The Australian Food Network
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Melbourne Food Hub

We are building the first metro food hub in Melbourne. Melbourne Food Hub’s mission is to create a replicable model of a self-sustaining Food Hub. It is envisioned to be a place where the community can meet to engage with food through learning, growing, making, eating and sourcing fresh local produce. As well as a place to support, incubate, and house local food enterprises and social businesses to encourage the co-creation of local food systems.

Currently, this is realised through a weekly Sunday farmers market, and the beginnings of our urban agriculture farm. Soon to come are a community/commercial kitchen and plans to re-imagine the distribution of food to our institutions.

We are a joint venture project between Sustain: The Australian Food Network and Melbourne Farmers Markets. Our major funder is the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

Our 7 goals

Melbourne Food Hub hosts a number of growing activities, that each addresses one or more of our seven core goals.

  1. Meet
    Create opportunities for connection between community, local producers and food business startups.
  2. Learn
    Establish and deliver training and employment opportunities in urban agriculture and food preparation.
  3. Grow
    Establish onsite urban agriculture and food waste recovery that demonstrates sustainable and viable urban food production practices.
  4. Make
    Establish an onsite kitchen to enable collective food preparation and the incubation of food businesses.
  5. Eat
    Create a venue for locals and visitors to eat fresh delicious local produce.
  6. Source
    Build existing and create new outlets for food distribution.
  7. Model
    Establish a diverse and inclusive framework to be replicated in new food hubs throughout Victoria and around Australia.

For Sustain's summary of the project, please visit the Melbourne Food Hub project page.