July 25, 2013
Senate President John Hogg paid a flying visit to the South Burnett today to congratulate nine graduates from a horticulture training program run by Growing The Burnett Inc (GTB).
Senator Hogg’s appearance was part of a whirlwind tour of Queensland to review several recent, Federal Government-funded training initiatives on behalf of Employment Minister Kate Ellis.
At a special lunch for 50 guests held at Red Earth Meadows farm in Memerambi, Senator Hogg said he was “very impressed” with the level of community support that GTB had generated for the concept of making the South Burnett’s food production self-sustainable through small acreage farming.
He also congratulated GTB’s committee for helping to train future food farmers.
The Senator said that in his view, most people’s dignity and sense of self-worth was tied to their work. And one of the major evils of unemployment was that it stripped both these things away.
So he thought GTB’s aim of creating jobs in the region through small-acreage agriculture was a “very worthwhile initiative”.
GTB committee founder Brian Jarvis said he estimated the South Burnett would need 1000 small acreage farmers if it was to produce the 16 million kilograms of fruit and vegetables the region’s population consume each year.
“Today we’re graduating nine of them,” he said.
“We have a little way to go, I know, but it’s a start.”
SBRC Cr Barry Green said he’d first met Mr Jarvis “three or four years ago” and found himself agreeing with GTB’s aims and objectives very quickly.
“I’m a child of the 1960s,” Cr Green said.
“So I can see that what Growing The Burnett are trying to do makes good sense. And I congratulate them on what they’ve achieved so far. I think they’re on the right path.”
Senator Hogg then presented graduation certificates to the nine trainees, before accepting a gift basket of South Burnett foodstuffs from GTB Vice-President Ross Anderson.
Related articles:
- Horticulture Project Starts Growing
- Calling All Would-Be Horticulturalists!
- $66,000 Grant For Horticultural Trainees
