Everybody needs a break from work, especially farmers. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for Aussie farmers to get the support and helping hand that they need to take a well-deserved holiday.

But it is possible! And thanks to a little invention called aeroplanes, it’s easier than ever to take a holiday to a different state without spending days on the road.

Here are a few mini holidays for farmers:

Finding a farm sitter

Mind My Farm is an Australian initiative that assists farmers in finding qualified professionals to look after their farm while they take a mini break. This is especially helpful for farmers who don’t have family or friends to call upon to keep the livestock fed and produce watered and nourished while they’re away. On their website, you can browse potential candidates and rest assured your farm will be in good hands while you’re off enjoying yourself.

Perfect holiday destinations

Now that you’ve sorted out the technicalities, let’s get down to the fun stuff! Where should you go on your mini holiday?

Tasmania

Flights from major cities on the east coast to Tasmania can go for pretty cheap if you book ahead. Great for farmers situated a short drive from Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane! And you won’t get much prettier scenery than the Tasmanian environment. Hire a car or campervan and explore the national parks, take a hike amongst the wildlife of Cradle Mountain, or visit romantic Wineglass Bay. Hobart is the perfect substitute to ‘the big smoke,’ as locals describe it as more like a large, friendly town than a capital city.

The flight to Hobart is only two hours from Sydney, three from Brisbane and Victorians can choose to take the Spirit of Tasmania across the Bass Straight from Melbourne if they want to take their car with them. Check out more things to do in beautiful Tasmania here.

Byron Bay & Surrounds

If you’re into organic food, lazing at the beach and home-made wares, then the Byron Bay area is for you! Get rid of those land-bound blues by treating yourself to accommodation right on the water and relax on a deck chair with a cold one as the sun sets. Now that’s living, Barry! The hinterland is a great place to explore, with towns like Bangalow and Mullumbimby offering up stores with unique wares and various interesting bric-a-brac. Byron is one of the most accessible mini holidays for farmers. Bring a good book, your crossword puzzles, and ditch the boots for your best flip-flops because the beach is waiting for you! Find out what else you can get up to (or places you can laze about at) around Byron Bay here.

Lamington National Park

Hankering for some peace and quiet away from the world? Camping in Lamington National Park is a great idea for couples, families or those flying solo! Choose from a range of campsites with varying degrees of remoteness. O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is situated in the heart of Lamington National Park and offers a range of family-friendly activities including bird walks, glow worm experiences and flying fox adventures. For the grown-ups, the Canungra Valley Vineyards is just a short drive down the road and offers regular tastings. But how could we forget to mention the stunning nature walks around the area? If you want to go out ultimate bush, there’s a hike through Binna Burra that lasts for several days and will take you into true wilderness.

Looking for a budget-friendly option?

Making a livelihood off the land can be tough. There are so many things that are out of a farmer’s control, including the wage they take home at the end of the day, much of which gets put back into the farm. This can be stressful and is evidence as to why farmers need to fit in breaks away.

The good news is that there are ways that you can enjoy a holiday without breaking the bank. Rural Aid is a charity aiming to support Australian farmers experiencing difficulties. One of their programs focuses on encouraging mini holidays for farmers and assisting with the financial cost. Families and individuals choose to be ‘holiday hosts’ and offer up their homes and properties for farming families to use for a well-deserved break. Contact them here for enquiries.

If you’re looking for a sustainable, eco-friendly way to keep your grass neatly trimmed and free of weeds, then animal mowers could be the answer.

Machine mowers, either the ride-on or the push variety, are noisy, require regular maintenance and emit carbon monoxide and dioxide into the atmosphere. They also cut into your valuable time and energy.

Here are five of the best animals to consider as a natural mowing alternative to maintain your grass.

1. Goats

Goats have superior weed whacking capabilities and are a classic choice for lawn maintenance. These extreme omnivores will eat brush, twigs and leaves as well as grass. Independent, inquisitive and lovable, goats have personality plus when it comes to being natural lawn mowers.

Downsides of goats are their unpredictable browsing habits which can lead to uneven grass lengths. They can also climb, so you need to provide a secure enclosure.

2. Sheep

Sheep are a traditional choice for lawn maintenance, and they can also be used for wool and milk. They have good grazing ability and will do a great job with a large area of grass. As sheep are docile creatures, they don’t usually cause trouble, but they’re social animals so you’ll need at least two.

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3. Cows

Cows are voracious munchers of grass so are ideal for large plots of land. They are easy to look after and won’t try to escape. You could also consider using them for milk. An issue with keeping cows is what to do with the manure, and they’re less eco-friendly than other animals as they produce methane emissions.

4. Chickens

You can kill several birds with one stone so to speak with chickens. These friendly birds not only eat grass, but they can also be kept as egg layers or used for meat. In fact, the more grass there is for them to eat, the better quality of the eggs they produce. To keep chickens concentrated on a patch of grass, you can set up A-frame coops with an open floor for grazing, and move it when they’re finished in one area.

