But the most likely origin of hazelnuts consumed in Australia is somewhere far from home – the Black Sea Coast in Turkey to be exact, where 70 per cent of the world’s hazelnut crop comes from. In the year ending June 2020, Australia exported five tonnes of kernel hazelnuts, and one tonne of in-shell hazelnuts, but we imported a whopping 3,496 tonnes of kernel hazelnuts to feed our chocolate habit (most imports are used by mass-market confectioners). 

“There is a significant import replacement opportunity for Australian-grown hazelnuts,” explains Darren Baguley, the NSW Representative for the Hazelnut Growers of Australia.

“Most hazelnuts bought in-shell in Australia are imported from Turkey, a small amount comes from the US, and they are usually a year old. Australian hazelnuts are fresh and of extremely high quality – quality that patisseries, confectioners, hatted restaurants and consumers are all recognising.”

Darren Baguley, the NSW Representative for the Hazelnut Growers of Australia

“There is an even larger potential market for providing quality, fresh Australian hazelnuts to the northern hemisphere in off season – if we can get to scale,” says Darren.

Basil Baldwin’s hazelnut farm near Orange sits above three abandoned goldmines, and in the 20 years since he and his wife Jean established it, he’s seen a significant increase in demand. 

“We have 5,000 trees and this year we harvested close to 20 tonnes. I think the demand for hazelnuts has increased and so the price has also increased. The supply in Australia is very limited, and the imported product is generally inferior. For example, we supply to Scoop Wholefoods here in Orange, and they have our roasted nuts, and they have nuts from Turkey. And the Turkish nuts are rancid; they really are absolutely awful – there’s no other word for it. So there’s a very big opportunity for fresh, Australian-grown kernels.”

A leap ahead for the hazelnut industry

Hazelnut imports grew by more than 60 per cent from 1992 to 2015, so it’s no surprise that businesses have been exploring opportunities to scale up domestic production. In 2016, recognising both the domestic and international demand for hazelnuts, Italian food giant Ferrero – makers of global brands such as Nutella, Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Surprise – established the company Agri Australis in Narranderra in the Riverina region in order to plant and cultivate one million hazelnut trees.

In line with a global business approach to support the development of hazelnut cultivation around the world, including within the Southern Hemisphere, Agri Australis joins Ferrero farms in Chile, Argentina and South Africa that are beginning to supply an additional global harvest from February to March. 

Hazelnuts take seven to 10 years to come into commercial production, so Ferrero had to choose its Australian location well for such a long-term investment. Hazelnuts grow best in temperate areas, and Ferrero identified cultivation should take place between the latitudes of 30 to 45 degrees in the Southern Hemisphere. With its wide range of soils, transport links, access to regional skills and labour, and opportunities to scale up, Narranderra ticked all the boxes. 

“One of the largest confectionery groups in the world growing hazelnuts in Australia has been a massive boon to the industry. Its nursery provides scale if growers are willing to grow the varieties it favours, and it has increased the visibility of the industry at all levels of government,” enthuses Darren. 

Agri Australis’ first commercial yield is expected to be 5,000 tonnes in-shell, representing the majority of the industry’s rapid expansion in the coming years. Though, all Australian hazelnut growers are feeling the exceptional increase in demand. Craig Anderson, a grower from Southern New South Wales, asked that his business not be named as existing demand is so high and his orchard is still recovering from the bushfires. 

“We no longer have to approach potential new customers as we did when we started. Social media and word-of-mouth are enough now. We went from purely selling nuts in-shell, to supplying raw kernel, meal and roast kernels. Each was in response to customer requests.”

A global opportunity 

Between September 2019 and March 2020, Turkey made nearly US$1.65 billion in revenue from hazelnut exports, but growing instances of unseasonal storms, rising temperatures and an invasion of brown marmorated stinkbug are putting Turkey’s, and the world’s, hazelnut supply at significant threat. 

“Because there are very few pests and diseases that affect hazelnuts in Australia, they are easy to grow with minimal chemical use, giving Australian hazelnuts an exceptionally clean and green image,” says Darren. 

“Hazelnuts are a high-value tree crop with growers who are willing to value-add getting prices as high as $30 per kg. Support from the NSW Department of Primary Industries has been quite strong – there is a temperate nuts researcher who looks after hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts, and there are several hazelnut research plots in NSW. But Hort Innovation excludes the hazelnut industry body from matched funding on projects because it does not have a statutory levy, though previously it did match funds. The industry would like to see this reinstated.”

The demand for Australian hazelnuts is only going to grow in the decades ahead, and with more than a million hazelnut trees already in production, NSW is primed to lead the industry to a sweet future.

Can Australia make its own chocolate?

A report from 2019 revealed that Australians consume 32kg of chocolate per person per year, and there’s little doubt there would have been quite a bump in the past 12 months as so many of us reached for ‘comfort food’ during the ongoing pandemic. 

There are many chocolate manufacturers in Australia, but very few that can claim to be producing Australian single-origin chocolate. While hazelnuts are a significant part of the chocolate-making process, there is one ingredient that is even more vital – cocoa. 

Cocoa only grows in latitudes 10 to 18 degrees north and south of the equator, so while Pacific neighbours like the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have the perfect conditions, NSW doesn’t make the cut right now (though trials of controlled temperature cropping and cooler climate breeding programs could change that in the future). 

The best production potential for cacao in Australia is northern QLD, and parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Since 2010, Daintree Estates at Mossman in northern QLD is one of a handful of companies in the world that covers the entire chocolate supply chain – growing, harvesting, processing and marketing its own product range. Working with three different farmers in the tropical Daintree region, the business focuses on sustainability and using Australian sugar and ingredients to ensure the chocolate is single-origin and truly ‘local’.

Another QLD producer, Charley’s Chocolate Factory in Mission Beach, had its Mount Edna cocoa chocolate awarded as one of the 18 finest in the world in 2017 at the international Cocoa Of Excellence program in Paris – often described as the ‘cocoa Olympics’. Whether Australia has the ability to grow its own flourishing ‘tree to bar’ chocolate industry at scale remains to be seen, but with global confectioners turning their eyes to Australian hazelnuts, the potential for our own Willy Wonka empire to emerge from locally-grown products feels closer than ever.

