can't get access to our products that easily."
The business started life as a market garden on 3.5 acres which Mr Pohlner pottered in between working full-time.
Since he switched to farming it full-time just over two years ago, it has expanded almost tenfold - to 30 acres over six blocks near the slopes of Tower Hill.
Mr Pohlner said the amount of produce the farm was sprouting had grown "exponentially".
"We would probably be doing three to five tonnes a week," he said.
One section of the farm is devoted to Warrnambool and District Food Share, which has been running short of its normal Melbourne fresh produce supply as the cost of living crisis has bitten hard in the big city and there has been none left to truck down to the south-west.
Mr Pohlner said one of the challenges he's had with the produce destined for Food Share is harvesting.
"The difficulty isn't growing the stuff, it's getting it out of the ground and out to Food Share," he said.
"So we are partnering with the Hands on Learning program to bring schoolkids out here to help out and get some horticulture experience. Everyone's pulling together to help solve an issue."
Mr Pohlner said Volcano Produce's northern delivery route would keep running fortnightly, and the business had just brought in a weekly delivery for Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy.
"People can order through our website and choose either Thursday or Friday each week for their produce to be dropped off," he said.
While the business relies almost entirely on its locally grown goods, it has started bringing in small amounts of organic fruit and vegetables that are out of season down south to maintain a broad range of produce.
Mr Pohlner said he hoped to expand delivery to Portland and into Corangamite.
"The next step is to find those people who aren't on Facebook or Instagram, but still want to shop local and have that pristine spray free organic produce," he said.