About Us
CERES Fair Wood is a not-for-profit social enterprise that began operations in 2018 and is situated in Preston, Naarm on Wurundjeri Country.
CERES Fair Wood exists to change the way we think and connect with our timber supply. Championing transparency, Fair Wood acts as an honest broker of timber.
CERES Fair Wood was founded by architect Paul Haar and Chris Ennis who saw a gap in the market. Lots of farmers were growing trees on their land but had no viable way to get their timber to market. Fair Wood caters to a growing cohort of sustainably minded end users from architects, builders, landscapers, furniture makers and DIY’ers.
We also run a carpentry and fabrication business. Our carpentry team are highly skilled and talk to you like a human, read more about their work here.
We have been running a carpentry program for refugees for the past 18 months, read more about this program here.
These social enterprises form part of the purposeful trade of our parent organisation, CERES. CERES is an environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four locations, linked by the Merri and Darebin Creeks on Wurundjeri Country, Naarm (Melbourne).
The latest evolution of our work is developing and piloting an Urban Forestry Service (sawmill). An urban forestry service reimagines where forestry happens by bringing the sawmill into the city and employs highest and best use (HABU) principles that divert "waste" urban trees into ethical timber products.
Our difference?
With our short and transparent supply chains we make choosing sustainable timber & firewood easier for you.
We know where all of our wood comes from and we are able to tell you its exact source and history, we follow a strict timber selection criteria process. This is our difference.
We look forward to speaking to you about your next timber project.
What is CERES?
In 1982 from the passion and commitment of the local community CERES (pronounced ‘series’) was born on the banks of the Merri Creek – a 10 acre ex-tip site transformed into an organic farm, community garden, environmental demonstration centre and kids playground. Today CERES runs extensive environmental and cultural education programs for children and adults, with approximately 1 million people visiting the Brunswick East park, learning in affiliated schools or interacting online.
CERES is recognised as an international leader in community and environmental practice and has won many awards including the United Nations Australia World Environment Day Award and Premiers Sustainability Award. It proudly maintains its financial and political independence, largely through it’s social enterprises including Fair Wood (that’s us!), Fair Food Joe’s Market Garden, CERES Nursery, the Merri Cafe, and the Organic Grocery and Bakery. Find out about them all here.
CERES in Brunswick East receives around half a million visits per year, and reach nearly another million through their other locations, school outreach programs and online services.
The environmental education offerings at Brunswick East, in schools and online, are designed to reconnect people to each other and the Earth, developing the practical skills, knowledge, leadership qualities and community resilience that will be needed in the coming decades.
You can read more about CERES here.
We give thanks to Darebin City Council for their initial Pitch-It support as well as support given through their community grants program.
We also thank WWF Innovate to Regenerate Program for funding our Urban Forestry scoping study and Sustainable Table for further support.
