It’s one thing to love feeding people – it’s another entirely to care so much about what they eat, that you grow the produce yourself.

Such was her passion for food, that’s exactly what the owner of beloved Thai restaurant Chat Thai has done. It’s changed the ethos of the business, which first opened in Sydney in 1989. Today, there are five eateries, and if you dine at one of those venues, you might be lucky enough to taste the gorgeous organic produce farmed in the Byron Bay hinterland.

To learn more about her desire to feed her own family and her customers with food grown with care, Palisa Anderson of Boon Luck Farm shares her story.

Palisa’s mother started the Chat Thai business, but the family certainly did it tough, working long hours, often living in small confines. As a result, Palisa was always drawn to open spaces and gardens.

“As soon as I’d come home from school, I’d throw my bag in the house and I’d be out there talking to my chrysanthemum,” she laughs.

Palisa often helped her mum pick herbs and learnt how to store them properly. It wasn’t until she was in her late 20s that she came back to join the family business, after living abroad, but she says, once you grow up in that world, it never truly leaves you.

It’s a rabbit hole. Love drives you there first. Then, it’s the constant curiosity of refining your practice.

Feeding the world

The restaurateur turned farmer is driven to grow sustainable food that is good for the soil, and a nutritional powerhouse for her family and customers.

“This whole misconception about how we feed our population on earth if we don’t farm in big ag ways. I believe that’s a misconception,” she shares.

Palisa admits the work is physically demanding. Just before this interview she describes being covered in sweat, down to her socks. That is a challenge, as is the mental load. But in her opinion, that’s what makes it so rewarding and meaningful.

You need to be strong. You need such grit and backbone.

Growing their own produce has really elevated the Chat Thai restaurants. Palisa and her children choose to eat there a lot, and she’s proud of that.

“I see it being plated and there is such a grounded sense of – I grew that, we grew that.”

“I have found meaning in the process. It’s what drives us. It’s really our why.”

Growing their own ingredients has also opened access to specialty Asian vegetable varieties. Boon Luck Farm is proud to produce, spray-free, sustainable, no-till produce.

She’s faced weather extremes and weed explosions but has stuck with her preferred methods. It’s taken many seasons of adding organic matter, planting perennials, along with inter-rows and layers of trees among the vegetables to achieve adequate yields.

Then, there’s the “igloo”. A purpose-built structure to grow food perennially. Palisa finds it allows crops like African Horn Basil, Beetle Leaf and Cumin Leaf to thrive. The structure has sensors that control how much light and heat the plants are exposed to. The igloo being such a carefully controlled environment offers ideal conditions for seedling propagation. The crops are now safe from weather extremes, rats and even snakes hiding in the beetle leaves.

You live, you learn, you practise, you learn. And you try to do better next season.

Farming is relatively new to Palisa, but she says despite all the books and the courses out there, she mostly learns from being out on the farm.

“Nature shows you. And the lesson that gets repeated is, the land wants to take over, but it will also throw some gifts to you.”

One recent gift Palisa recalls is her inability to grow tomatoes that culminated in an unseasonable, and unexpected spontaneous crops of Cherokee Rose tomatoes.

Palisa is constantly trying to replicate the specific flavours of native Asian vegetables, grown in Australia. The chillies are spicier, and the herbs have more bite. That’s why seed is so important to the success of the farm and the restaurants.

“In a way, by going forward, we are going back in time.”

While Boon Luck Farm looks idyllic and perfect, Palisa says it’s not glamorous and she’d love to see governments recognise the work of small farmers.

She wants others to be drawn to this truly special lifestyle if we are to find a solution to feeding the world.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Fortune favours the brave: Boon Luck Farm appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Pickles and McDonald’s are a long-standing partnership. But many of us may not have thought about how those perfect circles are grown, fermented, sliced, and finally, served up on your burger. Incredibly, there is just one family responsible for all those Maccas pickles Australia-wide. The Parle Family has been producing pickles for the fast-food chain, on their farm in Griffith, NSW for over three decades. Operations Manager, Ben Parle, is here to share the story of the famous Parle Pickle.

The Parle journey with McDonald’s has become a vital partnership for this small Australian family business. There’s no doubt, the contract means they a bound to the highest standards. “They say the first day you miss supply is the last day you supply, and we’ve never missed a supply,” Ben shares. Meeting those deadlines though, has taken commitment and unrelenting quality. Ben recalls, “When the McDonald’s contract first came about, we were thrilled. It was a game-changer. Even in tough times, McDonald’s stuck with us – as long as we could supply.”

