10 Things to Know from QFF
1. QFF and other agricultural peak bodies have responded to the Federal Election results over the weekend following the re-election of the ALP and the Hon Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister. Listen to Queensland Country Hour here.
2. In response to the 2021 Carbon Method Review, CarbonLink has affirmed that the 2021 Method is robust, viable, and consistent with the Offset Integrity Standards. CarbonLink have also put forward practical, iterative improvements to operationalise the method for greater scalability and on-farm implementation. Read more here.
3. Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers have released a quick snapshot of their advocacy and project efforts in April including the ACCC Supermarket Inquiry Final Report, and changes to the Horticulture Award. View it here.
4. QFF joins our members and the National Farmers’ Federation in welcoming bipartisan support for a $2.5 million commitment to FarmSafe Australia to improve farm safety following a tragic year of fatalities. Read more here.
5. A young Goondiwindi agronomist, cotton grower and alumnus of Cotton Australia’s Future Cotton Leaders Program is using social media to highlight the many career opportunities available in agriculture. Read more here.
6. Bunnings has signed a statement of principles with plant suppliers that will give growers written agreements and improved conditions, following last year’s supermarket inquiry. The agreement takes effect immediately. Read more here.
7. The Queensland Government has announced it will amend the Queensland planning framework to ensure wind farms and large-scale solar farms are both impact assessable and subject to a community benefit system. Feedback is being sought from industry stakeholders, local government, the community and other interested parties. Have your say by Tuesday, 3 June here.
8. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is assessing two emergency use permit applications for Japanese encephalitis virus vaccines. Read more here.
9. In May, eastAUSmilk will be conducting dairy dinners in Nanango, Pinelands and Beaudesert to discuss farm business resilience planning, milk pricing and contracts. These dinners will be beneficial to farmers leading up to the release of Milk Supply Agreements on 1 June. Find out more here.
10. Powerlink is the Transmission Network Provider for Queensland (i.e. high voltage poles and wires). Powerlink has released a video demonstrating how it works with communities and landholders when building new transmission lines from an energy generation site, such as the Wambo Wind Farm. Watch it here.
Behind the Gate
Griffith gherkins are the pick of the bunch
The Parle Family has been producing pickles for McDonald’s Australia for more than three decades.
In fact, the Parle family is so good at growing cucumbers, they are now the sole pickle supplier to the famous fast-food chain.
It’s a lot of pressure; turning a summer crop into a much-loved ingredient that’s available year-round.
Ben Parle has generously shared his fantastic story of perseverance and preservation.
He’s also admitted what he thinks if you pick the pickles off your cheeseburger!
Second Squeeze
The team behind Second Squeeze are on a mission: find a home for perfectly good food that would otherwise be destined for landfill.
They turn bananas into flour, strawberries into syrup, and raisin toast into liqueur.
It’s a win for farmers and consumers.
Have a listen to their incredible, entrepreneurial journey on the Telling our Story Podcast.
Golden opportunity
The iconic Australian Made Kangaroo has had a makeover.
The team behind the well-known Australian Made brand has added a spring to their step: a “ReMade in Australia” logo.
ReMade in Australia is a new brand that identifies genuine products that use recycled content and are made in Australia.
It’s hoped the new logo will make circular economies a reality, Down-Under.
Winter crops are coming
Farmers have begun planting their winter crops, despite below average conditions for much of the country.
Growers are battling drier than normal weather in parts of Victoria and South Australia.
It means that deciding to plant a crop is a stressful financial gamble for broadacre farmers.
Bindi Whitehead is a farmer and photographer in Minhamite, Victoria, and snapped this stunning photo of their seeding over the weekend.
They’re sowing canola, wheat, beans and barley this season.
The Whitehead family joins thousands of others in southern Australia hoping for decent, urgent rainfall, ahead of the growing season.
We hope there is the perfect amount of rain on the way for all those looking to the skies.