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Confessions of a ‘Hobby Farmer’
Feature article
Written by Sammy   
Thursday, 02 July 2009 11:23
HibiscusSome people who begin growing a species for fun find there is a viable business in their hobby. Some are still looking…

I attended a bushfoods workshop not so long ago in which a very wise man in the new crops sector challenged the attendees to be honest about whether bushfoods were a ‘serious business’ to them or simply a hobby.

Despite the fact that I publish a magazine on bushfoods, I had to admit that I was a hobby farmer – and not even a very skilled one at that!

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Fragrant - and edible!
Plants
Written by Sammy   
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 16:24
Fragrant species that can also be eaten:

Citrus australasicFinger limea and australis - Fingerlime and round lime

Acacia - whatever's flowering now plus A suaveolons

Acronychia acidula - Lemon aspen

A. baeuruenii

A. imperforata

A. oblongfolia

A. pubescens

find more under the fold... 

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Backyard bushfoods
Plants
Written by Sammy   
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 16:19

Easy Edibles - Grow NativeMidym

I must admit to feeling a pang of envy when people speak of their fresh fruit and vegetables, picked that morning from their own backyard. How do they find the time? All that preparation and mulching and bug catching...not to mention the numerous ailments plants seem prone to (lettuce that goes from seedling to seed overnight and capsicum which fill with water and rot). Our lifestyle simply isn’t geared to the old fashioned care and experience Grandma gave her vegetable garden.

I sympathise with every person who has planted out a vegie patch with good intentions and watched it become overgrown with vigorous weeds while the edibles fade and die.

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Bush tucker a way forward for Indigenous communities
Indigenous
Written by Sammy   
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 16:11
DaleDale Chapman, founder of The Dilly Bag, was a panellist on the Department’s Indigenous bush foods workshop at the 2008 Reconciliation Business Forum and had plenty of positives to share with participants. 

Roasted wattle seed cheesecake, bush tomato dip, lemon myrtle biscuits, native mint cheese and Coat of Arms Pie with bunya nuts…these are just a few mouth-watering examples of authentic Aboriginal tucker offered by Sunshine Coast-based business The Dilly Bag.

Founded by Indigenous chef Dale Chapman in 2000, The Dilly Bag is a leading light in a fledgling industry that has enormous potential for growth.

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The questions they ask...
Resources
Written by Sammy   
Monday, 15 June 2009 12:09

It dates back to 2006 but these frequently asked questions are still relevant.

FACT SHEET

No: 15/03

www. pirsa.gov.au/factsheets

Native food crops - frequently asked questions

Introduction

There is a strong interest in the potential of Australian native food plants for commercial cropping. Potential growers often ask a similar range of questions, which this publication attempts to address. Further information can be obtained from specific-crop Fact Sheets in this series, as well as the Fact Sheet 'Native Food Crops – Sources of Information'.

 

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Post harvest handling
Industry
Written by Sammy   
Monday, 15 June 2009 12:03

Summary of full report

The effect of post harvest handling on selected native food plants

By J K McDonald, N A Caffin, S Sommano and R Cocksedge

Download full report (750k - HINT: right click and save the file to your hard disk before opening) or purchase the printed report online

February 2006

RIRDC Publication No 06/021 RIRDC Project No DAQ-295A

Executive Summary
A commercial issue currently facing native plant food producers and food processors, and identified by the industry itself, is that of delivering quality products consistently and at reasonable cost to end users based on a sound food technology and nutrition platform.

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