Lockyer Valley horticulture producer combats food waste with help from RED Grant

No leaf will be left unwashed at Windolf Farms as they tap into fresh markets with the help of a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner MP says Windolf Farms’ ‘shovel ready’ project will create good jobs and boost the economic profile of the Lockyer Valley region.

“This value-add project will enable Windolf Farms to reduce fresh waste of unharvested product, increase production to meet customer demand and will create up 10 job opportunities in the Lockyer Valley region,” he said.

Windolf Farms is a fourth-generation business who grow a myriad of crops year-round.

Director and part owner of Windolf Farms, Sharron Windolf says the grant will help the business enhance its current processing infrastructure to accommodate essential equipment that will value add to their current product line.

“This project will take advantage of existing on-farm infrastructure and add value by establishing a fresh food-safe accredited salad leaf wash, pack and distribution facility to capitalise on this growing demand and has potential for significant reduction in food waste.”

Windolf Farms was one of 16 businesses approved in the fourth round of the RED Grants program with total funding of just over $3 million. Overall, these 16 projects are expected to create more than 217 direct long-term jobs across regional Queensland.

The initial three rounds of the RED Grants program have seen funding of $10 million over three years to support more than 30 projects which have created 1,800 jobs across regional Queensland.

The Palaszczuk Government has continued its investment with a further $6.6 million to be delivered in two rounds over the next two years to generate even more jobs, expand agricultural supply chains and provide significant economic benefit to rural areas.

For more information about the RED Grant scheme visit www.qrida.qld.gov.au

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administer the RED Grant scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Minister Furner – Ron Goodman 0427 781 920

QRIDA – Amy Buckingham 07 3032 0521