If you enjoyed this feature on the hazelnut industry, you might like our story on NSW’s sugarcane industry.

The post Cracking open the hazelnut industry appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The RPA venture is one of dozens of examples of the Australian healthcare system attempting to push forward telehealth services and virtual care – something regional and rural communities had been crying out for long before the global pandemic changed everything. 

“The pandemic was the catalyst for fast and widespread adoption of telehealth to help protect frontline healthcare workers and help stop the spread of COVID-19, but to be honest it was about 10 years too late,” says Travis Brown, director of Instant Consult, an online platform. where patients can connect with qualified doctors, which launched in 2018. 

“Seven million Australians live in rural and remote areas and have limited options in finding quality and affordable healthcare. Given our vast land, Australia should be leading the rural telehealth space,” says Travis Brown,

Forced to act 

Australia’s federal government funds 42 per cent of all health services, and state and territory governments fund 27 per cent. As the federal government holds the Medicare purse strings, wide-scale adoption of telehealth services was always in its hands. 

With lockdowns and social distancing measures required to battle the pandemic, the federal government introduced 283 new (and temporary) Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth and telephone service numbers in March last year. Between then and 21 April 2021, more than 56 million MBS telehealth services were delivered to 13.6 million patients, and more than 83,540 providers have used telehealth services.

“The pandemic accelerated the uptake of telehealth, making it a necessity,” says Anita Mustac, co-founder of online psychiatric service Dokotela, which offers a collaborative care model with regional and rural GPs. 

“When we started, in 2017, there was a lot of resistance to telehealth, and people felt that face-to-face was the gold standard. But only 3 per cent of psychiatrists live outside major metro areas. There is a huge imbalance in terms of demand for psychiatric services in regional areas and the supply available. With the arrival of COVID-19, everyone has become more used to doing things over video conference, and I think they’ve realised just how effective telehealth is,” explains Anita. 

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in November 2020 nearly one in six Australians (18 per cent) reported using a telehealth service in the previous four weeks, and almost half (49 per cent) reported they were likely to use telehealth services in the future. 

A virtual opportunity

With the largest population of any state, NSW has the biggest healthcare scope – there are 150,000 healthcare staff looking after 8 million people dispersed over 800,000 square kilometres. For NSW regional and rural communities, the time and transport costs involved in accessing face-to-face health services can be incredibly prohibitive, and telehealth services are a welcome alternative option. 

Anita also sees one other major benefit to telehealth:

“The key advantage for rural and regional communities is the confidentiality. If you’re the local policeman or the local teacher, you don’t want to be seen sitting in a psychiatrist’s office waiting for an appointment because there is a stigma attached to mental health, which is unfortunate.”

“But with our collaborative care model, patients have the video conference with the psychiatrist in their GP office, and then the GP sits in for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Everyone attends their local GP with no stigma attached. I think removing that stigma really encourages people to actually access the service.”

A Macquarie University study found that with the introduction of the MBS telehealth numbers, between June and September 2020 telehealth made up nearly 30 per cent of all NSW weekly GP consultations, compared to telehealth consultations making up less than 1 per cent in previous years.  

Making rural telehealth a permanent solution

In addition to GP and psychiatric services, e-prescriptions, and more online radiology and pathology services, there is a raft of other telehealth services that are being scaled up across the state. The NSW Telestroke Service is being rolled out across 23 rural and regional NSW hospitals, linking patients with virtual specialist stroke doctors. And a team of physiotherapists based in Tuggerah on the Central Coast, is now helping with early diagnosis of cerebral palsy in babies by conducting a virtual Baby Movers program for families across regional NSW. 

However, there are still gaps in offering telehealth services in regional and rural communities, including the lack of reliable internet connection in regional areas, and the lower level of digital literacy in older Australians. 

Plus, in October last year, the Western NSW Local Health District came under fire when a woman bled out at a regional hospital as no doctors were physically present outside of business hours. In the new health district plan, only nurses will be on site outside of business hours, with doctors available via video conferencing – a step that has been deemed “dangerous and inappropriate” by GPs in the area. 

While regional and rural health districts need to find considered and appropriate models of healthcare that mix face-to-face and telehealth services, it’s clear that trying to wind back support on telehealth services now would be trying to put the genie back in the bottle. 

The current telehealth MBS numbers have been extended to the end of 2021, but the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practice have put their support behind making telehealth a lasting feature of our health system. Will the government listen? 

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and the Active Farmer initiative is tackling both. Find out more about it.

The post The rural telehealth revolution appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

It is predicted that there will be close to 10 billion people on the planet by 2050, and nearly 70 per cent of those will live in cities and urban areas. 

How can we expect to feed so many people nutritious, fresh food when the majority will be living so far from the source? 

“Globally, there is an increasing awareness of the need to find more sustainable ways of doing things, including farming; there’s a growing realisation that we need to ‘feed the world the smarter way’,” explains Paul Millett, co-founder of InvertiGro, a vertical farming business based three kilometres from Sydney’s CBD. 

“We will need to grow 56 per cent more food to feed the world’s population by 2050, and we will need to do this without using more land or water.”

Paul Millett, co-founder of InvertiGro

“Australia has always been the ‘lucky country’ when it comes to farming, but in the last few years droughts, bushfires, floods and COVID-19 supply chain disruptions have really highlighted the need to think more innovatively about the sustainability and reliability of our food production.”

A dry future

Vertical farming has exploded in recent years, especially in the US and Europe, and the global market is expected to increase from a value of US$2.23 billion in 2018 to US$12.77 billion by 2026. 

However, given our low population density and abundance of arable land, the Australian vertical farming market has been slow to take off – though all signs point to that changing in the years ahead. While vertical farming is known as a great way to make use of abandoned and unwanted urban spaces, its benefits really lie in the fact that it’s a form of controlled environment agriculture (CEA), where technology enables growers to manipulate a crop’s environment, such as temperature, humidity and pH, to the desired conditions.

