Heldintheheartof
All your favourite stalls will be there, do your whole weekly shop at the Lismore Produce Market every Thursday!
After deregulation of the dairy industry, he andwifeAndreadecidedtokeepfarmingbut werelookingforanalternativetodairy.
While many farmers in the region were moving to macadamias, Frank and Andrea decided on pecans, as where they are located, they had frosts and their existing beefcattlecomplementedapecanorchard (oncepecantreesare5 6yearsold,theycan happily co exist with cows as they are no longerabletoreachthem).
Startingoffwith20treestheBoyle’snowhave 1500.Theyinitiallybegansellingtheirkernels and nuts in shell to wholesalers but quickly realisedthiswouldn’tbefinanciallyviableand so once the Farmers Market movement beganintheregionthiswaswheretheysold theirproduct.
The customers went crazy for their pecans andbecausethiswassoencouraging,Frank and Andrea figured they must be doing something right and were motivated to expandthebusiness
They began looking into different products and while Frank was working as an Ag AssistantatWoodlawn,hetravelledtoaField DayintheRiverinawherepeoplewerelooking foranareawithhighrainfalltogrowrice.
Thinkingthiswouldbeagreatprojectforhis studentstobeinvolvedinhethendiscovered thatgrowingricewasn’ttoodifferenttothe othercroppinghewaspractisingonhisfarm with soybeans and corn and so brown rice cropswereplanted.
ByLorissaBarrettThe first time Frank bought along locally grownbrownricetohismarketstallhesold50 kilosin30minutes,suchwastheappetitefor locallyproducedgrains
“Peoplearereallypassionateabout eatinglocalfoodinthisregion,thereare manythatwanttodotheirwholeshopat theFarmerMarketsandbecauselocallygrownriceissuchasmallindustryup here,it’sincrediblypopular”.
They now produce many value added products including rice cakes, crumbs and pecanmuesliandspreads
Buyingriceinasupermarketmeansyouwill havefumigated,treatedricethatcouldbeup tofouryearsold.
FrankandAndrea’syoungestdaughterSophie andherhusbandMacarenowworkingonthe farmandarekeentotakeittothenextlevel andbroadentheircustomerbase.
“IfeelmostproudwhenIcanseethe nextgenerationiskeentocontinue farmingandproducingfoodonthis property”.
Like many farmers in Shire, Nimbin Valley Pecans and Rice run their farm with sustainablepractices Theylookaftertheirsoil and their land and they don’t ship their productsallaroundtheworld.TheBoyle’ssell alloftheirproductslocally within50kmof wheretheylive.
YoucanpurchaseNimbinValleyPecansand RicethroughyourlocalFarmersMarket includingNewBrighton,Ballina,Byron, MullumbimbyandLismore
Asanessentialserviceallarestilloperating SayhellotoFrank,helovesattendingthe Marketsandmeetingcustomersoneonone, “tomeit’smymentalhealthday”.
Joinyourfavouritelocalfoodproducersforthe weeklymarket! ShoplocaleveryThursdayfrom3pm-6pmat theCON&QUAD,EntryalongKeenorMagellan Streets.
TheMarketprovidesvisitorsandresidentswith top-quality, fresh, and local produce at fair prices; encourages healthy eating and active lifestyle values; educates consumers about farmingandlocallysourcedfoods;andprovides customerswithopportunitiestointeractdirectly withfarmersandproducers.
The Market also promotes local activities, communityissuesandbusinesses,andprovides opportunitiesforthecommunitytogatherand visit.
A friendly weekly market in the heart of Lismore's CBD Markets held every Thursday at The CON & Lismore QUAD
