Just a farmer trying to make a living. Drought, fire and now the virus. It is a hard road for a farmer; Why we sell fruit and vegetables. Sales dropped.
We have set up an old fashioned roadside stall selling fruit, vegetables and local bush honey. Our stalls are at....
Saturdays - Esk Country Markets, Pipliner Park, Esk QLD. Sundays - Fernvale Country Markets; Fernvale State School, Brisbane Valley Highway, Fernvale QLD
We live on a small cattle farm at Redbank Creek via Esk. To help during drought times my husband, Ray, and his father built a sm
all sawmill. Using timber off the properties he and his family owned they were able to cut posts, garden sleepers, garden pickets and slabs. December 6th, 2019 all this changed a veracious bushfire tore through the property. First is devoured the precious trees that were our future security for the sawmill and home to many wildlife, it did not stop there, next was it was the sawmill. Ray had put a firebreak around the mill as there were bushfires just weeks before on our other property few km up the range. This firebreak was 3 blades wide. It did not prevent the fire that destroyed Rays livelihood. Rays frontend loader was parked in the clearing where we thought it would be safe 30m away from the mill. Embers were flying and landed on the loader and it was soon engulfed in flames and along with piles of firewood that was seasoning for the next winters firewood business. The fire brigades were here to save the houses (one was the old residents that is more of a shack) and shed, on the other side of the road we were not so fortunate with the structures. The old dairy shed was saved…. that was it 4 sheds (some of which were used for multi-generational storage), cattle yards, 10 cattle perished, 4km of boundary fencing and many more internal. For days, the remaining cattle were wandering on the roads and we were herding them back 3 times a day while we tried to get at least one paddock secure. Ray had been selling his timber products and firewood at the Fernvale markets to supplement our income (severe drought meant we were not in the position to sell the cattle). He was starting to sell produce like potatoes and pumpkin that he would get from local farmers to at the markets as well as his timber products. After the fires that became our only income (my work ended in October). March 2020, we had word that Fernvale markets suspended all trading die to the Corvid-19 virus. After everything that we have been through in such a short time. We kind of wonder ‘What have we done?’ quickly we thought we should just set up an old-fashioned fruit and vegetable stand at the farm gate. That was successful until isolation ended and life was starting to look a little more normal. Markets opened and we decided to set up here on Sundays and at the Esk country markets on a Saturday. We try to get local produce but are not able to get everything, so we also make a weekly trek to the Rocklea markets and get farm fresh produce from there (still helping smaller farmers). We have an agent that looks after Ray, he is the same agent that Ray sold his produce to many years ago when he used to grow small crops. Thank you for your support and we hope to see you soon.
12/07/2025
CHANGING OUR BUSINESS
Many may be concerned that we are no longer at the markets selling fruit and veg.
Ray has had some health concerns that had affected his ability to work.
I then focused more time as a support worker. I have regular clients that I help.
Our future plans are changing though. We will be starting a new business....it does involve long term planning. And we will update along the way.
We plan to build homes for short term rentals (holidays homes/air B&B). We are going to be talking to a builder next week to get the first one started.
I can't wait to share the process with you all.
22/10/2024
We have this for sale to help a new venture we have planned in the future.
'Blank Canvas - 24 Acres (9.89Ha)' - Listed by Ray White Rural Esk
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It is a hard road for a farmer. Why we sell Fruit and vegetables at our gate.
We live on a small Cattle farm at Redbank Creek via Esk. To help during drought times my husband, Ray, and his father built a small sawmill. Using timber off the properties his family owned they were about to cut posts, garden sleepers, garden pickets and slabs.
December 6th 2019 all this changed. a veracious bushfire tore through the property. First it devoured the precious trees that were our future security for the sawmill. it didn’t stop there. next it was the sawmill. Ray had put a firebreak around the mill as there were bushfires 2 weeks before on our other property a few km up the range. This firebreak was 3 blades wide. It did not prevent the fire that destroyed Rays livelihood. Along with the frontend loader that was parked 30 metres from the mill and piles of timber that was seasoning for the next winter. The fire brigades were here to save the houses (one was the old residence that is more of a shack) and shed. On the otherside of the road we were not so lucky with the structures. The old dairy shed was saved.....that was it. 4 sheds, cattle yards, 10 cattle perished 4 km of boundary fences and many more kilometres of internal fences. For days the remaining cattle were wondering on the roads and we were herding them back 3 times a day while we tried to get at least one paddock secure.
Ray had been selling is timber products and firewood at the Fernvale markets to supplement our income (severe drought meant we were not in the position to sell the cattle). He was starting to sell produce like potatoes and pumpkin that he would get off local farmers to sell at the markets as well as his timber products. After the fires this became our only income. (my work ran out in October 2019)
March 2020 we had word that the Fernvale markets suspended all trading due to the Corvid-19 virus.
After everything that we have been through in such a short time. We kinda wonder ‘What have we done?’ Quickly we thought we should just set up an old fashioned roadside fruit and vegetable stall.
We try to get local products but are not able to get everything so we also make a weekly trek to the Rocklea markets and get farm fresh produce from there. We have an agent that looks after Ray, he is the same agent that Ray sold his produce to many years ago when Ray grew small crops.
Thank you for listening and we hope to see you soon.