What makes a Parle Pickle?

A pickle is more than just a vegetable; it’s the result of an exacting process. “We’re monitoring everything. It’s a bit of an ancient science,” Ben explains. The cucumbers are grown and harvested in the summer months, but the real magic happens when they’re fermented in brine.

“A gherkin is a special variety of cucumber. It’s an immature cucumber designed for the fermentation process.”

Ben describes it like this: “A good pickle isn’t just about the cucumber itself – it’s about the brine and the fermentation. The brine pulls the flavours from the cucumber, and then it’s all about controlling the temperature and timing to get the perfect flavour and crunch. If you do it right, it takes about four to six weeks.”

Once the fermentation is complete, the cucumbers are pulled from the tanks, washed, sliced into those signature circles, and packaged. “Then we send them out in kilo packets and off they go to McDonald’s, ready to be placed on burgers around the country,” says Ben.

The farm grows enough cucumbers during summer to keep McDonald’s supplied year-round. “It’s around 1,800 tonnes annually, so it’s a consistent demand.” It’s a delicate balancing act, ensuring that the quality remains high, and the supply is steady.

Overcoming setbacks

In the early 2000s, the Parles started a rapid expansion into frozen foods, but it created financial struggles. “We got into frozen corn, beans, and other products. It grew too fast, got out of hand. The business was nearly broke,” Ben shares.

Despite these challenges, their McDonald’s contract kept the family afloat. “We had a rough patch, but we never missed a delivery,” Ben explains. “McDonald’s could have easily walked away, but they didn’t. As long as we could supply, they stayed loyal.”

Ben, who joined the family business at 17, remembers his first job: “I wasn’t coming in to save anything. My first job was sorting pickles on the conveyor belt. We just slowly, slowly grinded away, and eventually, we got back on our feet.” It’s incredible to think he’s now Operations Manager. That certainly was never part of his plan as a child.

“For a long time, I wanted to do anything but be a pickle farmer!”

While the highest-quality cucumbers make it to McDonald’s, the rejects are put to good use. “The ones that don’t make it to McDonald’s go into cattle feed,” says Ben. “The cows absolutely love them. They’re full of water, and apparently, they chase the trucks down the road when we’re tipping off the pickles. It’s pretty funny to see.”

Recognition: A humbling award

In 2023, the Parle family was awarded McDonald’s Australia Supplier of the Year. Ben remembers, “We’re a small business. There are 114 McDonald’s suppliers. Most of them are big multinationals, so winning that award felt absolutely wild.” It came as a complete surprise. “They emailed my dad and said, ‘We want you and Gaye and Ben to come down to Sydney,’” says Ben. “Dad said, ‘Oh, Ben will go.’ Then they told him, ‘Tony, you’re going to win.’ He didn’t believe it at first. It was really nice recognition after all these years.”

“We’re a small business. 10 staff. We’re pretty much a mum and dad operation.”

Despite the scale of their operation, the Parle family has always kept the business light-on employees. “We’re a small operation, and we like it that way,” says Ben. “People often think we’re much bigger because of the volume we produce, but we’ve always kept it personal and hands-on. That’s important to us.”

Ben enjoys the satisfaction of working on the farm. “I love the outdoors, working hard, and working with my hands. There’s something satisfying about being completely exhausted at the end of the day, knowing you’ve worked hard and made a difference,” he says. “Watching the land change through the seasons, from seedlings to lush green paddocks, is the most fulfilling part of the job for me.”

Looking ahead, Ben remains committed to sustainability. “As farmers, we’re at the mercy of the weather, government policies, and the market. But we can influence a lot of things,” Ben reflects. “We’ve always tried to do right by the land, and that’s what we’ll keep focusing on as we look ahead.”

And no surprises when Ben is asked what the best part of a burger is – extra pickles all round!

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post In a Pickle appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

There are few things more disappointing for a farmer than growing produce that can’t be sold because of aesthetic imperfections. Food waste is an issue that affects many primary producers, but with better technology and some entrepreneurial minds, that may all soon become very avoidable.

Second Squeeze, as the name suggests, is a business offering a second life to perfectly good food, that would otherwise be destined for landfill.

