Small plot farming and premium value-added produce way to go, organic farming pioneer says

TASMANIA has a great opportunity to tap into small plot farming, a pioneer of organic farming says.

Innovative farmer Tony Scherer, the father of organic and sustainable farming in Tasmania, in his garlic patch at his Penna property, he is now is doing new projects. pic Sam Rosewarne

TASMANIA has a great opportunity to tap into small plot farming, growing quality produce for the premium end of the market, a pioneer of organic farming in California says.

Tony Scherer, who with a business partner established highly successful Frogmore Creek Wines, said many Tasmanian farmers were not going to get rich selling commodities, and should instead aim for premium value-added produce, end-selling it direct.

He grew up in California’s now-urbanised San Fernando Valley and in 1974 was part of a humble group of California Certified Organic Farmers. Organic foods is the fastest growing agricultural sector in the US, worth billions of dollars.

In 2011, Mr Scherer and researcher Dr Alice Percy founded not-for-proft organisation Sprout Tasmania to help small producers get their ideas into the ground and growing.

Sprout Tasmania is developing Fork to Fork as an online farmers’ market to give food growers the opportunity to post what they have for sale and provide them with an instant online presence where customers can read details of the grower and their philosophy of growing food.

MORE: FUNDS SOUGHT FOR NEW ONLINE FARMERS’ MARKET

Sprout’s third two-day cross-pollinate conference, themed People, Place and Provenance, will be in Launceston on November 4-5.

“It’s a great chance to have buyers and sellers together to exchange ideas and learn from each other. I will be there and have been through how direct marketing works,” Mr Scherer said.

He has recently returned from Sydney and said chefs there were interested in produce from Tasmania.

“They talk about how good it is, but we need to be able supply consistent high-value produce,” he said.

Using biodynamic methods, an extension of organics, he has moved into small intensive farming on about 3ha, growing Roja and Blush varieties of garlic, potatoes and vegetables. The garlic is sold to Hill St Grocer.

“It’s important to pick the right variety of seed. I hope to run workshops here so others can share ideas and learn about small intensive farming and get better returns value-adding with direct selling,” Mr Scherer said.

For more details about Sprout, visit sprout.org.au.

Applications for Sprout Tasmania’s producer development program close today. Click here for details on how to apply.