Fresh fruit and vegetables grown organically at a Mount Tomah farm are finding their way into restaurants and homes in the region.
Hawkesbury Hampers operator Aaron Brocken, who organises deliveries from farms such as this, said the Mount Tomah farm showed what could be done.
"To me, this place is like the Garden of Eden because of the knowledge I've gained working on it," Mr Brocken said.
He said Mount Tomah was good farming country because of its altitude, almost 1000 metres, and its soil.
"This soil is basalt, which is good because it is less porous than other soils and holds water better," Mr Brocken said.
"The red in the soil is because of the iron, which is also good for growth."
Vegetable and fruit patches, scattered between tall trees, grow mandarins, figs, potatoes, hazelnuts, grapes, plums, peaches and many more crops.
"We've started planting coffee here too," Mr Brocken said.
He said he was determined to show more farmers the advantages of organic methods and to use as few chemicals, such as pesticides, as possible.
He said chemicals damaged soil and could also eliminate useful insects.
"It's when insect pests, such as butterflies or aphides, reach plague proportions you get problems," Mr Brocken said.
"By introducing predatory insects, such as ladybugs and wasps, you keep the numbers down.
"A strong, healthy plant will also be able to resist insect attacks better, because of its stronger cell walls."
He also pointed to mustard lettuce among the crops, which resists pests such as the lace wing moth.
But his and Hawkesbury Hampers' vision extends further than these plantings.
"This arrangement is conducive to a network of small farms which can direct supply consumers," Mr Brocken said.
"A lot of farms are heavily invested with big companies, but it's possible to restore farms like this without going through the supermarkets."