Farm Gate Tour

Showcasing diverse enterprises in the lower Manning Valley.

Farm Gate Tour

Showcasing diverse enterprises in the lower Manning Valley.

Local Links - Stronger Communities -

LLCI015-012

The issue

Manning Landcare developed a community, social farming event to bring people together. The Manning Valley has many enterprising producers, many on small landholdings. These landholders have interesting and varied systems producing products that are mostly sold locally. These ventures often struggle to raise awareness of their business within the local community and find marketing their products time consuming and costly. The Valley also has a high rate of new landowners buying land, most coming from non-farming backgrounds, yet with production expectations of their new land. By introducing them to Landcare through this  event we created a mindfulness of best practice and where to turn to for information. The Farm Gate Tour offers:

  • Current enterprises can raise awareness of their products, production values and add to their customer base, including an opportunity to offer samples/taste tests and to sell product.
  • For Tour goers it gives people the opportunity to visit, observe and interact with current enterprises.To try and buy local products, supporting local farming networks, while enjoying a self drive experience round a beautiful part of the Manning Valley

The solution

Our aim was to provide these producers with the opportunity to open their properties to the public. To showcase their business and products and to promote best practice land management techniques and to connect members of the public with small enterprise farming & Landcare.

We approached producers in one area of the Manning Valley, the Lower Manning - from Glenthorne to the Mitchells Island, to gauge interest in the idea. Four family enterprises were extremely keen to participate. Manning Landcare worked with the landholders to plan for the tour, how to accommodate numbers, traffic control, signage, and more. A double sided flyer was developed with a brief description of each farm, the address and details for food, stops and more. These flyers were printed and distributed through the rural mail in the surrounding areas.  Local papers were notified and the flyer was shared to many relevant Group Facebook pages and to local Clubs of all sorts.

The impact

The Farm Gate Tour was held on the Saturday the 30th of May 2015. Our 4 farms were delighted with the attendance, the interest of participants, contact details collected and product sold. Manning Landcare ran a BBQ and information stall at Island in the Stream Worm Farm, both Landcare co-ordinators were in attendance to answer questions and assist with pamphlets, brochures and books.

Key facts

  • The overwhelming response was positive: Comments - "when is the next one?"
  • Our Landcare database benefited as well!
  • Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/Manning-Landcare-Inc-558113824276657/

Project Partners