Green shoots of recovery in Gascoyne
Winter will reap rewards for Carnarvon grower Michael Nixon as he plants 14 million onion seeds in the aftermath of Cyclone Olywn, which ripped through the Gascoyne in March, flattening banana plantations, stripping capsicums, battering eggplants and uprooting watermelon stocks earmarked for Perth’s winter market.
“We’re lucky we hadn’t planted any onions — our main crop — at that stage because our pumpkins and watermelons had been in for only 4-6 weeks and were simply blown away,” he said. “It’s the single biggest setback I’ve had in the course of farming (in WA) over the past 26-27 years.
“Everyone was affected; not just horticulturalists but pastoralists and small businesses, as well.”
His 40ha property, Riverlodge, on the banks of the Gascoyne, is getting back on track as growers and producers take stock in a region that’s weathered a tumultuous few years with floods in 2010, a locust plague in 2011 and drought in 2013-14.
Cyclone Olywn caused more than $10 million damage, with Carnarvon, Exmouth and Shark Bay among the declared natural disaster areas receiving Federal and State Government funding relief.
Sweeter Banana Co-operative’s Doriana Mangili said Carnarvon bananas were off the shelves but should start trickling through at the end of the year, with plentiful supplies expected in late summer- early autumn as new trees bore fruit helped by good water supply. She tipped 2016 to be a bumper year.
“We’re a resilient lot,” capsicum and eggplant grower Rob Kuzmacich said. He and his brother Dan have 9ha under crop on the family farm started by their father in the 1960s.
“More than half our shade structures were damaged, poles and cables snapped and crops had leaves blown back to bare stems, so we’re 3-4 weeks later than we’d normally be getting produce down to Perth,” he said.
“Normally we come through in the first week of May but it’s been more like the first week in June this year and full production will probably be late August.”
Perth businesses and foodies led by top chefs have rallied to help, with a Chefs for the Gascoyne event raising $25,000 at the Perth Cultural Centre’s Urban Orchard rooftop garden in April. Farmer Jacks pitched in with a $100,000 cheque to the Gascoyne Food Council and will showcase the region’s produce at itsClaremont Quarter store — Jack’s Wholefoods and Groceries — in a renewed focus on Buy West Eat Best to encourage people to choose homegrown produce.
“We want to show the strong commitment we have to the State and its food, especially in the face of natural disasters,” Farmer Jack’s managing director Fred Fairthorne said.
“Our stores are full to the brim with local produce and we invite everyone to come and show their support.”
Gascoyne Food Council executive officer Alex Maslen said producers had been overwhelmed by the support from the Perth community, with the region’s 194 growers doing their best to get their winter crops to shops.
Chillies, beans, eggplant, tomatoes, pumpkin, melons, bananas, papaya, onions, zucchini, capsicum, squash. The Gascoyne is WA’s winter food bowl, with fruit and vegetable production valued at more than $80 million a year.
“The region holds a special place in my culinary heart,” chef and WA food ambassador Don Hancey said.
“My memories go back to childhood family visits where we walked and ate our way through banana plantations, chipped small salty oysters off the rocks at Quobba Station, scooped for blue manna crabs and caught plump, shiny mullet in the crystal-clear waters of Shark Bay.”
A regular at Chef’s Long Table Lunch events in Carnarvon plantations, he’s hard-pressed to choose between the region’s many varieties of chillies, beans, eggplant, capsicums and tomatoes, which he loves to toss in a winter ratatouille.
“The range of seasonal foods grown is staggering in its diversity and quality and I put this down to good land management and farming practices, rich soils and an abundance of clean, fresh water,” he said.
- Olga de Moeller
