Bush To Brewery

Support Native Botanical Brewery: Cultivating Culture, Community, and Sustainable Bushfoods

Hi, my name is Corey Grech, and I'm the Founder and General Manager of Native Botanical Brewery. For years, I've poured my heart and hands into building this dream from my garage, nurturing every aspect of the business. Our pride lies in crafting unique beverages infused with the rich, distinct flavours of First Nation Australian bushfoods.

As demand for our products has soared, especially with recent corporate contracts, a clear need has emerged: a sustainable, local supply chain to keep our brewery flowing. More than just business growth, this opportunity beckons me closer to my family and community on country, enabling us to create vital local economic benefit through wages. I often spend my free time with my three children harvesting bushfood from various locations on the Central Coast (Darkinjung Country), but a consistent and reliable source of ingredients is now essential for our future.

This is where you come in. We are launching this GoFundMe campaign to raise the crucial funds needed to establish a dedicated bush food farm on Awabakal Country (Newcastle). This pivotal step will not only secure a sustainable and locally sourced supply chain for our unique beverages but will also allow us to truly live our ethos of "Reground Yourself" – connecting directly with the land that nourishes our creations.

For Native Botanical Brewery, establishing this bush food farm is far more than just expanding our business; it's a pivotal step towards empowering First Nation voices and practices within the native Australian bush food industry. As First Nation Aboriginal people, we currently represent a mere 0.6% of this industry, facing significant barriers to growth due to limited access to capital and land. This initiative directly addresses that disparity, creating a pathway for a First Nation-owned and operated enterprise to thrive and lead.

Crucially, this farm allows us to maintain our unwavering commitment to high-nutrient, chemical-free Native Australian foods, ensuring that as we grow, we never compromise on quality or the health benefits our ingredients provide. Furthermore, it represents a vital shift towards sustainable growth and environmental stewardship. Our current wild harvesting policy, while deeply respectful, cannot sustain further expansion without risking habitat destruction. This dedicated farm provides an ethical and responsible solution, allowing us to cultivate these precious resources with care and foresight.

Beyond business sustainability, this project holds immense cultural significance. We are only now truly beginning to acknowledge and celebrate Native Bushfoods as a profound and integral part of Australian culture. Our partnership with the Awabakal Aboriginal Lands Council is groundbreaking, aiming to demonstrate how Aboriginal businesses and Lands Councils can collaborate effectively—a critical step for both industries to survive and flourish. For our people, sharing food is one of the most primal expressions of connection and culture. This farm will not only provide sustenance but also foster cultural preservation, knowledge sharing, and intergenerational connection, bringing our community together on country to grow, learn, and share in ways that are deeply aligned with our ancestral practices. It's about 'Regrounding Ourselves' – literally, feet in the dirt, present and connected to the land that sustains us.

Every dollar contributed to this campaign will be directly invested into the foundational elements of our bush food farm, ensuring its successful establishment and long-term sustainability. Here's a breakdown of how the funds will be strategically utilized:

Wages (2 people permanent part-time for 3 years): These funds are crucial to employ local community members, providing essential income and dedicating the necessary human resources to establish and manage the farm's initial operations, from planting to early harvests. This commitment to local employment is central to our vision of creating economic benefit on country.

Cold Storage Facility: A dedicated cold storage facility is vital to preserve the freshness and quality of our harvested bush foods immediately after collection. This minimizes waste and ensures the integrity of our nutrient-dense products from the farm to the market.

Seedlings & Nursery Development: We need to establish a dedicated nursery where we can propagate and build both our internal native plant stocks. Crucially, 10% of these propagated stocks will be set aside for native regenerative projects, actively contributing to rebuilding the natural ecosystem to safe, sustainable levels on Darkinjung Country.

Business Case Study and Business Plan: Providing robust, evidence-based documentation is essential. These funds will be used to develop a comprehensive business case study and plan, demonstrating the viability and significant potential impact of this pilot project. This will be instrumental in securing the further, larger-scale funding needed to bring our full vision to fruition.

Solar Power Pilot (Installation & Assessment): Our ambition is to be not just carbon neutral, but carbon positive. This pilot project will fund the installation and assessment of a solar power system, including potential for battery storage. We aim to explore how a truly off-grid system could support the farm's operations and even offer sustainable energy solutions like a Tesla charging station for visitors and the business, minimizing impact on the main grid.

Purchase Portable Brewing/Canning Equipment (Small Scale): A small-scale micro-brewing area on-site will be invaluable for research and development. It will allow us to test new beverage products, explore innovative uses for our native ingredients in other products, and continue to push the boundaries of the beverage industry.

Water Security (including 1 person part-time and tank irrigation): Water is life, and securing a sustainable water source is paramount. These funds will cover the employment of a dedicated water specialist, who will design and oversee a comprehensive water capturing, storing, filtering, and measuring system, including tank irrigation. This role will also be vital in building our collective knowledge and raising awareness about the critical importance of water stewardship.

Expert Advice and Training (including Cultural and Agricultural Advice): To ensure we are at the forefront of sustainable practices and cultural integrity, funds are allocated to bring in groundbreaking scientists, agriculturists, and cultural knowledge holders. Their expert advice and training will impart critical knowledge, enabling us to make informed decisions regarding climate change adaptations, upskilling our community, and ensuring our practices are culturally appropriate and deeply rooted.

Technology and Harvesting Equipment: The world of technology is advancing rapidly, and we are committed to leveraging innovation. These funds will allow us to invest in initial technology and harvesting equipment, such as AI-driven weed management, electric vehicles for farm use, and AI surveillance cameras trained to differentiate between native and exotic animals, ensuring efficient, sustainable, and respectful management of the farm.

Join us on this journey to cultivate a brighter, more sustainable, and culturally rich future for Native Botanical Brewery and the First Nation community. Your support will make a tangible difference in bringing this vital vision to life.