“The garden acts like a stomach,” Field & Fin owner Daryl Byrne tells Broadsheet, reaching into a raised bed at his outdoor garden restaurant and pulling out a ball of clay the size of a marble. His hand-built horticultural system catches water from the roof, which flows down to fish tanks, gathering oxygen on the way. After picking up nutrients, the water makes its way to the planters. If it’s not clear, this isn’t your average Marrickville venue.

The casual restaurant – in the inner west’s industrial heart – is also an aquaponics farm, fitted with a collection of repurposed and found items: zig-zagging PVC pipes that direct rainwater from the roof; big tanks full of maturing bass and silver perch; a humidity-controlled shipping container doubling as a mushroom-growing room. And it’s all to support ecotourism in Papua New Guinea.

“It has no soil, just water and these clay balls full of tiny holes that create an environment for a microbiome. That takes the waste from the fish tanks and breaks it down one level to make nutrients for the plants.”

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Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, cabbage, spring onions and garlic have been harvested, and there are pear, pistachio, plum, apple, cherry and citrus trees in pots. In the 18 months since he built the ecosystem, Byrne hasn’t added chemicals or changed the water – or even topped it up. He expects that, later this year, the fish will be plate-sized and ready to fillet, serve whole or make into ceviche, and there are freshwater mussels, yabbies and prawns incoming.

But what makes this farm extra special is the hospitality aspect. From Friday till Sunday, Field & Fin is also a community-minded bar and restaurant. Opposite the sea life swimming in the tanks, a bar runs the length of one shipping container – with $10 Sydney-brewed beers and a tight list of cocktails and wine. Seating fills the middle of the concrete space, and a raised platform with a drum kit and PA system creates a stage for regular live music. In the outdoor kitchen, the handmade woodfired oven – named Gordito – pumps out pizzas and a grill supports.

“We fire up Gordito on Friday nights doing pizzas, and Saturday morning when it’s still hot, we cook breads for the weekend and roast vegetables. It’s farm food, hearty stuff. There are also tortillas on the Saturday “stuff with bread” menu: brisket, pork, smoked barramundi and cheese boards. Sundays are about small plates, using up whatever is left over.”

Byrne isn’t in business for money’s sake. Field & Fin is dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment. “Food miles in Australia are massive: 70 per cent of the cost and pollution comes from trucking things in. Mushrooms are imported from China, herbs come from all over. We’re not a big operation; I’m trying to fix my own pocket. It doesn’t take one person doing everything perfectly. It takes everyone doing their tiny bit.”

Field and Fin is open seasonally, from September to March, and much of its profits go to Explore PNG, Byrne’s remote wilderness ecotourism business and its conservation projects.

“We support 25 kilometres of reef, five islands, a marine sanctuary, an eco-lodge. We work with the traditional owners of the land, helping to cycle fishing grounds and protect the habitat. PNG is where I found my heart.”

Field and Fin
11 Gerald St, Marrickville

Hours:
Fri 5pm–late
Sat 4pm–late
Sun 2pm–9pm

fieldandfin.com.au
@fieldandfinsydney

Additional reporting by Grace MacKenzie.