The Hills are alive …

Edit 17. Bramble Farm, Monbulk.

After seven years on a quarter‑acre block in Belgrave, Amber and Brenton felt it was time for more space, room to grow their family of animals and try their hand at small‑scale farming. After a six‑month search, they walked into 40 Hunter Street, Monbulk and instantly knew: “We love the view, we love the location… it’s isolated, it’s perfect.” With two goats, two dogs, two chickens and six ducks, they moved in and named their new home Bramble Farm.

The property is steep, so steep it requires a 1970s Fiat crawler to navigate the slopes. But when the autumn light filters through the trees and their goats, Sheepy and Myrtle, bounce between the trunks, it’s easy to see why they fell in love with the land. Scattered across the terraced hillside are 130 chestnut trees, producing some of the region’s best chestnuts.

Like many growers in the Dandenong Ranges, what comes through when speaking with Amber and Brenton is the strong sense of community. Neighbours, growers and locals are constantly helping one another sharing knowledge, and offering advice, all wanting to see each other’s businesses grow and suceed.

This year was their first season as chestnut growers. “We had no idea what we were doing,” they laugh, but with support from the community and the Chestnut Association, they pulled off a strong first harvest despite losing over 100kg to weather and humidity. The experience has been a humbling one: “This has given us a new appreciation of people who farm for a living, being at the mercy of the weather, of what your product sells for. You can do everything right and it can still go wrong.”

During the short March–April season, Bramble Farm runs a farmgate selling chestnuts and free‑range eggs, with chestnuts also available @pellegrinos_fresh_fruits in Olinda. Their journey is a reminder of why buying local matters. Follow @bramble.farms to learn more and watch their story unfold.