The Gallace family returns

On a farm in Main Ridge, where tree lined lanes cross gently flowing creeks, grow long lines of fat, ripe strawberries. It’s called Rocky Creek and is owned by the Gallace family.

Since the 1960s they have grown berries in this deep, rich, red earth. Rocky Creek is the Gallace family’s commercial wholesale brand, their retail brand and the new name of their pick your own strawberry farm. 

Matt Gallace was born into a strawberry loving family. It was Matt’s dad Mick who really got the berry story going. His father knew the power these little red berries have to bring people together and had the audacity to cut his own father’s orchard and replant it with strawberries.  “My grandfather Peter came down here on weekends in the early ‘60s hunting rabbits and saw a farm for sale,” remembers Matt. “He bought the land and starting planting an orchard. Fruit trees take five years to bear fruit but strawberries produce fruit very quickly.”

In 1968 Peter went back home to visit family in Calabria. While he was away Mick Gallace chopped down his dad’s orchard and planted row after row of strawberries. He also started making money for the family. On his return Peter looked around, shook his head, and got to work growing berries.

“I guess he knew the future was in strawberries,” adds Matt with a laugh.

Matt still grows his strawberries like his grandfather did using simple methods to prepare the soil. Although Main Ridge soil is deep and fertile, strawberries are hungry feeders. Matt sows down the paddocks the season prior with a green manure crop that could include rye, corn, oats, sorghum, and other annuals. These are turned into the soil with compost and manure. “We want to feed the soil micro-biome,” says Matt. “Without that army of microscopic bugs you can’t effectively unlock all the nutrients in the soil.”

The soil is mounded into rows and covered in black plastic. This holds in the moisture, retains soil warmth, suppresses weeds and provides a clean surface on which the strawberries can grow. Small, leafless crowns are planted and take about 20 to 28 weeks to flower and bear fruit from mid-October to mid-June.

Matt grows three different varieties of strawberries at Rocky Creek: Albion; Cabrillo and Monterey. All three varieties are handpicked, chilled and packed on site into store ready packs. The big, red and delicious Albion variety is the only variety used in the pick your own side of the business. The Cabrillo and Monterey varieties are packed and sold under the families Moonah Ridge brand.

An interesting twist to the Gallace’s strawberry story is that their farm used to be called Sunny Ridge. But in 2016 they sold the business. For several years the Gallaces focused on growing avocados but in a stroke of good fortune were able to buy the farm back, including the café and pick your own, during Covid. They rejuvenated the café and relaunched under their new name Rocky Creek, named after the creek running through the farm.

The café is the gateway to the very popular pick your own strawberry experience but is a destination in itself, selling a range of strawberries and strawberry related products, including choc-coated strawberries and light meals.

“Rocky Creek is such a happy experience for so many families,” says Matt. “They come to this beautiful part of the world, see where their food is coming from, pick it and take it home.”