Co-founder, Brent Beauchamp says waste also happens in hospitality and hotels – so there’s a huge demand for better utilising unwanted food.

Second Squeeze turns produce like lemons and strawberries into syrup, bananas into flour and hot crossed buns into liqueur. The applications are inventive and seemingly endless.

“We see things like conjoined bananas, which are absolutely beautiful on the inside but unfortunately, they get identified as ugly,” Brent explains.

“We can turn them into something that has a tangible value.”

Our banana powder is gluten free and has a wonderful taste and texture. My mum’s a celiac, so she loves it.

Brent says some customers with wheat intolerances are using the banana powder as a flour substitute.

“I’m not a food guy, but when foodies look at these things, the makeup of conventional wheat flour and banana flour are very similar. The dried banana flour actually has a smell like when you open a box of teabags,” he laughs.

Endless opportunities

Brent encourages anyone wondering about the need for these products, to carefully have a look through the supermarket aisles. He’s been blown away to see how many products have either a syrup or powder base – things like cordials, ice creams, yoghurts, cheese, cakes.

“Anything in a box on a shelf has some sort of flavours.”

We’re able to offer something that has no colours, preservatives, or additives and is made using processes that were discovered hundreds of years ago.

Second Squeeze has reimagined those processes and added a modern-day twist. Cutting edge science is helping to refine those methods in collaboration with the CSIRO.

“Our only issue now is letting the world know that we exist because there’s nothing out there like it,” he shares.

Second Squeeze founders believe it’s a win-win situation for farmers, making some money from produce that consumers wouldn’t buy in its current form.

“We feel their pain because it’s their time, their resources, their effort. At the end of the day, their bottom line.”

One of the start-up’s most successful partnerships to date has been with OzHarvest. Both logos are emblazoned on cans of drink produced by Second Squeeze, the money from sales going directly to helping OzHarvest deliver a meal to someone in need. It’s a partnership that won the gaze of royalty when King Charles and Queen Camilla enjoyed a meet and greet with charity founder Ronni Kahn.

“There she was showing Queen Camilla our cans of drink!”

That was an opportunity to let the world know what we’re doing. Up until then, we’d been sitting back.

Brent says the highlight for him has been seeing farmers’ and consumers’ eyes light up when they sample the Second Squeeze delights – now he wants the world to light up at the thought of giving ugly food, a beautiful future.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Sweet success: Giving unloved fruit a Second Squeeze appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

The saying, ‘fit for a king’ denotes a product of impeccable quality. It’s not often it literally means a king will try it. But in this case, caviar and kings go hand in hand. For anyone not previously familiar with the sustainable Murray River Cod produced by Aquna, in the NSW Riverina region, it certainly came under a spotlight during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s recent visit to Australia.

Aquna CEO Ross Anderson describes the native fish as having a creamy white flesh and an unusually high fat content. “It’s pretty rare in the world to find a freshwater fish with very high levels of intramuscular fat,” he explains. Some of the world’s top chefs like Heston Blumenthal are fans, but the fish is just as enjoyable cooked on the barbeque with some lemon, pepper and salt.

“We tend to call it the Wagyu of fish.”

Taste aside, what’s turning heads is how the fish is farmed. Commercial fishing of wild, native Murray Cod is banned due to overfishing in the late 1800s to early 1930s. Aquna instead uses innovative open ponds. Those ponds are home to the perfect balance of specific algae, which keep the water healthy. The alternative would be indoor tank-based systems, which Ross argues have a large environmental footprint due to cooling, heating and filtration. He says the recirculated water permeates the flesh of the fish. “Have you ever bought a cheap barramundi somewhere that had a muddy sort of mushy flavour? It’s terrible. What we do is, put our fish in a native pond and try to mimic nature,” he explains. To look at the Aquna ponds, they are a muddy green colour, produced by a living culture in the water that consumes all the fish by-products.

“From green, muddy coloured water – you get this clean, white, pristine flesh.”

The farm even caught the eye King Charles and Queen Camilla who met Ross at a community barbeque in Western Sydney, during their tour of Australia. The Royal couple showed an interest in the company’s sustainability measures and even requested some samples be sent back to Buckingham Palace. “They took with them some Aquna Gold caviar, which we’re proud to say is the rarest caviar in the world.”

“We produce our fish in a self-contained pond, in the floodplains where they originally came from. So, we’re a long way from the native waterways.”

