Where Community Thrives Through Collaboration and Connection
Words Rachael Sanderson
Photography Georgina Kane
Raven Place Farm is a vibrant, community-centered micro regenerative farm nestled in picturesque Clothiers Creek, ideally situated between Murwillumbah and Cabarita Beach. This unique venture is a collaborative effort between landowner Michelle Kuramochi and passionate regenerative farmer Rachael Sanderson. Together, they aim to create a holistic sanctuary where people can gather to grow, learn, share, and connect. Raven Place Farm is dedicated to making organic, nutritious food accessible to everyone.
A Delightful Café and Sustainable Farming Practices
Michelle Kuramochi, the landowner, also operates the charming Raven Place Café, located right on the farm. Visitors can savour delectable coffee and a menu inspired by Japanese street food, featuring dishes crafted from organic, spray-free, and locally sourced ingredients. Michelle’s years of culinary expertise are evident in her handmade dumplings, gyoza, krauts, kimchi, and misos—all prepared with meticulous care and love.
The farm’s commitment to sustainability is integrated into every aspect of its operations. Food scraps from the café are repurposed as feed for the farm’s hens and worms, while coffee grounds are used as natural fertiliser. Additionally, the farm is exploring ways to further reduce waste through the use of reusable utensils and cups. The farm’s happy hens, housed in a mobile coop, enjoy a diet of café scraps, fermented feeds, and fresh greens, producing nutrient-dense eggs that are sold directly to the community.
A Passion for Regenerative Agriculture
Rachael Sanderson, the owner of the local regenerative gardening business Life a Little Greener and A Little Greener Farm in Kynnumboon, brings her deep passion for ecosystem restoration and community nourishment to Raven Place Farm. Rachael’s vision includes creating a farm that absorbs external waste streams through composting and large-scale worm farming, while sequestering carbon through practices such as multispecies cover cropping, livestock integration, diverse food forest plantings, improved soil fertility, and no-till soil management.
Raven Place Farm also serves as an educational platform, offering free open days, workshops, and farm tours to share regenerative farming knowledge with the community. In collaboration with the non-profit organisation We Forest Earth, the farm is dedicated to restoring the riparian zone using chemical-free bush regeneration techniques that incorporate edible and medicinal strains of native mycelium to phase out invasive species like camphor laurel and privet. This initiative not only closes nutrient cycles by converting biomass into food and medicine (mushrooms) but also increases biodiversity through the replanting of endangered and rare species alongside edible natives.
Building a Sustainable Future Together
Raven Place Farm thrives on partnerships with local businesses like Spangled Drongo Brewing, a brewery committed to habitat preservation. Through these relationships, the farm accesses valuable resources such as cardboard, mulch, food waste, and pallets at little to no cost. These materials are crucial for composting, bed building, fermentation processes, fencing, and infrastructure, allowing the farm to operate efficiently and pass on savings to the community.
The farm’s dedication to the community extends to regular donations of produce to the Murwillumbah Community Centre, where it can be sold through their food hub or used to create meals for those in need at Nullum House.
The farm also operates a roadside vegetable shack, available during farm hours, where they offer a variety of regeneratively and organically grown produce at affordable prices. Local vendors are welcome to share their crafts, skills, and products with the community, enhancing the farm’s community spirit.
For those interested in collaborating with Raven Place Farm, please reach out to Michelle at ravenplacestall@gmail.com or call 0421 304 191. Join the effort to cultivate a positive impact on the community and the environment through sustainable and regenerative practices.
Top: Michelle Kuramochi (left), landowner of Raven Place Farm and owner of Raven Place Cafe with Rachael Sanderson (right) of Life a Little Greener. All photos courtesy of Georgina Kane, @georginakanephotography.
