By JOLENE OGLE
For most 24-year-olds, Sunday starts with a hangover and greasy food but for Craig Weston the day means a 5am start on the 170 acre farm he shares with his brother, girlfriend, ginger crop and 50 cattle.
But hard work is nothing new to Craig who ran his own bobcat business only a few years earlier, before buying the farm land with his brother Mark.
Craig said he never thought he would become a ginger farmer but was encouraged by his neighbour to take up the crop that now covers more than four acres of land.
“We had a neighbour leasing land from us and he said why don’t we try (to grow ginger) ourselves,” Craig said.
“It’s a good-selling crop, but also high risk with disease. It’s why a lot of farmers won’t grow it anymore, but we’re having great seasons.”
Craig and Mark settled in to learn the trade from their generous neighbour who also helps with labour when it is time to harvest the hand-picked ginger.
Craig and Mark plant their ginger crop in August for harvesting around April and May each year, with an impressive list of buyers already snapping up the brother’s crop.
“We’re currently supplying all the Princes’ IGAs, including Noosa, the Brisbane and Sydney markets as well as boutique stores,” Craig said.
Craig shares the workload with his long-term girlfriend Jayde Jones who doesn’t mind helping out anyway she can.
“Whenever the boys need me to, I will pick, clean and wash the ginger,” she said.
Jayde, 26, who is a personal trainer in Maroochydore, said she never imagined they would end up as ginger farmers, but is loving the challenge of learning a new crop and growing the farm.
With only two ginger seasons under their belts, the brothers are already looking to the future with 50 cattle on hand and plans to expand into stud cattle business.
Jayde said this is a part of the farming she can really get in to.
“I love animals so I love to work with the cattle,” she said.
“We made a rule that we wouldn’t name any of the cattle except for the bulls, because we will keep them.”
The couple have no plans to take it easy in the future with Jayde busy building her personal training portfolio and Craig determined to expand the business and enjoy life on the land.
“We want to get bigger and do better,” Craig said.
“We’re already leasing more land to grow more crops.”
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