Aquna is also proud of the fact that no waste ever leaves the property. The nutrient dense water from the ponds is used to irrigate crops and pastures on adjoining fields. “The water is in fact used twice,” Ross proudly shares. They also have a restocking program where more than 200 000 fingerlings were released into the Murray-Darling Basin in 2019. But over the years, the company estimates they’ve added more than 1 million baby fish into the river system.

“We believe we improve the environment rather than detract.”

Ross believes many of us would be surprised to learn that of the fish farmed around the world, 85% of it is farmed in land-based systems. “It’s by far the most long-lived and sustainable model. It’s been happening in Asia for thousands of years.” Ross feels the farmed fish industry does suffer the misconception of being lower quality. “I think a lot of that stems from the fact that about 75% of the barramundi consumed in Australia comes from Southeast Asia. That’s all farmed. It comes at a cheap price to match the quality.”

“Our fish is not cheap because it’s farmed in Australia to the highest standards. From the time it’s hatched until the day it hits your dinner plate, we can tell you what it’s been fed, what’s been in the water and how it’s been treated.”

The next step in the journey is to build up stock after a challenging COVID shutdown and focus on a breeding program with the CSIRO which will focus on the company’s very own strain of Murray Cod – the Aquna.

For those of us who won’t be attending Buckingham Palace for a taste test with the Royals, you can check out the Aquna website for a list of stockists, which does include major supermarkets in selected suburbs.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Caviar and Kings appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Pivoting from a career as a dancer to a dairy farmer, isn’t the most linear path. But it’s landed one young woman in a place where she feels right at home. Celina Pellett suffered a debilitating injury – a broken back – and it caused a rethink. She’s now thriving working among the cows in the NSW Gloucester region.

Celina is happiest among the calves in her new job, “I’m a sucker for little babies. That’s a special part of it, being around all the calves,” she shares. Little did she know at the time, but her love for these beautiful animals is in her blood. It turns out, her great grandparents had a dairy in New Zealand.

Dreams of dancing

Growing up though, her passion was dance, competing in Australia, and overseas in Los Angeles as a ballerina. That all came to an end after a shocking accident on a family holiday.

“I decided to do one of the activities that I grew up doing as a kid. So, we went mountain biking for the day. On the last run of the day, I was doing something I’d done 50 000 times growing up. But forgot about the blind jump at the bottom and ended up landing on the back of my neck with the bike on top of me,” she recalls.

I found out I had three compression fractures in my lower back and a cerebral spinal fluid leak in the back of my neck.”

That was the end of competitive dancing for Celina. She faced a tough time in her life where she was no longer dancing professionally, it was Covid, and her parents wanted to move to the country. Celina didn’t want to spend lockdown alone in the city, so she joined her family in their new venture, owning the Hidden Haven Retreat at Barrington Tops, north of Sydney.

“I was making beds for a few months with that. That was not going so well. I was not enjoying it at all. It wasn’t for me.”

I ended up going into town and asking around for a job. One of the local dairy farmers was willing to give me a go. Cows were not on my radar at all.”

Thankfully they took a chance on Celina because she really found her feet, and for someone who had never been around cows before, it wasn’t easy.

“I was terrified of cows for the first few days!”

Celina describes herself as having an ‘understanding’ of cows now, rather than feeling at ‘ease’ around them. Her work has stood out among her peers with Celina named as Hunter and Central Coast Trainee of the Year and NSW Women in Trades recipient for 2023.

Celina’s roles have included milking, looking after the calves, as well as drenching and vaccinating.

“No two days are the same,” she says. When she’s not out on the farm, Celina loves working as a role model for other young people who might be considering a move into the sector. She has spoken at high schools, including her own, about her career change.

“If you like something, you can just go and do it. If you want to change careers because you don’t like the one you’re in, you’ve got that option.”

Celina now laughs that she used to think all you could do on a dairy was milk cows.

“I thought it would probably get a bit boring! But there’s such a variety of jobs. You don’t have to be a milker. We need tractors, farmhands, mechanics.”

Celina hopes to one day soon board a plane and visit dairies in Europe to learn how they operate over there. Turns out a career in dairy could be as international as one in dance.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Dancing into Dairy: outstanding in a new field appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

How does someone who spent their childhood in the middle of Geelong City in Victoria end up, not just working in agriculture, but literally getting her hands dirty at some of the country’s most remote cattle stations?!