5. Guinea Pigs

Although they’re little, get a group of guinea pigs together, and they can make a serious dent in your grass. A single guinea pig can eat five times its bodyweight of grass a day. Not only are they small and portable, guinea pigs have sharp little teeth ideal for neat grass trimming. Perfect for keeping the lawn in your house yard under control! However, as they don’t just eat grass, they will need other food to supplement their diet.

If you love the idea of growing your own food but lack the space to do so at home, then why not start a community garden with other like-minded people in your neighbourhood?

Since a desire to be clean, green and sustainable is Brisbane’s long-term vision for the future, it’s easier than you think to establish a community garden near you. Keep reading to find out what you need to get started.

Gathering your group

The Brisbane Community Garden Guide is a good resource for people who are looking to start a community garden. It notes that:

“To begin a community garden, it takes a great deal of time, commitment, energy and a strong network of like-minded community members to bring the vision to life.”

It suggests answering the following questions to find out if it is the right project for you:

• Do you have an established community group that wants to do this project?
• Is there enough interest and energy within the group to sustain the project in the long term?
• Is a community garden the most effective way to address your community’s needs, e.g. for food security, social opportunities, health promotion, environmental improvement or learning about sustainability?

It provides a detailed checklist that you can use as a starting point to clarify your aims and objectives.

Visiting sites

One of the best ways to learn about starting a garden, and garner enthusiasm for the project, is for your group to pay a visit to a few existing community gardens to see how they operate, what kind of plants they have and the challenges or advantages of certain sites.

Brisbane has over 30 community gardens in many different environments. Talking to the people that work there will give you the chance to discuss different types of sites and the growing conditions, i.e if it’s sunny or shady, exposed or sheltered. You’ll also be able to find out what plants are best suited to your local soil and growing conditions.

Again, the Brisbane Community Garden Guide has a list of questions you can take with you.

Here are a few examples of established community gardens:

Jane Street Community Garden

This community garden has been running for over 10 years in South Brisbane and grows nearly 200 varieties of vegetables, fruit and herbs, as well as butterfly and insect attracting plants.

Vera Street Community Garden

Across the river to the west of Jane Street is another community garden, located within the grounds of Toowong College. It focuses on growing organic vegetables in beds and sustainable water use. It has been running for 12 years.

Graceville Community Garden

Located in Indooroopilly, this garden has been running for 7 years and operates as a shared space for the community. It focuses on growing food and other plants, educating children and caring for the environment. It holds regular working bees on weekends to harvest crops, put in new plants and maintain the garden.

Choosing a site

Site assessment is critical to evaluating the potential risks, opportunities and threats to the project. For example, if you’ve decided you want to keep animals, such as chickens, ducks and bees on the site you need to consider the safety and security of the area.

Another important thing to note is the accessibility of the site for bulk deliveries of things like compost and mulch, and the storage of these. While most gardens provide gardening tools for members, you’ll also need a place to safely lock these up when not in use.

Funding the site

There are lots of ways you can access funding, including enlisting assistance from the Brisbane City Council. They offer Community Garden Grants that range from $1000 to $2500 for local non-profit, community-based groups that wish to set up gardens on Council-owned and other land. There is an annual funding round where grants are applied for, reviewed and applicants notified of the outcome. These grants can cover such things as tools, materials, irrigation, operation expenses, education of group members and publicity to educate the wider community.

Hobby farms are small recreational properties located out of the city where ‘would be’ farmers can use the land to raise livestock, grow produce, make cheese or run a small vineyard and more.

There are numerous hobby farms of different sizes and types all over Australia, and they are most commonly between 10-40 hectares in size.

Hobby farms are not usually purchased with the intention to make money, but there can be a small profit, for instance, if you sell your wine to a local shop or you sell your excess fruit and veggies at the local farmers market.

Is hobby farming right for you? Keep reading to find out more about this growing trend.

Who owns a hobby farm?

The Victoria Department of Primary Industries puts the number of hobby farms at around 60,000 in Australia and says they occupy approximately 20% of agricultural land.

The general profile of a hobby farmer is a professional person or retiree who doesn’t want to totally give up city living but perhaps wants to raise livestock, grow fruit trees, produce wine or any number of other recreational activities. Time is usually split between the hobby farm and the city so that they can maintain their regular job or lifestyle in town.

The hobby farmer doesn’t necessarily rely on the farm to pay the bills back in the city. But some hobby farms can be considered small working farms that provide a secondary source of income.

What skills do you need as a hobby farmer?

For hobby farmers, having some background knowledge of farming is helpful, but many are first-time farmers who do their research online and learn the necessary skills as they go. If you’re the type of person who loves learning new things and is willing to undergo a steep learning curve then buying a hobby farm could be a successful venture.

Many first-time farmers opt to raise a few grazing livestock such as sheep, cows, goats and alpacas as these animals are relatively easy to look after though, like any farm animals, they require constant care and maintenance. Any kind of small animal, like miniature cows or pigs, are also popular because they’re easy to handle.

Growing produce is also a safeish venture though you will need to know about soil composition, weed and pest control, and irrigation etc. A bushfire management strategy is also essential.

