Eight years ago, a life-altering diagnosis forced Georgia Beattie to leave the wine industry behind. Her journey with Crohn's disease, however, led her to a new mission in agriculture, culminating in the acquisition and transformation of Victoria's Bulla Park into Australia's largest organic mushroom farm.
A Personal Mission Fuelled by Technology
Following her Crohn's diagnosis, Georgia discovered that organic, clean Australian-grown produce played a vital role in managing her health. This personal experience ignited a deep desire to understand food cultivation from the ground up. With a background in technology, she identified mushrooms as the ideal crop for innovation.
"They’re grown indoors which means they’re climate-resilient and thrive on smart systems," she explained. Today, that vision is a reality. Georgia can now manage the entire Bulla Park operation from her smartphone, thanks to a dedicated team of young engineers and computer scientists who have optimised the growing cycle.
The Coles Partnership: Tackling Waste and Powering Growth
A significant turning point for the farm was its partnership with Coles. The supermarket giant is not only its primary customer but also an innovation partner. This collaboration was solidified through a $490,000 grant from the Coles Nurture Fund.
This funding was directed at solving one of fresh farming's biggest challenges: waste. With only a 48-hour window to get produce from farm to shelf, the grant enabled Bulla Park to become a zero-waste facility. The farm now captures every excess mushroom, transforming it into long-life pantry products packed with gut-health benefits through a drying process.
Nothing goes to waste, and the facility is soon to be powered by renewable energy, truly closing the loop on its operations.
A Vote for Australia's Farming Future
For Georgia, this project is deeply personal. She has seen firsthand how farming methods impact the body's inflammatory response. She is a passionate advocate for Australia's high farming standards and believes every purchase is an endorsement of local innovation.
"Every dollar is a vote for an Australian farm!" she states. The support from Coles has validated her vision, proving that sustainability and innovation can reshape how Australia grows and values its food. Her work now extends globally, collaborating with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation on climate-resilient food systems.