Zoe Carter is using her incredible story to encourage others to do the same. She is a valuable advocate for life on the land, highlighting both the romantic moments of county life but also the truth. To help others make the leap into agriculture a little easier, she’s the driving force behind online platforms Young Aussie Farmers, and more recently, Agriculture Jobs Auswide.

The idea is to help people just like herself. As a student, she loved animals but was discouraged from a career in agriculture by a career advisor.

“She said to me, agriculture’s for old blokes, and there’s not much money in it.”

Zoe found a middle ground in the horse industry, but a shocking accident soon put an end to that too.

“I had a horse flip over on top of me, shattered my pelvis, broke my spine, had some minor brain issues, and got a lot of PTSD out of that,” she shares. It was a devastating blow for someone, who at 17, found out she had hip dysplasia. Despite many surgeries, Zoe still suffers chronic pain.

Incredibly, she regained her confidence, and ventured out to a merino stud, where she met a life changing mentor.

“He was an older fella, and it did take me a bit to kind of crack through that shell. I used to ask him a lot of questions. At the start, he kind of hated that but by the end, he’d pull me aside and point things out and wanted to educate me.”

“It was just finding that one person who was keen to educate me, teach me, and send me on my way.”

That opened up a new world to Zoe, who went on to secure yard work, rousting, driving trucks, being an outback ringer and livestock handler. All physical jobs, that have taken a toll on her already fragile body.

“I have the drive to want to do it, but my body just can’t keep up with me.”

Instead, she’s now funneling her energy into helping others find their way in the industry, launching Agriculture Jobs Auswide.

“It’s a job board essentially that covers any role that falls under the ginormous umbrella of ‘agriculture’,” she explains.

“There’s a lack of knowledge about where to find these jobs.”

Zoe argues that there’s not a lack of workers wanting to get into the industry, it’s that they don’t know where to look for work. The types of jobs she’s seeing are diverse, from being a governess, to cooking and then all the outdoor jobs that one would expect. Some require experience, other farmers are happy to take novices and offer training.

But she stresses that you need to start at the bottom and work your way up.

“If we want to see skilled workers over the next 5 to 10 years, we need to start training them now.”

Zoe would love to grow her business to become a one-stop shop for people looking for work, and people looking for workers. Ultimately, she’s hoping to buy land to offer in-person courses like cattle handling. And if you do see Zoe in a teaching role, it couldn’t be further from the image her career advisor painted of old blokes running the industry.

Zoe is a young, capable and dynamic woman, hoping to shape the next generation of agriculture workers.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Creating Country Careers appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

It’s a big call to leave the familiar comforts of life in the city for the wide-open spaces of farm life. But it’s even tougher to make the move in the middle of crippling drought. It was harder than Kaitie Nash thought, much harder, and that took a toll on her mental health. Social media became a way to connect and build an online community. She’s also since improved her farm skills too, and directly prior this interview, had been out mending fences.

Kaitie was a city girl, who was offered an opportunity she couldn’t refuse. Her husband’s family purchased the neighbour’s property and asked them to join the family business near Coonabrabran in country NSW.

I think I had an expectation of everything being very much what you see on Farmer Wants a Wife. And you can imagine how disappointed I was that it was not that!

Instead, Kaitie watched their cattle getting thinner as they waited for rain.

“Looking at what actually goes into keeping these animals alive, but also trying to keep them thriving as well as trying to keep yourself thriving. It was just huge. Like it was unreal,” she shares.

Kaitie remembers so many surprises, like turning the tap on and finding there was no water because the pump had broken down, using the dishwater on the plants to keep them alive, realising that all the fences you drive past in the country were actually built by someone.

Over time, I definitely deteriorated, especially with my mental health.

Kaitie felt the weight of the isolation, the drought, and adapting to a new way of living. She remembers if she had those feeling in the city, she’d take herself down to the local coffee shop.

But here, the local coffee shop is 100 kilometres away. Kaitie managed to find her way to the other side of those feelings and now is very much at home on the farm. However, she uses social media to share the truth about country life and is a sounding board for others who are experiencing similar challenges.

“People who are in farming, they know and understand it. But for those who don’t know, or understand, I want to give them an insight.”

Kaitie is still awestruck at how much goes into farming. The science from studs, to cropping blows her away.

