You'll love these local sustainable businesses

These Central Coast businesses are thinking beyond profit making and focusing on their responsibility for sustainable practises to contribute to the health of the environment. 

A leading best-practice regenerative farm on the Central Coast is Fanelli Organics, where everything is grown by hand with love, and without harmful chemicals. Certified organic, this family fruit and vegetable farm is on 45 acres in Mangrove Mountain, in the Central Coast Hinterland. Stop by to pick up your pre-ordered box of freshly harvested produce from the roadside farm stand or catch the owners at various local spots, including Like Minds Cafe, Avoca (Wed) and Avoca Beachside Markets (Sun). The farm also hosts hands-on workshops, open days where you’re encouraged to pick your own oranges, and sunflower picking and photography sessions.

Another great organic option is The Food Farm, which specialises in pasture-raised organic chicken and grass-fed and -finished beef. The Central Coast farm produces meat that’s completely free of chemicals, hormones, preservatives and antibiotics, while the owners follow regenerative farming principles and deliver fresh from the farm to your door. This farm is all about looking after your health and that of the planet, while also reducing food miles and closing the gap between farmer and consumer. When you place an order, be sure to add a carton or two of free-range organic eggs. Or catch the owners at Gosford City Farmers Market.

There’s plenty of choice for organic eating on the Central Coast, with Full Circle Farm a popular regenerative farm in Dooralong Valley. Keen to encourage people to get back in touch with where their food comes from, the owners of Full Circle run tours and have also set up the Food Club, where locals place orders collectively to help farm-fresh food reach more people. You can order ethically-grown and chemical-free meat (beef, chicken, pork etc), organic fruit and veg, pasture-raised eggs, local honey, fair-trade milk and more.

If you’re in the Ourimbah area and want to pick up a few vegetables for a weekend dinner, call by Little Feet Gourmet’s farm gate stall. If you prefer to be more organised, you can sign up to receive a weekly mixed box of produce, including beetroot, broccoli, tomatoes and garlic (in season). Owners of the small-scale market garden promise fuller flavours and more nutrients thanks to their policy of growing without the use of chemicals, pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. Most produce is available in spring, summer and autumn.

Helping you on your plastic-free journey is #untrashy, a small Ettalong-based business that’s all about saying no to single-use items, and offering affordable alternatives. You’ll find all of the usual eco products - stainless steel pegs, reusable baking mats, cotton produce bags, bamboo cutlery - but there are also some great left-of-field products you may not have thought of. Swap your standard big-chain items with alternatives such as silicone wine ‘glasses’, reusable ‘cotton’ buds and plastic-free dental floss. They even sell dog leashes with handles made from recycled dog shampoo bottles and rope made from recycled PET bottles. You can find #untrashy products at local markets in Avoca, Umina and Terrigal, or buy online.

In the heart of Long Jetty, Take 3 for the Sea is a global movement to reduce plastic pollution from our oceans and environment. The charity encourages each person to take 3 pieces of rubbish with them when leaving the beach or area they have been in, ultimately making a huge difference to the health of our planet. Plastic pollution devastates the oceans, killing marine life and threatening the eco system but by educating people about the dangers, this sustainable business is making a change for good.