“The reason I joined Sprout Stack was not about land, but about water. We don’t have an abundance of water in Australia, and vertical farming is a much more efficient use of both water and fertiliser,” says Hugh McGilligan, CEO of Sprout Stack, a hydroponic vertical farm based in a warehouse on Sydney’s Northern Beaches that grows 450 kilograms of produce a week (and demand keeps growing). Founded in 2016, Sprout Stack’s pre-packaged salad greens hit the store within 16 hours of harvest, and that freshness is hard to beat.

Vertical farming can use up to 95 per cent less water than traditional farming methods. Australia’s leading horticulture company, Costa Group, uses only 49 litres of water to produce one kilogram of their glasshouse-grown tomatoes, compared to 216 litres needed to grow them in the field. 

“Vertical farming is about maximizing outputs with fewer inputs and being more resource efficient.

“But we do borrow an awful lot from traditional farming – the more precise use of water, like drip irrigation, or the use of more intelligent and more restricted use of chemicals and fertilisers, all comes from traditional farming. I think what we could impart to traditional farmers is our response to consumer trends and customer demands.” 

Hugh McGilligan, CEO of Sprout Stack

Taking the complement

“In my opinion, the biggest advantage that vertical farming offers is the ability to grow your products so close to your customers. And chefs really appreciate their farmers,” says Noah Verin, owner of Urban Green. Tucked away in four basement levels below the Shelley Street office tower at Sydney’s Barangaroo, Urban Green produces 4,000 punnets of microgreens and herbs a week, including pink kale, spicy radish, coriander, basil and cabbage. 

“CEA is becoming more mainstream, but I’ve always said that vertical farming will complement traditional farming, never replace it. Why should it? It would be silly not to use the abundance of energy provided by the sun,” says Noah. 

“There could be partnerships between regular farmers and vertical farmers. For example, vertical farms are the perfect environment for growing seedlings, which could then be sent to the larger farm to finish growing. On a broader level, a lot of vertical farmers are new to farming, like me, and could learn a lot from traditional farmers.”

In addition to seedling propagation, vertical farms are already being used to grow livestock feed quickly and in large quantities, often using 95 per cent less water. A 1,000 square metre vertical farm would have enough output to feed hundreds of cattle per day – a particular advantage during a long drought season. 

“Vertical farming will never replace traditional farming as there are some crops that are better suited to different growing methods.” 

Paul Millett, co-founder of InvertiGro

“It makes sense to grow short shelf-life crops, such as lettuce, herbs, microgreens and other leafy greens, closer to where they will be consumed, to ensure maximum freshness and nutrition with minimal wastage. 

“At InvertiGro we see ourselves as supporting traditional farming, and there are many reasons why traditional farmers may want to incorporate indoor vertical farming technologies into their own operations, such as diversifying crops and protecting income streams.”

Of course, indoor vertical farming is a capital-intensive endeavour due to the high technology and energy costs, and it takes an average of five to seven years to see a return on investment. But there’s no denying change is coming. 

“We are a nation with a strong and proud farming identity,” says Paul. “There has, to date, been no real perceived ‘need’ to consider alternatives to traditional farming. But the technology behind vertical farming has the ability to deliver triple bottom-line wins (for people, planet and profits), and, as a result, the opportunities for indoor vertical farming in Australia are many.”

If you enjoyed this feature, you might like our story on the rise of native food production.

The post Vertical farming: a revolution in food production appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Using Kakadu plums, crocodile fat, pepperberries and dozens of other native ingredients in his cooking, the Danish chef managed to kick a burgeoning sector into hyperdrive, in the space of 10 weeks. 

“Chefs are always trying to find new products. When Noma came to Sydney they cooked with native ingredients and did all this crazy stuff, and chefs started to look around in Australia and go: ‘Oh my God! You can do all this stuff with these foods that have been here all along’,” says Claire Van Vuuren, head chef and co-owner of Bloodwood restaurant in Sydney’s Newtown, who has been using native ingredients in her cooking for many years. 

“It’s nice to use a product that is explicitly from the country you’re in, and that you can’t access in any other country,” adds Claire. “Obviously, Indigenous communities have been using these ingredients for thousands of years, but as readily accessible products, I think most have only been available in the past seven years or so. Each year it becomes more affordable and there are fewer and fewer reasons why chefs can’t have native foods on their menus.”

Native foods, 65,000 years in the making

There are 6,500 types of native foods in Australia, including plants such as bush tomatoes and warrigal greens, proteins like wallaby and green ants, and grasses such as saltbush. At least 1,500 native plants are used by Indigenous communities for food, and yet not one of the world’s top 150 crop plants comes from Australia. 

“To bridge a gap through horticulture, a starting point would be for non-Indigenous communities to engage with Indigenous communities across the country – inclusion of Indigenous peoples should be standard,” explains Indigenous chef Mark Olive, who has been showcasing native ingredients in his cooking, and on his TV shows, for three decades.

“The industry has changed massively in the past five years. Since the uptick in reality cooking shows, native ingredients have been featured heavily in challenges, and that has changed the way we engage with native produce.”

Mark Olive, aka the Black Olive.

“Once we have established an industry that is proud of our native fruits, seeds, nuts and proteins, then we can call what we have in our backyard an ‘Australian cuisine’, and that would unite a mass of people.”

Despite the incredible growth of the industry in recent years, research conducted by Bushfood Sensations in 2019 found that only 1 per cent of the industry’s produce and dollar value is generated by Australia’s Indigenous people. 

“I’m really passionate about farmers having respectful and meaningful relationships with Aboriginal people in their communities,” says Sharon Winsor, a proud Ngemba Weilman woman, and also the founder and managing director of native foods supplier Indigiearth. 

“There are lots of people who have produced native brands and who are using our knowledge to promote those products, but they have no real connection to Aboriginal people or community. We want people to become growers and create partnerships and have a meaningful connection with communities to be able to use those stories and use our knowledge.”

“Over the past 12 months people have really changed their mindset about what they’re eating, what they’re consuming, where their ingredients are coming from, and wanting to know what the health benefits of many foods are. I’ve seen the biggest shift in the past 12 months compared to the previous 10 years.”