“I thought, you put it in the ground, it rains, and it grows, but it doesn’t!”

There are pests, storms, and so many other variables.

Some days are incredible. And other days, you feel the world is against you.

What makes the fact that Kaitie is still on the farm even more impressive, is she was bitten by a snake in the early days. After being unable to reach her husband, she ushered her children inside the house and managed to call an ambulance. It wasn’t until her husband saw the lights and sirens from afar, that he realised something had happened. Thankfully, it was what’s called a ‘dry bite’, which means there was no venom,

“I was very lucky,” she recalls.

Kaitie is on a personal mission to meet as many first-time-farmers in person as possible. She wants to build something her children are proud of, and help others along the way.

To connect with Kaitie, you can find her on Instagram @kaitie_nash.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post First time farmer appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Vegetables are an essential for all of us. But it’s easy to forget that the big, bright and beautiful produce which fills our shopping bags, all starts with a tiny seed. The key to growing veggies all year round in different climates comes back to genetics. It’s the kind of science that gives cauliflowers UV protection or even turns them orange or purple.

Plant scientist, Eliza Seymour develops seeds to suit every climate in Australia. She’s even transplanted herself from Darwin to Melbourne to pursue her career in agronomy. For Eliza, everything in farming comes back to the seed.

“The seed is where it all starts,” she says with passion.

As an expert in vegetable genetics and seed breeding, Eliza knows that the right seed has the potential to shape an entire crop’s future. From improving flavour to enhancing disease resistance, the right genetics can make all the difference. Her job revolves around developing seeds that not only meet the needs of farmers but also improve the efficiency and sustainability of farming practices.

A blooming career

Eliza’s journey into agriculture wasn’t a traditional one.

“I didn’t come from an agricultural background,” she explains. Her fascination with plants began in high school, where she became “obsessed with plant science” and certainly stood out from the crowd.

“I didn’t realise everyone didn’t have this strange obsession like I did,” she laughs. This fascination led her to study plant science and accounting at university.

“I wasn’t entirely sure about a career in agriculture, so I thought I’d balance it out with accounting just in case,” she says, smiling at her decision.

“In hindsight, I probably should have gone for agribusiness instead of accounting, but it was a good balance. The plant science kids were pretty kooky, and accounting was very black and white.”

Despite her early uncertainty, Eliza has found a fulfilling career in the agricultural industry, having now spent five years immersed in seed breeding and plant genetics.

“I love being in this industry. There’s so much to learn, and every day brings something new,” she shares.

“I feel lucky to be in an industry where people are genuinely passionate and excited about what they do.” Although she didn’t grow up on a farm, Eliza quickly adapted to the rhythm of agricultural life.

“I feel like I’m an aggie person now,” she says, referring to herself as a proud member of the agricultural community.

Everyone’s been so welcoming, and it’s been great to see how intelligent and skilled farmers are in their work.

In her role, Eliza works closely with farmers, testing new varieties of crops in real-world conditions.

“It’s all about trial and error. When we test new seed varieties, we start small—sometimes just 50 plants—and track how they perform,” she explains. “Over time, as the data comes in, we decide whether to scale up. It might take two to three years before a variety is really ready for farmers to adopt it.”

It’s a process that demands patience, but the end result can mean improved yields and higher-quality produce. For instance, Eliza is involved in breeding crops like tomatoes and broccoli, both of which require careful selection.

“Farmers are always looking for new varieties that are resilient against diseases or pests. A lot of the work I do is focused on breeding plants with disease resistance built in,” she says.

Challenges constantly cropping up

One crop she’s particularly focused on is spinach, which faces challenges from downy mildew.

“Every year or two, a new race of this disease pops up, and it’s been evolving for decades,” Eliza explains. “The breeders have to keep up, constantly developing new varieties with resistance to the new strains of mildew that show up.”
In addition to breeding disease-resistant crops, Eliza’s work extends to improving the harvesting process.

“Broccoli is still hand-harvested in Australia, and it’s a labour-intensive process,” she explains. Broccoli plants grow with their heads sitting low to the ground, meaning workers must lean over to cut them.

“The stems are thick and strong, and most of the broccoli you see in stores is actually more stem than flower,” Eliza continues. “It’s a physically demanding job, with workers often hurting their backs from bending over for long periods.” To address this, Eliza is involved in developing a “high-rise” broccoli variety.

