Rethinking Farm to Fork with Greenspace

It’s all part of a bigger mission.

Greenspace was started by a team of technologists who wanted a better way to eat healthier, more transparent, more local.

The idea? Rethink the food system from the ground up. Grow produce that adds something to a space rather than takes something away. And make it all accessible, even in the middle of the city. 

These days, they’re doing just that designing connected microfarms that use less land, less water and zero pesticides. They deliver fresh, traceable produce straight to hotels, restaurants and venues like ours. It’s all powered by data, but it’s built to feel human. 

The mission’s pretty simple: make good food more local, more visible and easier to grow.

Because everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food — and getting it shouldn’t cost the Earth. 

A Walk and Talk  

We tagged along with Jake on one of his weekly deliveries to see what the fuss was about.

Turns out, a 15-minute walk and a cabinet full of herbs can completely change how you think about food, waste and sustainability. 

We also sent our own Food and Beverage Manager, Joe Goodman, to ask the hard-hitting questions. 

The result? A fresh take on what happens when local partnerships, clever thinking and a few trays of microgreens come together. 

So, Jake, tell us...what exactly is a microfarm? 

It’s farming for the future. 

A microfarm is a self-contained, smart vertical farm cabinet. Think fresh herbs, leafy greens and edible flowers growing indoors, hydroponically, with no soil, no pesticides and no fuss. You water it, plug it in and let the plants do their thing. 

It’s scalable, low-impact and surprisingly space-friendly. Which makes it perfect for underutilised spots in cities, like a corner of a commercial kitchen or a bustling venue like MCEC. 

And instead of trucking produce across the city, you’re just...walking it over every Thursday? 

Exactly, our system uses up to 95 percent less water than traditional farming. 

It also slashes food miles, removes packaging altogether, and eliminates waste from over-ordering or spoilage. Because the produce is delivered still growing, it keeps its flavour, texture and nutrients right up to the moment it hits the plate. That’s up to 40 percent more nutrients than supermarket herbs. 

No wilting in transit. No guessing. Just living, breathing greens that taste as good as they look. 

Okay, take me behind the scenes. How do you actually grow this stuff? 

We start with seeds from Victorian growers. They’re seeded by hand, then head to a blackout room to simulate the underground. That triggers sprouting. 

From there, the sprouts go into hydroponic modules under LED lights. No soil. No chemicals. Just water and attention. They don’t need anything fancy. Just water and daily care. That’s it. 

Everything from seeding to harvesting happens onsite. It’s a fully closed-loop, climate-controlled system. No trucking between farms, no outsourced steps. Just local hands growing local food in a local space. 

The trays are 3D-printed and fully reusable. No cardboard. No cling film. No waste. 

And once they’re ready, you just load them onto the trolley and walk them over to us at MCEC? 

Yep. We pack them into trays, load up the trolley, and walk them straight down Southbank. No trucks. No refrigeration. Just fresh air and sometimes a good podcast. 

I know our chefs love it. Especially having the microfarm onsite. How does that work from your end? 

As soon as the trays arrive, they go straight into MCEC’s Greenspace microfarm, where they keep growing until they’re needed. Chefs harvest to order — some even snip herbs right onto the plate during service. 

It’s a win all round. The chefs get better flavour, the visitors get a story to engage with, and there’s zero food waste. Every tray is grown with purpose. 

And the chefs get to decide what’s in those trays, right? 

Absolutely. That’s the beauty of it. 

Menus shift, seasons change, events come and go. So, the Greenspace team grows to order. Your chefs collaborate directly with us to pick varieties that complement dishes. Mustard mix, red vein sorrel, micro broccoli. You name it, we grow it. 

The trays are wheeled in weekly, slotted into MCEC’s own microfarm and kept thriving until the moment they’re needed. Nothing goes to waste. 

This sounds very sci-fi. Is it scalable? 

It’s already happening. 

Greenspace has grown from a one-person idea to a growing team with branches in both Melbourne and Sydney, servicing offices, hotels, restaurants and venues. 

Anywhere people eat, this can work. Especially in a city like Melbourne, where there’s so much unused space just waiting to be brought to life. 

The site on City Road used to sit empty. Now it’s the nucleus of something greener. Proof that with the right idea, a dormant corner of the city can help feed the future. 

And people notice it, at MCEC and at your farm too? 

All the time. 

The microfarm is a conversation starter. People walk past and say, 'Wait, is that basil growing?' 'Or did that garnish just come from that microfarm?' And yes, yes it did. 

Even at our City Road site, people stop at the windows just to see what’s going on inside. You can see it sparks something in them. They want to know how it works. They want to know where their food is coming from. Once people see it, they get it. 

It sparks curiosity. It invites questions. And it makes you think about food in a different way: how far it travelled, how fresh it really is, how we could do things better. 

From your perspective, why does this actually matter, big picture? 

Because these small shifts add up. Less packaging. Fewer trucks. Lower emissions. Better food. 

If someone’s visiting MCEC, how might they spot the microfarm in action? 

You might catch me walking past with trays of basil. You might see the microfarm glowing quietly in Goldfields Cafe. Or you might taste something peppery and green and realise it was growing just a few metres away, minutes earlier. 

Not Just a Garnish 

This is what a community partnership looks like alive, growing, and packed with purpose. 

For our chefs, it’s about freshness and flavour. For our visitors, it’s about experience and transparency. For the planet, it’s about doing better now, not someday. 

And for MCEC, it’s about backing bold Melbourne ideas. Greenspace is a local innovation doing global-thinking work turning city corners into green, productive spaces and reimagining how food is grown and shared. 

This is more than a garnish. It’s a living example of what happens when curiosity meets action, and when a venue brings the best of its city inside. 

Next time you visit , take a moment to spot the Greenspace microfarm in action. You’ll find it growing quietly at Goldfields Café, right where ideas meet flavour. 

Watch the video and see how one weekly walk is helping reshape how Melbourne grows, serves and thinks about food. 

Want to learn more about our sustainability efforts? Explore our Impact Guide here.