Looking Back to Move Forward: The Beginnings of Good Harvest

To celebrate our 10th Birthday this September, we thought that it was the perfect time to look back at our beginnings and reminisce about the early days of the Good Harvest family.

In 2014, our founders Mick and Kelly embarked on an exciting journey, transforming the old Organic Apple store at Marcoola Beach into a thriving organic wholefoods marketplace named Good Harvest. The vision was clear: to create a space where the community could access fresh, organic produce while fostering a connection to local farming. 

Within the first year of operation, Mick took his passion for organic farming to the next level by cultivating his land at Mount Ninderry. He grew a variety of greens, cucumbers, zucchinis, and planted fruit trees with hopes of establishing a fruit forest in the years to come.

After the success of the Marcoola store, Good Harvest began delivering mixed seasonal boxes to customers along the Sunshine Coast at the end of 2015, all while managing a bustling seven-day retail operation.

Our first weekend farmers market came in February 2017, where we began trading at the Hinterland Harvest Market every Saturday. With a new lease on land at Woombye we were able to expand our offerings, now with two fields filled with organic vegetables including potatoes, greens, and exotic varieties for local restaurants. The community response was overwhelming, with the weekly markets becoming a vibrant hub of activity.

Spurred on by these successes, the Good Harvest footprint expanded even further to include trading at the Noosa Farmers Market every Sunday, the Kawana Farmers Market each Saturday, the Marcoola Markets by the seaside every Saturday, and the latest addition of our Aura Farmers Market each Saturday.

More cause for celebration came in 2021 when Mick was awarded Australian Organic Farmer of the Year, and Good Harvest Organic Farm received the Food & Agribusiness of the Year Award at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards. Mick’s journey from his grandfather’s pineapple farm to a globally aware and community-focused farmer underscores a dedication to organic farming and sustainable practices.

10 years on, Mick and Kel have now stepped back from the retail side of operations and are now focussed solely on growing the freshest and tastiest organic produce at the two Good Harvest farms in Woombye.

These days, the greater Good Harvest Organic Farm family, headed by Ryan and Sarah, and supported by our fantastic crew of dedicated team members, look after the retail operations with their primary focus on making sure all of our box deliveries and weekend markets run smoothly - continuing the legacy that our community have grown to love.

Good Harvest’s origin story is a testament to resilience, community support, and the transformative power of organic farming. From humble beginnings to a thriving enterprise, our commitment to nourishing our community continues to grow, proving that when we grow, everyone grows. 

As we look forward to the future, we are excited about continuing to bring the best local, organic produce to happy families on the Sunshine Coast and beyond. The Good Harvest future is looking bright and delicious, and we are so excited that you are here with us on this journey!