Seed funding prepares property for next generation

Growing pineapples has taken Mark Harris all over South East Queensland, but on his current property on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, he’s sprucing things up ahead of handing over the reins to his nephew, Bert.

Originally, Mark’s father was farming in the Moggill and Pullenvale area before residential development forced him north to Kallangur.

Again, progress came knocking, taking the Harris family to their current 88-hectare property at Wamuran, where they’ve been for the last 30 years.

Mark and his brother Colin grow pineapples, while another brother, Robert, grows dragon fruit.

Mark has enjoyed the ‘challenge’ of growing pineapples, acknowledging that you can never get it 100 percent right.

“You ask any farmer, it’s always challenging. Someone gets it right one year, but not the next. The weather dictates how they grow,” he said.

One of the last major projects Mark is undertaking before Bert takes over, is the construction of a 500-metre bioreactor wall and remediation of a deep gully that leads into Six Mile Creek.

These works have been made possible through the South East Queensland Water Quality Project.

Delivered by Growcom, the project delivery arm of the Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG), in partnership with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES), a seed-funding trial is currently being rolled out to South East Queensland pineapple growers.

Mark had previously dug silt traps and redistributed what was collected, but unlike the bioreactors, it didn’t solve the issue of excess nitrogen entering the creek that runs through his property.

“This funding helps ensure the long-term viability of the farm from an environmental perspective,” he said.

Growcom’s SEQ Water Quality Project Manager Tim Wolens has supported Mark through the seed funding trial, connecting him with Sean Kerr from Boss Earthmoving Group who has undertaken the bioreactor construction and gully remediation works.

Growcom and DES will continue to partner with growers to deliver seed-funding and on-ground support to drive a sustainable future for horticulture and waterways across the South East Queensland region.