Head Gardener

Head Gardener at The Agrarian Kitchen, Mitch Thiessen has a tangible passion for working outdoors and nurturing plants, coming from a long line of apple farmers from the Huon Valley. Mitch comes to gardening after years working as a qualified chef. His interest in quality, local food and regenerative farming led him to working with farming legend Tony Scherer of Rocky Top Farm. For almost four years he was mentored by and worked closely with Tony, learning many aspects of mechanical and hand-scale market gardening.

Mitch is a natural teacher, honed whilst working as a Kitchen and Garden Specialist within the MONA 24 Carrot Garden project, an initiative that connects primary schools with local food production. Mitch brings his great teaching skills to the kitchen garden tours where his passion is undeniable. Mitch’s deepest interest lies in building healthy biological systems, which are productive, but are also restorative and sustainable, an approach he has woven into the design of the kitchen garden of The Agrarian Kitchen.