00:00Wakeree is one of the nation's food bowls, but there's far more on the table in this enterprising town.
00:06Once known primarily for citrus, Wakeree's farmers are embracing new ideas,
00:12diversifying, value adding and taking the region's produce to markets around the world.
00:18But the innovation doesn't stop in the paddocks.
00:21At the local school, the next generation is being encouraged to think differently and explore new possibilities.
00:27While across town, local businesses are finding new ways to process, market and add value to everything this productive region
00:35grows.
00:37Wakeree is a town that understands that agriculture is not standing still.
00:41It's evolving, and Wakeree is evolving with it.
00:45The beginning of Wakeree was against all odds, almost, so we've had to get in and do it ourselves.
00:53In Wakeree, we have access to so much product from the traditional citrus, but we also get tomatoes, capsicums, lots
01:04of fresh veg.
01:05It just illustrates that there's so much you can grow.
01:09Agriculture is slowly shifting.
01:11People are definitely looking at that diversification and something else to grow.
01:15I'm trying to get it out of that, you know, generic mould that everyone grows citrus or wine grapes.
01:21And obviously there's not a lot of dates imported into Australia, so it's sort of a bit of a niche
01:26market.
01:27I've got a mate that's growing seed canola and he's doing the seed potatoes and obviously the jube jubes.
01:35You want to try and control your own destiny a little bit and, yeah, to go into that more niche
01:41market, you sort of can do that direct sell to the consumer and sort of control your price point and
01:49your destiny a little bit more.
01:51Having someone local that can value add it for me and on-sell those seconds is a huge benefit for
01:57me.
01:57The value of following a product through or creating something gives you value in the value chain.
02:06There's lots of little niches that we can all fill and connect with people who really want to connect with
02:14the food that they eat.
02:17This ethos begins at the school where students work with local businesses and producers to develop a range of skills
02:24for their futures.
02:26We need creative thinkers, we need intuitive thinkers.
02:29My aim is to really try and give our students so much of an experience that they're able to sort
02:34of see and do what they would do out in the field so that they'll go into it and be
02:40a valuable resource for our future.
02:43There are so many wonderful people in our town that I get a lot of help and support from.
02:48It's about showing them that there are so many different jobs within the agriculture industry.
02:53Despite all that's going on in commodity pricing and everything that we're actually growing and becoming more vibrant.
03:01Very welcoming as a community.
03:05With innovative farmers, ambitious businesses and engaged community and a focus on the future.
03:12Weakeree is showing what's possible when a town is prepared to experiment, adapt and look beyond the familiar.
03:19That spirit of drive, determination and creative thinking has earned Weakeree the title of the 2026 Agricultural Town of the
03:30Year.
03:31Weakeree.
03:31Weakere.
03:31Weakere.
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