The Farmer's Place zero-waste cafe and market aims to close the loop

Robert Pascoe, farmer and owner of environmental company Closed Loop, has quietly launched The Farmer's Place, a cafe and sustainability project in Freshwater Creek near Torquay. Located on Pascoe's 16-hectare working farm, the project incorporates vegetable gardens, orchards, olive groves, vineyards and livestock.

The focus will be a 50-seat cafe built from recycled shipping containers and reclaimed timber, complementing a daily farmers' market taking advantage of the great local food and wine on offer in the Surf Coast shire region.

"It's about getting high-quality, cost-effective food from local producers to the consumers," says Pascoe. "Farmers will be able to sell their tomatoes or whatever direct, without going through a middle man."

Meanwhile, the property will be a showcase of Closed Loop sustainability initiatives: they aim to be zero-waste (everything on site will be recycled or composted); solar-powered (they'll produce more electricity than they consume); and water-efficient (sewage water will be treated and reused to irrigate orchards).

Details: thefarmersplace.com.au