Palaszczuk Government backs app joining farmers with foodies in paddock-to-plate project

A paddock-to-plate prototype app to connect farmers directly with restaurants and cafes wanting to buy their produce is a step closer to launch with the backing of the Palaszczuk Government’s Ignite Ideas Fund.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch said the Farmer Meets Foodie project had the potential to be a great win-win for the state’s north, far north and western Queensland - by bringing producers together with those wanting high-quality local produce.

“There is an increasing desire by food lovers for a paddock-to-plate experience, with people not just wanting to know what type of food they’re eating but also the origins of that produce,” Ms Enoch said.

“This app aims to service that need, helping farmers find new markets to sell their produce and also providing those in the hospitality trade with a simpler ways of sourcing local food.”

Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland and Member for Mundingburra Coralee O’Rourke said the government’s Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas funding is providing innovative businesses like Farmer Meets Foodie with the support “they need to take their clever ideas to the next level.”

“Queensland’s innovators are the envy of other states because of the funding provided by the Palaszczuk Government, through initiatives like Advance Queensland,” she said.

“We are supporting fresh ideas and industries not only in the state’s north, but across Queensland, to create new opportunities and jobs.”

Farmer Meets Foodie founder Erica Hughes said the Ignite Ideas funding of nearly $100,000 provided an excellent boost to make the web application the best it could be and to engage all of the North Queensland local produce sector in the trial phase.

Ms Hughes said she was currently testing the app with a small group of producers and commercial foodies in Atherton Tablelands, and the funding would enable her to expand the sample size, taking the app to regional events, forums and festivals to allow more engagement with the farming and hospitality sectors.

“The motivation for Farmer Meets Foodie was simple: getting local produce on the plate, reducing food miles and having the story behind how food was grown known to those who are eating it,” Ms Hughes said.

“There is currently a huge interest in the paddock-to-plate concept, however, from a commercial foodies’ point of view, this is not always easy to achieve.

“Farmers and chefs are both time poor and very busy making amazing food, so this app will be a very efficient way for them to connect directly.”

Ms Hughes said the current focus was on a target audience of food producers and consumers in the area from Bowen north to Torres Strait and west to the Northern Territory border, with the focus on getting the system right before expanding it to other regions.

“We have a lot of ideas of what would be good to include in the app, but we also have a wide range of industries and businesses who will be using it, so it’s a big job to ensure we'll be able to make an application that works for everyone,” Ms Hughes said.

“Our aim is to complete the next stage of testing and amendments within the next few months, and have the product ready for market not long after that.”

The Ignite Ideas Fund is part of the Palaszczuk Government’s $420 million Advance Queensland initiative designed to develop new products and create jobs.

The government has so far supported 203 Queensland businesses through $26.5 million of Ignite Ideas funding over three rounds of the program’s merit-based assessment process – driving more than 1000 jobs.

For more information on the program and its recipients, visit the Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Fund webpage.

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