Bush food boom

Sharon has been running Indigiearth in Mudgee since 2012, where she sells more than 200 products (her best-selling ingredient is lemon myrtle). Last year she opened her own café as part of the retail shop, where bush tomato quiches, lilly pilly cheesecakes and Kakadu plum smoothies can often be found on the menu. 

“COVID-19 has done the opposite for my business to what other businesses have gone through: I’ve experienced rapid growth and interest in what we’re doing. I opened up a bush tucker café in the middle of a pandemic, and that’s been going great,”reports Sharon. 

While the most recent statistics about the health of the industry are from 2010 and outdated, anecdotally nearly all those along the supply chain agree that demand for native foods is far outstripping supply.

“I grow three tons of lilly pillys [Australian cherries] a year – I could have sold 10 tons this year,” explains Rus Glover, co-chair of the Australian Native Food and Botanicals (ANFAB) national industry body.

“The demand is there because people are starting to understand that these foods are really healthy and they grow here. Expanding what people are actually eating is part of the ethos of the native foods industry; to help build its own momentum into the future.”

Sharon Winsor – founder and managing director of native foods supplier Indigiearth

Native foods and a sustainable future

Fifty per cent of ANFAB’s Board is Indigenous, and the organisation is committed to supporting growers and farmers and increasing Indigenous participation and leadership in the sector. 

“The first two things for farmers to think about is whether there is a market for the native they want to grow, and will it grow in their area. We then recommend that they contact their local Aboriginal corporations or Land Council to see if there are any opportunities to work in partnership with the local Aboriginal population,” advises Rus. 

Rebecca Barnes, director of Playing With Fire (another native food producer) has spent the past 22 years growing and manufacturing native foods including lemon myrtle, Davidson plums and finger limes. Based in Ballina, on Bundjalung country, Rebecca believes that many farmers can diversify their crops with natives. 

“We need more farmers – that’s definitely the push. Farmers should speak to their local Aboriginal Land Council, because they’re going to have some good advice on bush foods and what was traditionally eaten. They will very often support new businesses.”

Rebecca Barnes, director of Playing With Fire.

“Byron Shire Council has also funded a Farmer Liaison Officer position, and he has a very strong lean towards natives. He can see that there’s nothing stopping the average cow farmer putting in a paddock of lemon myrtle. Planting a mix is a good idea, and you don’t need a lot of land to get productive trees from the natives,” adds Rebecca. 

Australian native foods may have been in use for thousands of years by our Indigenous communities, but the moment has arrived for native foods to go mainstream. No farmer will want to be left behind.

Finger limes: Australia’s native caviar

Finger limes are one of the most popular native foods on the market, and they are originally from northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. They’re typically green-yellow in colour, but finger limes also come in vibrant crimson, purple and black varieties.

The flesh of the fruit has a caviar-like appearance. An easy substitute for regular lemons or limes, finger limes are most often used as a garnish or as a citrus hit in sauces, jams, dressings and beverages. 

“We freeze-dry all our products and sell them to Haigh’s Chocolates, Four Pillars Distillery and Cape Byron Distillery, among other major producers,” says wholesaler Sheryl Rennie, owner of Australian Fingerlime Caviar based in Bangalow in the Northern Rivers region.

For more than 20 years, Sheryl has worked with a group of nine growers with more than 11,000 trees to produce 10 varieties of finger limes for distilleries, breweries, food service, and chocolate and ice cream companies across Australia. 

“I’ve got a mixed orchard. Most growers in this area grow finger limes, Davidson plums and lemon aspen. All of our growers, we all do the same thing. We’ve got a regimen that we stick to and we’ve done okay for years with it. Bad quality fruit from backyard growers is a big issue right now – it leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths, literally and figuratively. But we’ve never had any rotten fruit or any fruit at all sent back,” says Sheryl.

Named after their shape, finger limes can grow up to 12 centimetres long. Today, all finger limes traded in Australia are cultivated rather than obtained through wild harvest. Like all citrus varieties, finger limes prefer well-drained soils. Trees begin producing fruit in the third year, but quantities remain limited until the fifth or sixth year, when they can produce up to 20 kilograms. 

“We’ve got great opportunities now in the native food industry, but there aren’t enough good growers. Farmers need to be pretty diverse in their cropping, and these plants are native to Australia, so they’re pretty drought tolerant. So, I think, in the future, more people need to plant natives,” says Sheryl.

If you enjoyed this feature on native foods, you might like our story on the Kids to Farm program.

The post Native foods: demand and diversification appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

In September, Hort innovation reported that in the previous year mushrooms had grown 7.2 per cent in terms of dollars, and 5.9 per cent in terms of volume. These figures are quite remarkable considering the number of mushroom growers in Australia is relatively small. 

“We have seen the mushroom industry consolidate since the 1980s when Australia had about 140 mushroom growers,” says Martine Poulain, Relationship and General Manager of The Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA). “By 2016, we had only 42 growers, and this figure has remained stable. But, our growers are still producing the same volume as when we had over 100 farmers.”

Commercial mushroom growing in Australia can be traced as far back as 1933, and mushrooms are now Australia’s sixth most valuable horticulture crop, and the third most valuable fresh produce item in the vegetable section of the supermarket after potatoes and tomatoes. According to the AMGA, more than 85 per cent of Australian households purchase fresh mushrooms regularly, with 55 per cent buying them at least once a week. 

Any disruption to the industry would be keenly felt by Australian consumers, and while mushrooms are grown indoors and aren’t impacted by seasonal issues like other crops, the drought has impacted the availability of straw – vital for making compost in which to grow the mushrooms – and electricity costs and labour prices have continued to increase dramatically in the past five years, eating into profit margins. 

“Australia’s producers of Agaricus bisporus currently produce over 70,000 tonnes of mushrooms annually at a farm gate value of over AU$440 million. As a highly labour intensive industry, those businesses rely on a workforce of over 3,500 employees working in a wide cross-section of roles. But the job the pickers do is vital to the reputation of the grower. If they do a rough job, 24 to 48 hours post-harvest you’ll see that damage,” describes Poulain.

NSW is the second largest producer of Australian mushrooms with 22,500 tonnes grown in 2018-2019, just behind Victoria’s 25,500 tonnes. However Australia’s largest privately owned mushroom business, operated by the Tolson family and producing 14 million kilograms a year, is based in NSW. 

