The Hills are Alive…
Edit 26. Ramarro Farm, The Patch
From little things, big things grow. In 2013, when Oliver Shorthouse and his wife Lisa uprooted their life, moving from a Carlton apartment to a 9‑acre property in The Patch, they never imagined their tree change would lead them to becoming full‑time farmers.
In the early days, they commuted from the Dandenong Ranges to the CBD daily. “We were working in restaurants. We’d bring in produce that we grew in our small little plot, and the restaurants would use it — they really loved the produce.”
Over the next three years, their small side hustle grew from supplying two restaurants to five. In 2016, after becoming parents, they realised the juggle of full‑time work, growing, harvesting and raising a child was no longer sustainable. Something had to give and that’s when they stepped away from their full‑time jobs. “It sort of happened by mistake.”
That “mistake” has since seen Ramarro Farm become a preferred supplier to some of Melbourne and Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants.
Today, they grow produce across three locations in the Dandenong Ranges, supplying a vast range of vegetables, fruits, leaves and herbs, all sustainably and seasonally. A key point of difference is that they manage their entire supply chain: hand‑selecting every item and delivering it themselves, ensuring produce arrives fresh, sometimes within 24 hours of ordering.
Ramarro market themselves on being the freshest and the best. They grow some of the most interesting varieties of produce, including their enviable range of radicchio. It’s clear Oliver is passionate about farming and about growing exceptional food. When asked what he loves most, he talks about being outside, thinking about daylight hours, the weather and the rhythm of the seasons. For millennia, we’ve grown food this way. “We’re growing plants in the ground it’s as simple as that.” He adds, “You have these cycles of season and of eating, which is one of the pleasures of being alive.”
To learn more about Ramarro Farm, visit ramarrofarm.com.au to order seasonal veggie boxes, or follow @ramarrofarm
