From his Havaianas, shorts and hipster glasses you’d never guess what Matt Allison gets up to every day, or that in in the past 18 months he’s made the transition from fulltime music producer to stay-at-home dad, food blogger and urban farmer. But it’s true. Urban farming means different thing to different people: survival in the face of escalating food costs and inflation; a way to be healthy and sidestep harmful chemicals or overpriced store-bought organic veg; rest and relaxation and a chance to engage with the earth and get some soil under computer weary fingernails…
For Matt, growing vegetables was an unexpected lifestyle choice: a personal dare to cook through every recipe in the Jamie Oliver 20 Minute Meals iPhone app led to a few pots of culinary herbs in his kitchen, some planters, then an allotment and eventually the re-landscaping of his whole garden for veggies and chickens. For reals. He went big.

Matt continued to blog about his new passion and just as his home patch was getting a little crowded he was offered a space near Constantia Village which he and some lovely assistants hand-hoed, planted and turned into a profitable patch that currently supplies top local restaurants like Dear Me Food World and Societi Bistro.

Brandywine, Russian Black Plum, Gardeners Delight, candy striped beetroot, purple carrots, corn, pumpkins, marrows, herbs and more… Peter Rabbit and Mr McGregor would have been completely distracted, and possibly even best friends in this happy green environment.

Committed to heirloom varieties and growing from seed as much as possible, Matt’s crop is far from typical. This is in keeping with the worldwide trend (and increasing local demand) for more variety in veggies and seasonal growing. Even some of our big producers are taking notice, feast your eyes on the colourful carrots from Fruit & Veg City Foodlover’s Market in Tokai (high five, F&V).

Going forward, Matt has his sights set on starting a community supported agriculture system and supplying organic veggies to homes. Wonderful.

We think Matt is a bit of a food hero and are thoroughly enjoying observing and being part of his journey. Feeling inspired? Why not set aside a patch of earth and start your own urban farming adventure?

Let us know if you do. We do like hearing about adventures.