A healthy mushroom industry

There are 14,000 known species of mushrooms around the world, with possibly another 150,000 yet to be named or described, and while they can differ radically in appearance, taste and growing method, there is one thing they all share – mushrooms are overflowing with health benefits. 

“The rise in health consciousness among consumers across the globe is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market here in Australia,” explains Poulain. “Owing to shifting preferences toward plant-based diets and vegan foods, mushrooms are being preferred as a protein-rich, vitamin-rich and mineral-rich substitute to meat.”

While the AMGA only represents those farmers that grow Agaricus bisporus mushrooms – the common varieties like button, portobello, cup, flat and swiss brown – alternative mushrooms, like king oyster and lion’s mane, are also surging in popularity due to their health benefits and ability to act as nutritious meat substitutes. A review of 5,000 global studies undertaken by Hort Innovation in July 2020 discovered that mushrooms are shown to reduce inflammation, increase fullness and reduce hunger, and improve gut health. 

“The immunity and health benefits of mushrooms, and their capacity to store Vitamin D (once exposed to sunlight), has meant that they are regarded as a super health food during this pandemic. Consumers are looking at their health more than ever and we have seen a solid increase in mushroom sales over 2020,” notes Poulain. 

New type of fungi

The AMGA claims that 90 per cent of people over the age of 25 either like or love mushrooms (only half of children do). Considering that in 2018-2019 Australia was a net importer of fresh mushrooms, with more than 82 per cent of imports coming from South Korea, there is plenty of room for new growers to enter the market, especially in the exotic and alternative categories. For instance, the reported neuroprotective properties of lion’s mane mushrooms have pushed its retail price as high as AU$85 a kilogram. 

While new technologies are creating more efficient mushrooms farms that can shorten cropping cycles and double production, mushroom roots and spores are also now being used for other innovations, like manufacturing ‘fungi leather’. Biodegradable, sustainable and ethical, fungal leather prototype products, including watches, purses and shoes, were released in the US, Italy and Indonesia last year, and are expected to be on sale soon. The industry has certainly come a long way since the canned mushrooms of the past. 

“There is no typical Australian mushroom grower. Our industry is made of a few large players, but our growers are mostly smaller, family-run, generational businesses, and the AMGA will continue to ‘promote and protect’ the industry and support growers in the future as we do today,” concludes Poulain. 

If you enjoyed this story on the mushroom industry, you might like our feature on the lavender industry.

The post NSW’s mushroom industry continues to grow appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

It turns out that this vibrant flowering plant has a very bright future. The global lavender oil market was expected to reach US$38 million in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, that figure has been revised upwards to US$54 million – a milestone it wasn’t supposed to meet until 2027. Due to its calming properties during these times of high, and prolonged, stress, Australian lavender farms have seen a huge surge in their online sales.

“What started as a cottage industry is now becoming more commercial,” explains Fiona Glover, Secretary of The Australian Lavenders Growers Association Inc. (TALGA).

“New farms are being established across the country on a larger scale than in previous years. Some farms are opening to tourists with a cafe and shop, whilst others are developing large scale farms for oil production.”

The demand for Australian lavender oil is 50 tons per year, but the country is a net importer, so there is definitely room for domestic producers to scale up production. The Australian Government believes enough in the industry’s growth that its AgriFutures Emerging Industry Program announced in September that it’s investing in a five-year research project to understand how to optimise lavender production across the country. The program only invests in rural industries it believes can reach, or exceed, AU$10 million in revenue by 2022.

“TALGA has received many enquiries this year about planting lavender in NSW,” says Glover.

“From the Upper Hunter Valley across to the coast, these regions vary widely in their soils, temperatures and climate and this will affect the variety of lavender grown, and TALGA can offer support and advice.”

With the industry ready to take a big leap forward, we spoke to three NSW farmers about their current challenges and future opportunities. 

Sharon Bailey, Little Willow Lavender, Willow Tree, NSW

We planted our first section in 2014 and, after the drought, we are now replanting our fields with lavenders propagated from our surviving plants. We are also taking the opportunity to trial a few different varieties with a much longer flowering season, so visitors can enjoy the fields when visiting our farm shop. We also plan to produce our own product line, open a cafe on the farm and hold events.

At the start of 2020 we experienced a drought never before seen in our region and we lost most of our crop in one month – five years of hard work just gone. Lavender, thankfully, lasts for many years as a dried product. Then COVID hit, but online sales have been steady since as people are turning to lavender for the calming benefits.

In the five years since we first planted we have been contacted by businesses overseas interested in having us supply product. Moving forward we expect worldwide interest to increase. When we attended our first Australian Lavender Conference in March 2019 it was interesting to see the number of younger generations starting in the industry.

Sharon Goldsworthy, Snowy River Lavender, Avonside, NSW

We are a boutique operation with a 50 acre planting. We direct sell to clients and do not seek to bulk on-sell or wholesale our essential oils. Our interest is in regenerative and ecological agriculture and how lavender and other aromatic plants can assist in increasing the fertility of the land we farm while also bringing in a farm income.

Climate change and its varying impacts on the seasons is definitely an issue that has increased over the 20 years we have been growing lavender.

Agritourism is a big opportunity, and the direct selling of our products through our own retail facilities, both on-farm and online.

Louise Bickerton, Blue Mountains Lavender Farm, Little Hartley, NSW

We planted our first lavender varieties in November 2018 and subsequent plantings in 2019 struggled as rainfall dropped to historic lows. Although lavender is one tough herb, it still needs regular water during the early years. My business plan has been critical and with the launch of our online product range soon, including body care, lifestyle and sleep aid lavender products, I am optimistic of a positive reaction.

There are two main challenges – longer, hotter, drier seasons with unpredictable and severe weather events, and the lack of experienced specialist lavender tube stock suppliers who can guarantee quantities required for large scale commercial enterprises.

There is huge scope for the lavender industry in Australia to expand production and increase our share of supply of lavender oil to world markets. Lavender is a specialty high-value crop, just like wine grapes and olive oil, but it is still mainly a cottage industry in Australia. But, it is also an industry where smaller artisan farms, like ourselves, can contribute to regional diversity and retail product offerings that are highly attractive to tourists.