“We’re working on broccoli with longer stems, so the heads sit higher off the ground—around 50 centimetres rather than just 20 centimetres. This way, machines can harvest the crops more efficiently, and it will reduce the strain on the workers.” Though still in the trial phase, Eliza is excited about the potential for these changes. “It’s a game-changer for labour efficiency on farms, but like with all breeding work, it will take time to get it right.”

Insights on the internet

Beyond her work in the field, Eliza is passionate about educating the public on the science behind farming and seed breeding. Through her TikTok account, “Need for Seed,” and her Instagram, she shares insights into the vegetable world and the complexities of plant genetics.

“There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes in farming and seed breeding. People don’t realize how much science is involved in growing the food they eat,” she says.

“I love sharing that knowledge and showing people how fascinating agriculture can be. It’s not just about food—it’s about the science that makes that food possible.”

Her TikTok videos cover everything from cauliflower breeding to the processes farmers use to ensure quality crops. She’s built a platform that makes the complexities of agriculture accessible to everyday people.

“Consumers are becoming more interested in where their food comes from and how it’s produced. I think we’re starting to see more of a push for transparency in the food industry,” Eliza says.

That’s a huge opportunity to educate the public and show them the work that goes into producing food sustainably.”

Eliza’s ultimate dream for the future is to continue in both the technical side of breeding and the communication side of agriculture.

“I want to keep learning and growing in my career, but I also want to continue using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to raise awareness about the importance of seeds and breeding in agriculture,” she says.

“It’s not just about producing more food but producing better food that can withstand challenges like disease and climate change. The future of food security depends on understanding the science behind what we’re growing.”

As for where Eliza sees herself in future, she’s open to new opportunities.

“The sky’s the limit. I’m only five years into my career, so there’s a lot more to learn, but I’m excited to see what the future holds. Whether it’s in breeding, educating the public, or a combination of both, I’m ready for the next challenge.”

For now, Eliza is focused on her mission to help farmers thrive and to continue educating the public on the world of agriculture.

“It’s an exciting industry, and I feel lucky to be a part of it,” she says.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Need for Seed: From Little Things, Big Things Grow appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

We learn early on in life that good food promotes health. But what’s not so simple is how many of those nutrients we absorb, or what impact the way something is farmed has on the quality of the produce.

Nicknamed ‘The Simple Scientist’, Dr Anneline Padayachee has a bit of a superpower; being able to break down complex research to help consumers make better choices. Farmers are among her favourite people, for the role they play in providing us all with important nutrients.

Dr Anneline is a wealth of food facts, like how Egyptians discovered sourdough bread by accident; or that the bacteria present in yoghurt eat lactose, therefore making it a more easily digestible form of dairy than milk. But food scientists have a far-reaching job from food safety to product development or creating new products.

“It’s important to remember, we eat food not nutrients. No one sits down to a plate of pills.”

Dr Anneline finds our obsession with things like protein powders and collagen supplements can be a distraction from what happens on farm.

Farmers are the start of it. They create food.

“Farmers are the start of it. They create food. They create nutrients essentially. What happens after it leaves them, it could be modified, transferred or changed. But what farmers create right from the get-go, they are the creators of nutrients, edible nutrients,” she explains.

When looking at food, Dr Anneline recommends analysing three key things:

1. Nutritional Composition – low, medium or high.
2. Your Digestive tract – does the food agree with you, allowing nutrient absorption.
3. The 80/20 Rule – 80 per cent nutritious food, 20 per cent fun

If the food is nutritious, but there is a problem with the individual’s digestive enzymes, that would be a good place to start looking before resorting to dispensing vitamins, according to Dr Anneline.

Processing food

Dr Anneline also shares her concerns over the NOVA classification that grades processed foods. A classification of 1, for example, is unprocessed. A classification 4 is ultra processed.

“The theory behind NOVA is, the more processed a food is, the worse it is for you. That is actually extremely simplistic,” she shares. Cooking meat is a form of processing, so too is milk pasteurisation.

“The most processed food in the entire world is baby formula because it must be for such an underdeveloped digestive tract. That doesn’t make it bad. Yoghurt and bread are processed foods – they could be a category 3, as are jellybeans and cookies. Nutritionally, they’re completely different.”

Dr Anneline suggests looking at the total quality of the diet. A bowl of porridge in the morning, a salad and protein for lunch and roast veggies at dinner coupled with a sweet treat before bed, gets a big green tick from her.

