Moonrocks is a family-owned Australian business, operated by 5th generation farmers Andrew and David Moon, currently growing garlic, onions and various other horticultural crops.
Garlic and onions are both great foods for adding flavour to dishes, limiting the need for added salt and sugars. Both are sources of B6, vitamin C and various minerals. The high sulphur content in garlic can even help your body absorb minerals like zinc better, to help boost immunity.
Garlic and onions are part of the vegetables and legumes/beans group, one of the 5 core food groups recommended for everyday consumption. Vegetables and legumes/beans provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and many hundreds of phytonutrients.
As part of the QCWA Country Kitchens Meet a Farmer initiative, the team met with Andrew Moon, fifth-generation farmer, marketing consultant and owner of Moonrocks farm in St George.
“Our family grew up farming in the Lockyer Valley region, and when we were young, dad moved us to St. George where we have now been farming for over 40 years. The name Moonrocks came from the many years that we grew rockmelons, but we’ve focused predominantly on garlic and onion cropping for many years now, along with a smaller focus on broccoli, sweetcorn and pumpkins. Our key markets are direct retail, foodservice and export.”
Like many farmers, the family has adapted their crops to suit changing weather, labour availability and technology.
The family has been growing garlic and onion for a very long time and recently was awarded the Hort Connections Syngenta Grower of the Year. This award celebrates the best and brightest in horticulture across Australia. Being recognized as the best in the business is no small feat. Andrew says there are two factors to the business’s success.
“Years of hard work and innovation. We have focused on working with what we have and staying true to what our end consumer needs.”
Innovation in the business is continuing, with the launch of the farm’s own brand of ready-to-use garlic products, called G’Day Garlic.
“G’Day garlic is a great example of innovation in the business, taking a product we already have [garlic] and presenting it in a new and useful way to our end customer. We have launched two ready to use garlic powders, which took us a long time to perfect… and it is one of the only garlic powder products out there with no salt or additives, whilst boasting intense flavour that rivals the fresh stuff.”
For those in rural and remote communities often limited in the fresh produce available, G’Day Garlic provides a fresh and local product in an affordable and storable form.
“When consumers purchase G’Day Garlic products they are purchasing direct from the farm. The garlic seed is sown, harvested, processed, packed and shipped all from our farm, giving a true paddock to plate experience for our customers.”
Even a successful operation like Moonrocks hasn’t been without its challenges. Like many this year, they have struggled with labour shortages, due to the lack of international workers.
“We have crops in the ground now that we need many more hands to harvest, and finding those numbers is a challenge in the current climate.”
A common element when speaking with growers and farmers across the state has been difficulty in recruiting local staff, despite job openings at most farms in the country. Andrew understands the work is hard but believes that farm work has also been painted in an unfair light by the media.
“Farm work certainly isn’t the easiest job out there, however, we pay our workers well and provide comfortable and clean farm living arrangements. I think there is a false narrative around farm labour and backpackers being taken advantage of. While there may be a minority doing the wrong thing, I don’t think the media paints an accurate picture, which can also hinder our ability to recruit staff. The majority of growers look after their staff because we know we can’t run a successful business without them. Prior to COVID, we were lucky to have international workers that had returned to work for us, years in a row in some cases. We are also proud to have a number of permanent staff who have relocated to our small community and now call it home. Farm work can provide a stable career with plenty of opportunity for growth if you want it.”
If you would like to read more about Moonrocks you can head to their website. To purchase and view the range of G’Day Garlic products, click here. And if you’re craving a classic winter warmer recipe filled with rich garlic flavour, try our white bean and garlic soup, found on our website or in the August issue of the Monthly Munch. To learn more about the QCWA Country Kitchens program, or the Meet a Farmer initiative, contact us at countrykitchens@qcwa.org.au.
The QCWA Country Kitchens program is proudly funded by Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
Industry: Horticulture
Location: St George, Queensland
QCWA Division: Western
