November 2, 2012

Organic farmer Ray Palmer will be sharing his passion for farming at the “The Future of Food in the Burnett” workshop which will be held in Kingaroy later this month.

Mr Palmer, from Symara Organic Farm south of Warwick, says one thing a lot of farmers don’t do well is work their lifestyle into their farm.

“The farm needs to be a fun place to work, somewhere the next generation wants to be, something the farmer enjoys,” he said.

Mr Palmer said the key to maintaining a passion for farming was to diversify.

“By making each day different to the day before keeps it challenging, exciting and a lot more fun,” he said.

“Good profits will come from diversification and building strong relationships within the community.”

The free workshop has been organised by local not-for-profit group Growing the Burnett inc.

It will be held in the Kingaroy Town Hall Supper Room on Saturday, November 10, from 6:30pm.

Other presenters include Alexina Johnson, the owner-operator of a successful agribusiness and chair of the “Seasons Of The Sun” Sunshine Coast Food and Beverage Group, and Ann Michael and Deb Davis, from Finding Common Ground Ltd.

Ms Michael said research carried out by Finding Common Ground on the Sunshine Coast and Mary Valley regions showed that the keys to a successful supply chain in the food production industry were communication and information.

“The study showed there was a demand for locally produced food that had a short supply chain and remained local,” she said.

Brian Jarvis will provide an update on the progress of Growing The Burnett Inc.

For more information, contact Brian on 0417-756-528 or by email

[UPDATED November 6]