“You can actually have lollies and marshmallows in your diet. Yeah, I said it! The problem is, are you having them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

“Right now – fat is evil, sugar is bad, protein is the best thing since sliced bread. Let’s get some balance back into the debate.”

A positive trend, Dr Anneline has noticed, is the consumer’s interest in where their food comes from.

She loves learning about regenerative farming practices and sustainability innovations happening across our country.

This is a great opportunity for farmers to be repositioned as the creators of nutrition.

“This is a great opportunity for farmers to be repositioned as the creators of nutrition. You cannot take the farmer out of that equation. They are the start of the health cycle.”

Some take-home advice from Dr Anneline is to eat the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, white.

“I don’t need to give you the details of why it’s good for you. But if you eat colour, you’re getting that assortment.”

And finally, she says, eat the treats. “The emotional side cannot be discounted. Any birthday that doesn’t have cake is just sad!”

Food is a field that impacts every single one of us, but breaking it down can be complex. Thankfully, Dr Anneline, “The Simple Scientist” is happy to do the hard work for us. She points out that if our car breaks down, we take it to an expert in mechanics, unfortunately if someone has a concern about food, they don’t do the same thing.

“And that’s a car, which is so much cheaper in value and easily replaceable than the human body.”

If Dr Anneline achieves her ultimate goal, of making a food documentary, we’ll all have a lot more access to her insights, keeping food science as simple as possible.

As always it’s important to seek individualised nutritional advice from a qualified professional.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Food scientist: farmers are the start of all nutrition appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

No farming background? No worries. That’s the attitude one young couple from NSW is taking in their unique business. After purchasing a mountainous, overgrazed and neglected 100-acre property in Putty, just a couple of hours outside Sydney, they are on a steep learning curve. And they’re pulling it off beautifully, producing cattle, pigs and chickens with regenerative agriculture at the heart of what they do. Sam Rayment and Liz Ferrone say that’s just the start, hoping their farm eventually lives up to its name, becoming a true food forest.

The couple moved to the farm in 2021 and initially held on to their corporate jobs whilst they built their business. Sam works in engineering and Liz is a dietician. His interest in animals and her interest in food ignited a passion for farming, but there were challenges.

We didn’t even know a farmer at the time.”

“We didn’t have anyone in our family with a farming background. We’re not intergenerational farmers. We didn’t even know a farmer at the time,” recalls Sam.

But the couple investigated permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and direct-to-consumer models that allowed them to believe it was possible after all.

Sam and Liz were living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches at the time and got into gardening, aquaponics and keeping chickens in their urban life. “We also found we were just not happy in our careers,” he says.

With the help of Youtube and expansive reading, they decided to take a leap. They bought a property within driving distance of Sydney, so they could keep their jobs, whilst they learnt how to farm. Finally, in August 2023, Liz was able to make farming her full-time job, and Sam hopes to join her soon.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs. The house is still in need of more work, but we’re giving everything a go,” says Liz.

You put all those things together and we decided to take this big gamble and try something really new.

The couple started all this with just three pigs.

“We picked them up from Tamworth, put them in the back of the car and brought them to Sydney,” Liz laughs. “At that point, we just had a station wagon,” Sam adds. “We didn’t think too much about how we were going to get them back!”

We ended up with three large pigs in quite a large box, in the back of our station wagon. We never got the pig dust out of it.

They still have those three original pigs, but now there are 80 heads at current count. “What we’re doing is rooted in ethical, chemical-free, regenerative farming,” explains Sam.

Liz also believes focussing on quality food production is crucial, “We’ve got this food first approach in dietetics that I really champion. But we don’t think about what our food eats or how it lives.”

Selling direct to consumer has been a game-changer for the pair. They have a successful spot at Carriageworks Markets in Sydney but also now deliver nationwide.

We’ve been very cautious in our approach. We’ve only produced very small amounts of anything along the way.

Their next goal is to incorporate agri-tourism into the business. They are proud of the real connections they’ve made with their customers and wish to grow that even further. And expect to see more than cattle, pigs and chickens in the future.

“Our farm name is Hillside Food Forest, and we won’t have a forest yet. That’s something we’re working on,” says Sam. Stay tuned as they build their forest from the ground up.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post From Pigs in a Station Wagon to a Thriving Food Forest appeared first on AustralianFarmers.