Farm-gate trail heralds new era for Central Coast Plateau farmers
In an era where supermarkets dominate the grocery shop of many Australians, the farmers who produce it are reaching out directly to consumers, bypassing their supermarket overlords.
Central Coast
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Farmers are rising up and revolution is brewing on the farms of the Central Coast Plateau — a food revolution that is.
In an era where mass produced supermarket food dominates the grocery shop of many Australians, the farmers who produce that food are reaching out directly to consumers, bypassing their supermarket overlords.
A fledgling farm-gate-trail is underway on the plateau — another step toward turning the Central Coast into a premium food destination right on the doorstep of Sydney.
Central Coast Plateau Chamber of Commerce president Lorraine Wilson said the farm gate trail philosophy was about connecting specialist local farmers with consumers and giving people an experience not just of the food itself but of the processes involved.
“Up here on the Central Coast Plateau we are producing all kinds of things depending on the time of year — stone fruit and summer valencias are about to start and there’s avocados, vegetables, flowers — all sorts,” Mrs Wilson said.
“I think it is really important that we break that supermarket power that says they produce all the food and provide it to the consumer,” she said.
“The main thing is to have the public come to your farm and learn a bit about farming.
“Oranges don’t just grow on trees without human beings behind the production.”
The Central Coast Plateau farm gate trail currently has six local producers on board — including avocados, a mixed organic farm, flower growers and Mrs Wilson’s own third generation citrus farm.
“Each farm offers its own kind of experience and has it’s own way of doing things — some will have an honesty box — with their fruit ready for sale. On our farm we have people come in to pick their own oranges,” Mrs Wilson said.
Mrs Wilson said the farm-gate-trail would help to underpin the future viability of farming on the Central Coast Plateau.
TAKE A FARM TOUR
Virginia and Tony Mall of Grace Spring Farms signed up to the farm gate trail in the last few months but have been part of the planning of it since the start.
The farm is a small scale, chemical free operation producing grass fed beef, pasture raised chickens and ducks, seasonal vegetables and chemical free garlic.
“We started running tours in May — it’s going fantasticly,” Ms Mall said.
“It’s morphing as we find out what people want but at the moment we do school holiday and weekend tours which include a morning or afternoon tea,” she said.
“We also do a morning chores tour — people are just loving it. They turn up here at 8am with their little ones and come around with us while we do our usual morning jobs.”
Mrs Mall stressed however that it was not a “barnyard tour” it was a working farm.
Find out more about the farm gate trail at http://www.harvesttrailsandmarkets.com.au/farm-gate-trails/central-coast-plateau/
REGIONAL FOOD INITIATIVE
Regional Development Australia CEO John Mouland said the farm gate trail was one of many positive developments within the Central Coast Food Innovation Region Initiative.
He said the objective was to grow local jobs, boost the competitiveness of local businesses and encourage national and international trade.