Five fun facts about lavender

• Lavender originates from the Mediterranean region
• Lavender derives its name from the Latin ‘lavare’ meaning ‘to wash”
• The history of lavender dates back 2,500 years
• The ancient Greeks called Lavender ‘nardus’, and it was one of the holy herbs used to prepare the Holy Essence
• Lavender is part of the mint family

If you enjoyed this feature, you might like our story on the garlic industry.

The post Australia’s lavender industry is booming appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

“Another factor is an increase in the number of marketing groups working between the farmer and the wholesalers. This has given farmers more time to concentrate on what they do best, and has given our industry a better pricing system.”

In 2018-2019, the NSW oyster industry produced 76 million oysters worth $59 million at the farm gate. While three species of oyster are grown in NSW – the Sydney Rock Oyster, the Pacific Oyster and the native, flat oyster – the Sydney Rock Oyster accounts for over 90 per cent of production in the state. Importantly, the Sydney Rock Oyster can live out of water for up to three weeks – longer than any other oyster variety in the world. This means that fresh, unfrozen product can be available across Australia throughout the year.

“Over the last 10 years there has been a high turnover of farms to younger people with a whole new perspective on farming and how it can be made into a viable business,” explains Shane Buckley, Owner and Operator of Wapengo Rocks, Australia’s first organically-certified oyster farm.

Known as the ‘canaries of the waterway’, oysters are an excellent indicator of estuary health, and oyster farmers are often proactive environmentalists.

“Emphasising the sustainability of our practices and the quality of our product has changed public perception of the industry, resulting in an increase in farm gate returns. This has allowed farmers to reinvest in their farms, further improve their practices and continue to farm in a sustainable framework,” continues Buckley.

Murky waters ahead

Given the revitalisation of oyster farming in recent years, there was reason to hope that 2020 was going to be landmark year for oyster farmers. But the compounding crises of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 have proved an overwhelming challenge for many.

“Drought on the land is also a drought in the water,” laments Henry, who sold 40,000 dozen oysters in 2019. “Lack of water flow reduces food sources in the estuaries, increases salinity and water temperature, and, in some cases, estuaries shoal and close. This can slow the growth rate of oysters and cause increased mortality.”

Each female oyster can release up to 20 million eggs, but only 0.1 per cent survive, so if conditions aren’t optimal it can be hard to see decent growth. Smoke and ash from this year’s bushfires caused major water quality issues for many oyster farmers up and down the coast, and tourists fled in their thousands so the usual holiday trade collapsed overnight. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australian shores.

“Due to lockdowns, there was no longer a market for oysters as wholesalers and restaurants were closed. As the lockdowns eased there has been a slow return to sales, but not in the same numbers,” says Henry. In June, the NSW Government announced a $9 million support package for NSW seafood industries, including $2.1 million in fee waivers and rent relief for the Aquaculture industry. But, long-term problems still remain.

“With farmers not being able to sell their oysters they are faced with the added problem of stock. Sydney Rock Oysters have a three-year growth cycle. But, if you haven’t sold this year’s stock, you don’t have enough infrastructure and leased area to restock. This will cause an issue in three years’ time as farmers won’t have stock to harvest.” 

Oysters on the homefront

Despite the rollercoaster ride of 2020, oyster farmers have a lot to look forward to this summer season. With imports down due to COVID-19, there’s more room in the holiday and festive market for domestic product. “If everyone does the right thing around the COVID-19 situation I believe business will be great over the summer, especially on the local market level,” forecasts Buckley.

“A lot of people will holiday domestically within NSW, predominantly on the coast, so there will be a great opportunity to support the local economy with seasonal products like oysters. But, the challenge within the industry will be to maintain farm gate prices and not end up in a desperate discount war to off load product.”

Additionally, Oysters Australia has been working with farmers to make progress in the premium ‘at home consumption’ market, shifting the perception of oysters as an expensive indulgence when dining out, to one about creating ‘special moments’ at home. “Many farmers have become quite innovative, using social media to target specific markets and thinking of other ways to move their stock, like home deliveries. There is generally a feeling of optimism for the coming year,” notes Henry.

What 2021 will bring is still uncertain, though Buckley believes this may be the time for NSW to look beyond its own backyard. In 2014-2015, Australia was exporting close to 500,000 oysters, but in the past financial year it was just over 100,000.

“The future for oyster farming is very exciting. The sustainable food movement is surging and Sydney Rock Oysters are touted as being the golden egg of oysters worldwide. I see a very commanding place for us in the export arena. Not to say that the domestic market isn’t strong and bounding ahead, but to be able to have our beautiful oysters on an international stage is an opportunity not to be missed.”

If you enjoyed our story on oyster farming, you might like to read our feature on the garlic industry.

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But our love of garlic far outstrips what we grow domestically, and consumer expectations that it should be available year-round means that at least 80 per cent of garlic sold in Australia is imported, overwhelmingly from China.

In fact, after tariffs were removed in the mid-1990s, the local garlic industry was all but destroyed by cheap imports, retailing for as low as $2 a kilogram – five times less than Australian garlic at the time. The industry collapsed, and it’s taken decades for it to recover.

Quality over quantity

“The tricky thing for the garlic industry is still the cost of imported garlic,” says Thomas Christie, owner of Four Acre Farm, near the town of Dungog in the Hunter Valley. “So it depends on what customers are after, and if they’re prepared to pay a bit more for something that’s locally grown and ethically produced.”

Garlic is the biggest crop on Thomas’ farm, and along with his wife is producing roughly 10,000 heads of garlic per year across two varieties – Southern Glen and Italian Purple. Like many small-scale growers, Thomas mostly sells direct-to-consumer through farmer’s markets and online.

“While people are interested in the organic growing process, the comments I get from customers the most are about the taste and flavour, and saying how much they enjoy it compared to other garlic,” confirms Thomas. “People says it’s not only stronger, but the taste is more complex, and each variety will change in different ways as you cook it.”

