Toowoomba TAFE produces crop inside farming hub from the future

Farming the future: Toowoomba TAFE, TSBE and hydroponic lettuce producer team up to deliver bumper crop for OzHarvest

An industry-first has been harvested at Toowoomba TAFE’s Rural Centre of Excellence vertical farming facility with the first industry grown lettuce crop picked from Australia’s first vertical training farm.

General Manager TSBE Food Leaders Australia Bruce McConnel said Friday’s harvest was exciting for a number of reasons.

“In partnership with TAFE we’ve been able to have an industry trial production of Fancy Lettuce through the modular farming facility here at the TAFE South West Queensland campus,” he said.

SEW GOOD: TAFE horticulture student Teresa Storey-Higgins in the grow pod at the Rural Centre of Excellence with lettuce grown in a joint research and development project between Yalara Hydrogardens, TSBE and TAFE Queensland. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“Today we’re harvesting the lettuce to donate to OzHarvest to ensure those in need around our community cannot only benefit from the research and development that’s taken place but also from the wonderful produce this facility has been able to produce.”

The Fancy Lettuce crop, known for its delicate appearance, was planted and cared for by Yalara Hydrogardens, a Darling Downs based traditional hydroponic lettuce producer owned and operated by the Cowie family since 1994.

The vertical training farm was opened last February with horticulture students since producing fruitful yields of a wide range of green leafy harvests, including kale and basil.

Harvesting the lettuce are (from left) TAFE Queensland South West general manager Brent Kinnane, student Aaron Payne and TSBE Food Leaders general manager Bruce McConnel in the grow pod. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr McConnel said the $150,000 vertical grow training farm was part of the $2.7 million Toowoomba TAFE Rural Centre of Excellence facility and represented the future of farming.

“Urbanisation of farming around the world is taking off … the ability to produce crops where you can’t normally do it such as out in far west Queensland and in the Northern Territory means reduced freight costs and the ability to create more employment opportunities.

“Facilities like this one will be key to producing good nutritious food into these communities and then producing it on scale.”

Mr McConnel said the Darling Downs was currently exploring agricultural investments such as medical cannabis and these industries showed this style of farming was what was being invested in would be a big creator of jobs in the future.

The trial Fancy Lettuce crop is the first time an industry producer has access the vertical farming facility, with the harvest donated to Toowoomba OzHarvest who will distribute the lettuces to members of the community who are struggling financially.

Picking up the lettuce to distribute across Towoomba are OzHarvest Queensland manager Anthony Dunne (left) and student Zaccory Bergmann. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Vertical farming involves growing crops in vertically stacked layers and incorporates controlled environments produced by a drip water and nutrient feeding system and controlled LED lights that mimic sunlight which can be altered to produce a range of summer and winter crops all year round.

TAFE horticulture teacher Peter Macqueen said the production potential was endless.

“This technology will certainly play an important role in the future of farming but I’m not sure if it will ever completely take over from traditional farming practices, but it’s fantastic for our students to learn all about the latest farming practices in a hands on environment.”

TAFE Queensland South West region general manager Brent Kinnane said it was a great opportunity for students to participate in an event where there was positive agricultural outcomes and to see industry involvement first-hand.

“It’s been great for the TAFE to be able to partner up with Yalara to produce this type of outcome for the students at well as for them,” he said.

TAFE students Grant Madill and Teresa Storey-Higgins in the grow pod at the Toowoomba TAFE Rural Centre of Excellence. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Cert III Horticulture student and fibromyalgia sufferer Teresa Storey-Higgins said she was intrigued by the new farming facilities and the opportunities it allowed to eager gardeners limited by health conditions such as herself.

“I feel like I’m studying an exciting and intriguing industry with lots of potential for older Australians and people who don’t fit into your typical farming environment,” she said.

“I love gardening but I’m never going to be able to keep up in a traditional production setting because of my fibromyalgia so I think the vertical farming facilities like the one we have here at the TAFE are right up my alley.”