November 28, 2013
Growing The Burnett’s Red Earth Meadows farm at Memerambi was in the spotlight this week when officials from the Department of Employment dropped by to see how things are going at the South Burnett’s unique farming venture.
Growing The Burnett has a dream of making the South Burnett’s food production self-sustainable through small acreage farming, creating jobs along the way.
Project leader Brian Jarvis explained the history of the association to the visitors and its concept of creating “micro businesses” for individual growers.
“There’s a thousand opportunities for self-employment in microbusinesses out there,” he said.
Brian said an estimated 14 million kilos of food were brought into the South Burnett region every year.
“If we can have 10 per cent of that, that is a lot of microbusinesses,” he said.
The Red Earth Meadows farm was established in January this year and has already run a successful horticulture training program.
The graduates from the course have been share-farming the land, donated by Paul Turner.
They have been selling their produce at the farm and at the new Thursday Mid-Week Markets held in O’Neill Square in Kingaroy.
Brian said there was also other ideas in the pipeline, including plans to host Sunday morning breakfasts at the Red Earth Meadows farm once a month with markets and wine tastings.
It is also exploring a partnership with Cherbourg’s new “charcoal farm” which is being established to grow vegetables on raised hydroponic beds.
Related articles:
- Locals Star At Mid-Week Markets
- Senator Congratulates Graduates
- Horticulture Project Starts Growing
- Calling All Would-Be Horticulturalists!
- $66,000 Grant For Horticultural Trainees
- Workshop To Focus On Seed Planting
- Small Farming Draws A Large Audience
- Farming ‘Should Be Fun’