The Australian Garlic Producers group reports that China uses a range of chemicals on its garlic that are banned in Australia, and often bleach the bulbs to ensure a spotless white colour, reducing the garlic’s flavour and intensity. This means the average Australian shopper likely doesn’t know just how great garlic can taste.

“There’s always been a demand for either organic or chemically-free garlic, or garlic from smaller growers such as myself for the restaurant and café trade, and the farmer’s market trade,” explains Dougal Munro, owner of Boutique Garlic.

Dougal began growing garlic 10 years ago on his family’s farm in Springside just outside of Orange. He grows 39 varieties at last count, and produces 40-50 tonnes of garlic annually when the farm is working at full scale. In recent years, a lack of water has meant planting a full crop hasn’t made sense, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought its own challenges.

“For smaller operators our usual customer base, like cafes, haven’t been open or operating, because they’re basically in survival mode,” says Dougal. “But it’s quite a versatile crop and people are only just starting to realize that. People are processing their own garlic products, pre-packaged or preserved, like minced garlic in a jar, right through to people making black garlic. I am looking into value-added products as well, with some chef friends of mine, using some of the by-products of the garlic plant.”

A black future

With the difficulties of scaling up or down to meet the domestic demand for fresh garlic, niche and value-added product markets are a key opportunity for small-scale Australian garlic growers. The health benefits of garlic are widely documented, and while products like garlic oil are slowly making their way on to the market, it’s the ‘superfood’ black garlic that is making headlines.

Incredibly popular in China and Korea, black garlic looks the same as regular garlic on the outside, but on the inside the bulb is entirely black. The cloves are less pungent and have a sweet, caramelised flavour. Sold for roughly $180 per kilo, compared to $30 for Australian garlic, and $10 per kilo for imported product, black garlic has a profitable future.

“Black garlic is not a variety of garlic, but a process whereby regular garlic is held at low temperature and high humidity for 30-plus days. It is an on-trend superfood, high in antioxidants. It adds umami depth, especially in plant-based diets and is gluten-free and vegan friendly,” enthuses Cathy Owen, Founder and Director of Garlicious Grown – Australia’s largest producer of black garlic.

Working as a rural doctor in Braidwood, Cathy met her co-director Jenny Daniher on the sidelines of their sons’ football field, and saw the potential to create something new with their local garlic crops. Just five years into their business they already sell their products (including cloves, paste, dressing, aioli and powders) across Australia, with their biggest customer being the Hello Fresh meal kit company, and export to Asia and the Middle East.

According to the Australian Garlic Industry Association, Australians consume only 2,000-4,000 kilograms of black garlic a year, classifying it as a micro market.

But Cathy sees lots of drivers pushing the market forward.

“With the rise of TV cooking shows and high-end foodie magazines, premium ingredients are a key focus for consumers today,” she says. While more restaurants are using black garlic in their dishes, growth will stem from food trends, and with Summer just around the corner, and gatherings likely to be outdoors thanks to COVID, we’re excited to introduce the world to our picnic-worthy essentials, like black garlic paste or our black garlic white balsamic dressing.”

That’s not to say that 2020 didn’t throw up some trials for Garlicious Grown.

“Several of our garlic growers were burnt out by the bushfires, but the rains of February 2020 allowed them to put in another crop this year – they are a resilient bunch!” Cathy says. “And the rains have eased the burden of attempting to grow garlic in the drought of previous years, as good garlic does require adequate moisture to produce quality.”

And while COVID brought the immediate loss of significant food service trade, Cathy’s company focused on recipe box services and sharpening marketing plans to include a heavier focus on direct-to-consumer trade. “Sales have been booming,” she confirms.

Garlic is a crop Aussies will always want, and with the next planting season just around the corner, there are plenty of opportunities for NSW farmers to turn a profit. Whether it’s organic, locally-produced, or value-added, Australian-grown garlic is finding new ways to stand out from the imported crowd, and the results couldn’t be tastier.

If you enjoyed reading this trade story, you might like our feature on beef jerky and biltong.

The post Australian garlic’s bright future appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

“People have a misconception of what agritourism is – their immediate thought is it’s all about farm stays,” explains Rose Wright, Managing Director of Regionality, a business development consultancy that recently partnered with the NSW Government to pilot a new agritourism trail with nine farms in Liverpool Plains.

“Agritourism is any tourism-related experience or product that connects agricultural products, people or places with visitors on a farm or rural land. It could be tastings, tours, events, nature-based tourism, or a farm-based store – it doesn’t have to be complicated. People want authentic experiences, and it helps them to understand the importance and the value of agriculture.”

Wright estimates it can take 6-12 months to get everything in place to start an agritourism business, but says the key is understanding how any venture complements your day-to-day farming business. “You should see agritourism as a way to add value, diversify your farm and to create a pathway to market for some of your products. It is a way to connect to your consumer.”

We asked two NSW agritourism businesses to share their paths to success, and their thoughts are below.

Trish Feuerherdt: Orange Grove Gardens
Culcairn, NSW 

We originally bought the property as a land extension and it had the added bonus of a beautiful homestead and old English-style gardens.

Functions and events have been running for 10 years now, and the accommodation concept started three years ago. Guests enjoy learning about the reality of life on the farm, and being able to see different activities such as shearing, calving and harvest at certain times of the year. The lifestyle fascinates people. 

The council was great with the process of regulations and supported us getting it off the ground. The expense of the set up and infrastructure was a challenge, as was taking small steps at a time to make sure we had a market before over committing. The functions and events were shut down with COVID-19 in March, but now that the border region has been expanded bookings have already started to increase.

I would advise other farmers to keep it simple and use your own experiences. What you do on your farm is your biggest asset and it is the reason people want to visit you.  

Kristen Edmonds, Camyr Allyn Homestead
Hunter Valley, NSW

The business was developed after my father died in 1985. My wife Janet was an avid quilter and she suggested inviting other quilter friends to stay in groups in the homestead. This was successful and other groups stayed for painting and rehabilitation. In 2005 we applied to extend the homestead and the range of activities increased to include photography, art, business conferences and homestays. 

We currently have guests returning annually for more than 20 years. Our guests love the open spaces, wildlife, fresh air and quiet environment.

