Peter Carlyon and Robin Koster-Carlyon moved to this property on the southern end of the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria in 2007 and set about reinvigorating the whole farm ecosystem. Our guiding foundation has been that healthy soil yields healthy plants and healthy people. Our work focuses on supporting and enhancing the life and diversity on the farm through using the Australian Demeter Biodynamic method to build and maintain healthy, living soil and establishing diverse native corridors and hedgerows to provide habitat for flora and fauna.

The series of photos above show some of the changes on our farm. These are looking through and up the main driveway.

For 10 years, Transition Farm ran a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) weekly vegetable box program to supply fresh, nutrient dense, bio-dynamic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers to our local community. We also supplied our produce to a small number of chefs who were not only pleased with the flavour of our produce but also supportive of our growing methods.

In 2012, we attended an Australian Demeter Bio-dynamic field day and were inspired by how Rudolf Steiner’s original impulses were being shared and developed by Alex Podolinsky and the farmers of the Bio-dynamic Agriculture Association of Australia. Each season since our understand and implementation of the method has deepened and expanded. 

Bio-Dynamic farmers work with and closely observe nature. We use bio-dynamic prepared 500 preparation each Spring and Autumn, and use other bio-dynamic preparations and mineral supplements when necessary. Farming practices which enhance soil health and the development of life, humus and structure in the soil are fundamental to the process. Healthy plants are the result and this directly relates to flavour and nutrient density.

Throughout our market gardening endeavours sourcing viable SEED was both a critical and time consuming job.

Over the years we developed our skills at saving seed for varieties that worked well for us- selecting plants for their vigour, uniformity, disease resistance, fruit set, and flavour. With flowers, we are not only looking for the expression of the bloom and colour for each particular cultivar, we are also looking for overall plant and stem size, resilience to disease and overall plant vigour. Our observations, not only about our farm saved bio-dynamic seed, but also the world wide seed industry, led us to dedicate all of our growing space and energy into producing vegetable, herb and flower seed.

  • We believe the key to securing our wider communities food relies on seed - and we believe that that seed needs to be grown bio-dynamically /organically and regionally (or at least in Australia).

  • Bio-dynamic and organic growers of any size here in Australia need to have access to certified, well bred seed.

  • These varieties need to have great flavour, be well maintained, need to be bred with a market grower's standard and need to thrive in a bio-dynamic, low input, growing environment.

  • The seed needs to be adapted to our ever changing temperatures and the intensity of light here in Australia - which can only happen if it is grown here in Australia.

Why use bio-dynamic / organic seed - read more here…

Transition Farm is Demeter Certified Bio-Dynamic and Certified Organic by The Bio-Dynamic Research Institute, Lilydale, Victoria, Australia Certification #784. We are certified to the National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce in Australia.

Our farm design was strongly influenced by the principles of Permaculture and by the work of Robert A. de J. Hart.

If you are interested to learn a bit more about How and Why we farm the way we do - watch this short movie by palate vm