How to find the right hobby farm

Before you rush in and buy the first plot of land you see on a For Sale ad, it’s a good idea to have:

• A clear plan in mind of what you want the hobby farm for,
• Your legal requirements for running the farm,
• An idea of what equipment you’d need to purchase and;
• Knowledge of how much time you can commit to the farm’s upkeep.

Is the farm something you want to visit every weekend, or do you want to spend half the week there and half in town?

Getting a good local agent who understands your requirements and knows the area in which you’re looking can make finding the perfect hobby farm a lot easier.

Looking at setting up a hobby farm? Global has a range of agricultural products that are affordable, durable and designed for Australian conditions. Contact us today to find out more.

Aquaculture, or fish farming, contributes to around a third of Australia’s yearly fish production and is the country’s fastest growing primary industry.

In actual figures, this equates to approximately 80,000 out of 240,000 tonnes of fish per year. That’s a lot of fish for frying! Keep reading to find out how Global Tanks is helping out aquaculture farmers with our rotomoulded products!

Why aquaculture?

As the world’s population increases so does the global demand for seafood. The world’s commercial fisheries simply can’t keep up with the amounts of fish needed to meet this demand on a sustainable level; other marine life relies on the oceans fish as well as humans.

Aquaculture is a viable, eco-friendly solution for providing food for people, as well as keeping wild fisheries from becoming depleted.

In Australia, we farm ten species of fish but mainly produce southern bluefin tuna, Atlantic salmon and barramundi.

What other benefits does aquaculture have?

Apart from just providing food for the masses, as a relatively young industry, aquaculture has a lot of potential for growth and is providing lots of educational opportunities in Australia.

Melbourne Polytechnic offers aquaculture as a major in their Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology degree program. Students learn the ropes for running a seafood farming business as well as food security and safety, something that is increasingly concerning to people.

Teaching aquaculture in a tertiary environment also means innovations in fish farming can be experimented with. For instance, students managed to improve the flavour of the Murray cod which traditionally tastes ‘muddy’, increasing its potential for both local and overseas markets.

Some other benefits that the aquaculture industry is having in Australia include:

• Boosting numbers of fish in rivers and lakes for recreational fishing.
• Restoring endangered species.
• Providing ornamental fish for aquariums.
• Providing opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in the industry.

Aquaculture tanks

Global’s roto-moulded aquaculture tanks are perfect for agricultural use because they’re tough, durable and made from food grade polyethylene plastic. Global supplies a range of circular tanks in 2000 litre, 3000 litre and 5000 litres, which are suitable for fish, chemicals and fertigation. These tanks are also UV stabilized for Australian conditions.

Our circular polyethylene aquaculture tanks are used in flow through hatchery systems which have the following benefits:

• Water is reused by re-circulating it through filters and pumping it back into the tank.
• Proper water circulation maintains higher oxygen levels for improved fish health and growth rates.
• Higher fish densities are safely maintained.
• Smooth, fish-friendly surface reduces fin and scale damage and infections.

Contact us to find out more about Global’s roto-moulded products today!

With over 90% of Australians living in urban centres, long food supply chains and high supermarket prices mean fresh, healthy food is becoming too expensive for low income-earners. More and more people are turning to Foodbanks to supplement their weekly diet. Something which is becoming an increasing concern.

But there is a solution to this issue.

Urban farms are popping up all over Australia to increase access to nutritious, affordable food. By using local land and biosystems to provide food for urban communities, these farms reduce food miles and ensure people have the freshest produce without paying for the cost of long-distance transport.

Brisbane City Council enables urban farms and community gardens to flourish by leasing land for the gardens, providing grants for funding and running awareness events.

An example of a successful urban farm in Brisbane is:

Northey Street City Farm

Northey Street City Farm was one of Australia’s first urban farms and is a four-hectare site situated on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in Windsor. This edible oasis was started as a community permaculture project in 1994.

It now offers a shared kitchen garden, extensive market garden areas and allotments where people can grow their own food. There are also chicken runs, compost systems, cooking classes, yoga groups, permaculture talks and more.

Get Started With Urban Farming

If you’re interested in learning more about growing your own food you can take permaculture and gardening classes in Brisbane. With subjects from growing mushrooms to kitchen gardens for schools and communities, there are a wide variety of topics available.

You can also do complete urban farmer courses which run for approximately three months and include: chook care, beekeeping, propagating, seed saving and more.

Once you have the necessary skills for running an urban farm, you may want to get your own community garden or city farm started. Check out the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network which is a community-based organisation that links people interested in city farming.

The website has a lot of information on starting a community garden and everything you need to consider that is involved. They are also able to give advice if you need to make an enquiry.

Global provides a range of agricultural products for use in urban farming such as garden planters and urban water storage tanks. Our rotomoulded products are 100% recyclable, UV stabilised for Australian conditions and made from polyethylene plastic suitable for food contact use. We can also make custom rotomoulded products for whatever purpose you have in mind. Contact us today to find out more!