The challenges have included training and retaining suitable staff, securing council approval to extensions, and complying with changing government regulations. Our business vanished in March with COVID-19, but enquiries have increased since June and reservations have started to come in now. We are confident of a strong recovery. Our emphasis now must be on social distancing, cleanliness and sound management practices.

My advice to other farmers would be to plan to take advantage of the demand that is already apparent, and be conscious of the need to build your reputation, as word of mouth is the best form of marketing. There is no quick return on money borrowed, so budgeting and cash flow management is an essential part of the operation. 

Rose Wright’s 5 steps to setting up an agritourism business

1. Develop your idea so it adds value to your core agricultural business. It can’t be just about making money – you need to understand why you are doing it.
   
2. Get council approval. Make sure you have everything you’re doing in writing and approval from local government – your venture is not worth losing your farm over.
   
3. Learn and understand who your consumer is. You’ve got to really understand how the tourism industry works and how you are going to develop that authentic experience to appeal to your core consumer.
   
4. Value your time when developing your business plan. There’s only one of you and you’ve really got to make sure that you’re investing your time in the right way to get a return on investment.
   
5. Market your agritourism business. Lots of people will tell you it’s easy, but tourism can be incredibly time consuming if it’s not planned and designed well.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like our story on Norco dairy farmers receiving record milk prices

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Despite Australia’s wool-producing flock being less than half of what it was in 1990, before COVID-19 the Australian wool industry was bringing in an average $3 billion in exports. But, wool prices dropped 35 per cent in 2019-2020 and the industry saw a comparable drop in value, grossing only $2 billion.

“The biggest challenge has been worldwide demand and consumer confidence,” says Andrew Wood, Chair of the NSW Farmers Wool Committee. “If people can’t get out and shop, and if they are uncertain about their jobs or their health, they’re not going to be spending normally. Thus retail sales have been hit very hard.”

A shifting market

While wool has long had a foothold in the luxury market, with brands like Chanel and Burberry embracing fine Merino wool, it has also been a staple of a classic piece of work attire – the not-so-humble suit. With much of the world no longer heading into a corporate office environment every day, and people shying away from discretionary spending, the wool market has slowed down considerably.

“We must be smart about when and where we actually spend woolgrower funds, and this is especially the case with our marketing activities at the moment,” explains Stuart McCullough, Chief Executive of the Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), a woolgrowers not-for-profit enterprise that traditionally spends 60 per cent of its budget on marketing, and 40 per cent on research and development.

“Given the drop-off in consumer spending across the globe, I asked our marketing teams in March to stop any expenditure on projects that relied on face-to-face shopping. We also stopped all our marketing demand creation projects in the Northern Hemisphere for fear that they won’t yield,” notes McCullough.

“The pandemic has impacted some countries more than others. At AWI, we are looking to identify markets and sectors that will recover quickly and drive demand as we come through this unprecedented disruption. I think China, in particular, has got the potential to recover most quickly, which would be great news due to the size of its economy and its importance for Australian wool as both a big consuming and processing market.”

In fact, as India and Italy closed their borders to Australian wool markets during the pandemic, 77 per cent of the 272 million kilograms of wool grown in Australia in 2019-2020 was exported to China. While there are growing concerns about relying too heavily on one market, there aren’t many options for the industry at the moment, and a recent order for 8000 bales of greasy wool for police uniforms in China only increases ties with the country.

The wool industry’s alternative future

In addition to a renewed interest in using wool for protective clothing for people in the military and first responders, like firefighters and police, Merino wool has been in high demand in the ‘next to skin’ sport and athleisure category in recent years.

Breathable, fashionable and biodegradable, global brands like Lululemon and Nike use Australian Merino wool blends in their collections. Plus, a recent partnership between Adidas, AWI’s marketing arm, The Woolmark Company, and the Boston Marathon raised considerable awareness of wool’s technical benefits in overseas markets.

“Everybody wants to keep exercising and look after their own health, and that has led to an enormous move towards sports wool,” describes Wood. “In this pandemic, one thing people can control is their ability to exercise. You’ve got to stay positive and everybody seems to be wearing a lot more casual wear and next-to-skin products while working from home. So it should be a real bright area for the wool industry moving forward.”

Most sports and athleisure brands have e-commerce platforms, and so AWI has been focusing their marketing on those partnerships.

“There is a lot of uncertainty about the market outlook at the moment and so we have set up a special business intelligence unit dedicated to collecting information to help us during this unique global situation,” exclaims McCullough. “This will enable us to begin releasing marketing funds again in the most effective manner – at the right time, in the right locations, with solvent business partners, and in optimum retail sectors.”

AWI have also moved many of their membership services online, including business workshops that have become online webinars, shearer and wool handler trainings have been rolled out as online videos, and an online auction platform, called WoolQ, was launched to complement the open-cry auctions that did remain open during lockdown. 

A side of meat

Of course, like many things during the pandemic, timing has been everything to the wool industry. “It was fortunate the pandemic hit during the spring season of our all-important northern hemisphere markets, rather than the high turnover autumn and winter seasons,” explains McCullough.

While growers wait and hope for the global wool market to rebound as we head into 2021, many have turned to the meat side of the industry to keep them going. With lamb and mutton finding their way more easily onto ‘essentials’ shopping lists, prices remain high. In 2017-2018 lamb alone accounted for around 7 per cent, or $4.1 billion, of the gross value of Australian agricultural production.

“Farmers are asking – do they sell or reduce their stock numbers? Because wool prices have eased, but sheep meat prices have been very strong,” notes Wood. “Sadly, some people are still experiencing drought conditions, but others have had a break and have ceased hand feeding their sheep, which is a great relief. “Farmers have to decide how to allocate their resources to their best financial advantage. So when you make a commitment to the wool industry, it is a longer-term commitment and a long-term investment. So, you want to do it as well as you possibly can.”

Five fast facts about the wool industry

• Australia has approximately 73 million sheep
• Wool comprises only 3 per cent of the global textile industry
• 90 per cent of the world’s apparel wool is produced by Australian merino sheep
• Australia has 2,800 shearers – five times fewer than 30 years ago

If you enjoyed this story, you might like our feature on Australia’s rice industry.

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