By KATIE DE VERTEUIL
Seventeen-year-old Sally Higgs is a next generation farmer.
Currently completing her final year at Noosa District State School, she grew up on a farm and her family currently owns 12 acres in Kin Kin.
Working at Black Ant Gourmet, Sally has learnt to appreciate the benefits of eating wholesome, home-grown foods and cannot wait to start her own business in the field.
“I have always wanted to own my own horse and cattle business,” Sally said.
“Ideally, I want to create something I can live off and still make a living from – it’s a mini dream.”
At the moment, Sally has two heifers and a horse and helps her dad feed the pigs.
Her ‘mini dream’ is to add chickens and her own pigs along with growing her own fruit and veggies.
“To live sustainably we need to go back to basics,” Sally said.
“Society has become so reliant on technologies and supermarkets.
“If we lost electricity, if everything just cut out one day and didn’t turn back on, what would we do?”
Sally said her desire to farm was also for health reasons.
“All this food that we are getting from overseas is making people sick. Look at the berry scandal recently in the news,” Sally said.
“If you are the grower then you know the process that your food goes through to make it to your plate.”
Attending Joel Salatin’s recent Masterclass, Sally could not have been more excited about the opportunity to meet her idol.
“It was incredible to meet Joel,” Sally said enthusiastically.
“I would have paid double for the workshop and I will definitely be buying all nine of his books.”
“He’s crazy!” Sally said.
“He’s got such an amazing imagination.
“The ideas he comes up with are so simple but so effective.”
Regenerative agriculture is any kind of farming that enables the restorative capacity of the earth.
It preserves or improves the fertility of the soil, creates an abundance of food and other agricultural products, contributes to vibrant communities and equitable economies, and respects the ecology of the natural world.
Fertile soil helps create nourishing food and, in turn, healthy people and robust communities.
“I really hope people in Noosa wake up to the advantages of regenerative farming and sustainable living because they really are tenfold.”
