Announcment Grow Small, Feed All Campaign by Regen Era Design:
Open letter to the Hon. Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Fund practice, not PDFs - a $10 million Small-Farms Buffer for Tasmania
Minister Collins,
Tasmania grows far more food than we eat, yet locals still hit lean seasons for fresh, diverse veg. The state’s Agri-Food ScoreCard shows we produce around 11× local consumption (Tasmanian Agri-Food ScoreCard 2022–23). In NSW and Victoria alone, councils produced 2,266 food strategies in the past decade (University of Sydney, Law & Food Systems Lab, 2024). Enough consultancy strategies, now let’s fund the growers and local delivery pathways.
What Farm Household Allownace (FHA) is, simply: a safety-net that pays about the JobSeeker amount in any fortnight a farm household is under the cut-off; if income is higher, that fortnight pays $0 (Services Australia, 2025). Since 1 July 2024, guidelines emphasise “commercial scale” and reference ~$60,000+ annual turnover over three years (DAFF, FHA Guidelines 2024–25). That benchmark excludes many genuine micro market gardens that feed communities.
Our request (simple, steady, measurable):
Create a $10 million Small-Farms Buffer Fund for 12 months to support ~500 small-scale regenerative/organic growers across Tasmania with a flat $20,000 buffer (paid monthly or quarterly) and with the business support the FHA already provides. Allocate places across Bass, Braddon, Clark, Franklin, and Lyons. Keep it light-touch: one-page application, brief seasonal plan, check-ins and mentoring through the already well established FHA scheme. This is not a wage; it’s a stability buffer that keeps local food, soil care, skills and dollars close to home (Norberg-Hodge, Local Is Our Future, 2019; Shuman, The Local Economy Solution, 2015).
Add a micro-farm lane to FHA. The current “commerciality” yardstick (~$60k+ turnover over three years) was built around broadacre/export models, large throughput, mechanised systems—not intensive micro market gardens. Treat net farm income < $25–30k/year as commercial at micro-scale, and pay only in mapped lean months, with existing income and assets tests unchanged (DAFF, FHA Guidelines 2024–25; Services Australia, 2025).
Tasmania’s food economy should be honest: backed by the small farms that actually feed us through winter and spring. Start funding practice and real everyday life actions. A $10m buffer will stabilise hundreds of micro farms this year while longer-term settings are refined.
Yours truly,
Dr Emily Samuels-Ballantyne
Grow Small, Feed All Campaign
References: Tasmanian Agri-Food ScoreCard 2022–23; University of Sydney Law & Food Systems Lab (2024); Services Australia—Farm Household Allowance (2025); DAFF—FHA Guidelines 2024–25; Norberg-Hodge (2019); Shuman (2015).
by Ness Vandebourgh Photography
Grow Small, Feed All
- Campaign Announcment
The gap. Tasmania’s food engine is tuned to bulk exports: potatoes, apples, cherries - not to a steady, year-round supply of diverse regenerative vegetables (salads, greens, herbs, brassicas, roots). We export brilliantly, yet locals still hit winter–spring lean patches. The state’s data shows production around 11× local consumption (Tasmanian Agri-Food ScoreCard 2022–23). We don’t need more food strategies either - NSW/Vic councils alone produced 2,266 food strategies in the last decade - we need practice (University of Sydney, Law & Food Systems Lab, 2024).
The fix (simple, steady, measurable). Establish a $10 million Small-Farms Buffer Fund for 12 months: a flat $20,000 stability buffer to about 500 micro regenerative/organic growers across Bass, Braddon, Clark, Franklin, and Lyons. It’s not a wage; it’s breathing room when costs spike and cashflow dips so farms keep planting, harvesting, and turning up for markets, CSAs, and farmgate, especially in the lean months. Keep delivery light-touch: one-page application, short seasonal plan, and two brief check-ins. Track simple outcomes: winter–spring continuity, local spend, soil-care practices, and customers served (Norberg-Hodge, Local Is Our Future, 2019; Shuman, The Local Economy Solution, 2015).
FHA alignment (medium term). Add a micro-farm lane to the Farm Household Allowance. The current “commerciality” yardstick (~$60k average turnover over three years) was built for broadacre/export models, not intensive market gardens. Treat net farm income < $25–30k/year as commercial at micro-scale and allow payment only in mapped lean months, with existing income and assets tests unchanged (DAFF, FHA Guidelines 2024–25; Services Australia, 2025).
Planning must wake up (so farmers can farm). Recognise low-impact regenerative horticulture as a permitted or code-assess use on rural and semi-rural land. These plots are landcare + food security and they rebuild soil, cut food miles, and strengthen fire-and water-resilience.
Planning sanity check — what to adopt statewide:
Create a Low-Impact Market Garden (LIMG) class.
Scale triggers (any two): cultivated area ≤ 1.5 ha (or ≤ 25% of lot), on-site customers ≤ 30/day avg (≤ 60 peak), vehicle trips ≤ 20/day avg (utes/vans).
Code-assess structures: hoop houses ≤ 3.6 m high; wash/pack sheds ≤ 120 m²; cool-room ≤ 15 m²; setbacks 10 m (25 m to nearby dwelling).
Amenity: 7am–7pm; down-shielded lights; pumps/fans at rural background noise; lined compost bays; basic stormwater/nutrient plan (template).Permitted in Rural/Agriculture/Landscape Conservation; code-assess in Rural Living/fringe zones. 10-day checklist decision target.
Bottom line. Fund practice, not PDFs.
A $10m buffer plus a micro-farm lane in FHA and a planning fast-track will stabilise hundreds of small veg farms in a single year and seed a truly place-based food economy for the decade ahead — healthier soils, steadier supply, stronger local economies.
References: Tasmanian Agri-Food ScoreCard 2022–23; University of Sydney Law & Food Systems Lab (2024); Services Australia — Farm Household Allowance (2025); DAFF — FHA Guidelines 2024–25; Norberg-Hodge (2019); Shuman (2015).
Call to Action - Grow Small, Feed All
Join the campaign. We’re building a practical, joyful push to stabilise small veg farms across Tasmania. Pick a crew, add your name, and show up on Tuesdays.
Weekly Campaign Day
Tuesdays, 9:30am–3:00pm - Morning stand-up, task sprint, shared lunch, afternoon actions.
Volunteer Crews (choose 1–2)
Outreach & Letters
Hand-deliver one-page briefs to MPs/councillors.
Coordinate letters to leadership (Julie Collins, Tas ministers, mayors).
Run market-day signups.
Policy & Scenario Lab
Draft the micro-farm FHA lane + planning fast-track one-pagers.
Build 3x “what good looks like” scenarios (urban fringe, rural, school).
Mycelium Web/Tech
Spin up a “mycelium” website: living map of farms, actions, wins.
Simple stack: homepage, sign-up, resources, events, donations, media kit.
Community Education
Design 3x 45-min workshops: Soil as Infrastructure, Lean Season 101, CSA & Box Logistics.
Book libraries, schools, halls; create slide kits + handouts.
Fundraising & Partnerships
Launch a $50k seed fund (small donors + local sponsors).
“Adopt-a-Farm” micro-patron program and advocate for them
Media & Comms
Pitch 5 stories (ABC Local, Mercury, Country Hour, Tas Times, community radio).
Toolkit: 50-word pitch, 3 photos, quotes, one data graphic.
Council & Compliance Taskforce
Meet planners; table the Low-Impact Market Garden checklist.
Track quick wins / bottlenecks per municipality.