FOOD lovers looking for a unique Noosa experience are in for a treat with the official launch of the new Noosa Food eTrail website.
The website is the work of Noosa Farmer’s Market owner Shane Stanley who said the website will help farmers, locals, and visitors, while boosting the economy.
The website will allow first-hand discover of Noosa’s dynamic food offerings, including opportunities to go fruit picking, book farm tours, visit producer retail outlets, as well as find cooking schools, markets and events.
The site contains direct contacts for local farmers and producers, including those not usually open to the public.
Shane said it is vital to build local networks where famers can connect directly with customers and retailers.
“This is as it delivers over 50 per cent of total revenue back to the local farmers and their community, when compared with centralised food systems like larger supermarket chains, where farmers receive just 10-20 per cent of the total value,” he said.
“Considering that the Sunshine Coast agricultural sector is projected to be worth $3 billion in five years, capturing a larger piece of this pie for our farmers means we’ll be building a stronger local economy.”
Recognised for his efforts by Tourism Australia, Mr Stanley was crowned Food Ambassador for Queensland earlier this year as a part of their multimillion dollar Restaurant Australia campaign. Recently returning from their gathering in Tasmania, Mr Stanley said that the tourism spotlight was shining strongly on Australian food.
“The Noosa Food eTrail assists the tourism sector by providing a tool for our regional visitors to discover firsthand the wonderful and exciting food experiences on offer throughout the Noosa region,” he said.
“Locals will also benefit from the site as it provides access to the region’s freshest and most nutritious food, mixed with some interesting holiday adventure ideas. For example, why not take the family on a hands-on tour of our local dairy so the kids can learn where milk comes from, take a cheese-making course or visit a local farm for fruit picking.”
Farmers and producers are welcome to join the trail on a complimentary basis by clicking the ‘Contact us’ link and providing full listing details.
Residents and visitors are invited to unearth Noosa’s freshest and finest produce this summer at www.noosafoodtrail.com.au
