Three generations of farming, food & fun
…from Farm to Shop
Ladybird Organics is a third-generation family run business. The Skopilianos family have been market gardeners in the Keilor Valley area and have been supplying local communities with high quality fruit and vegetables since the mid 1940’s.
With over 70 years of experience in the industry, the Skopilianos family have operated at every stage of the food supply chain – from farming, processing, wholesaling to retailing.
In 2005, brothers Peter and Steve started the conversion of their family farming business to organic, resulting in a new brand – Ladybird Organics. Under the new brand, they commenced using principles of traditional and natural farming once again. The processes of traditional farming included natural soil care, composting, manual weeding and planting to attract beneficial insects such as ladybirds – hence the company’s name.
Steve says,
“It’s quite funny really- we’ve gone the full circle, back to the natural farming practices that our grandparents used when they set up market gardening in this same area”.
Both hard work and a strong vision enabled the Skopilianos family to take out the coveted “Best New Retail Product Award” at the 1991 Melbourne Fine Food Expo. Their passion for food and the organic industry rewarded the family yet again at the 2007 Inaugural Melbourne Organic Expo, receiving 3 out of 4 awards.
Through this experience, Steve and his wife, Janet, both cultivated a common vision of making healthy, clean and fresh organic food more accessible to the public.
This vision inspired them to step away from farming and towards opening up their retail store, Ladybird Organics, in Moonee Ponds at the beginning of 2015.
Although no longer offering strawberry picking, the farm still grows fresh fruit and vegetables and can be bought fresh from the store. Incorporating other organic produce, health food and personal care products, Janet and Steve have seen their vision come to fruition. Ladybird Organics makes the finest organic and fresh produce available to the public, delivered in that famous Skopilianos welcoming style.
Driven by the belief that “Food is Medicine” they continue the family tradition.