Belvedere Farm Rebuild

Friends,

 

We thought long and hard before doing this, because for years we've been fortunate enough to be in a position to provide mutual aid rather than asking for it. But so many of you have offered to help, and we have such an opportunity to do good (while campaigning for real change with the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority), we are now launching this mutual aid request.

 

Our farm suffered significant damage in the flooding rains in late February and early March. Mercifully, we didn't experience the devastation of some people in our community - our house was undamaged and the people we love were unharmed. However, the damage to the farm is severe enough that we need help to fix it.

 

We applied for a Special Disaster Recovery Assistance Grant from the QRIDA, but were almost immediately rejected because we're #notafarmer - we both work a few days a week off-farm to pay our bills as we launch our new business. To rub salt in the wound, QRIDA summarily decided that they don't see the potential of Belvedere Farm to ever be the majority of our income - a bold assertion based on a reading of a couple of bank statements and a tax return from our first year.

 

So, we are reaching out to our community. We're hoping to raise $14,000 - the amount we applied for from QRIDA. Achieving this will show that community is stronger than government response - something we have always sadly known. It will allow us to:

 

 

Don't think this means we're giving up on QRIDA. We will fight their dismissal of small and emerging farms until the end, and hopefully make positive change for hundreds of farmers like us.

If we're successful in changing their mind and receiving the grant, 100% of your donations will be turned into mutual aid - we'll deliver farm produce to people in our community that otherwise wouldn't have access to delicious, nutritious, ethical food.

 

We've identified the Woodford Community House, the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre and Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women as priorities for this aid.

 

Thank you so much for your support. Our community means the world to us. It's a privilege to feed you and fight alongside you for a better world.

 

Nick and Brydie Holliday

FARMERS

Belvedere Farm

Unceded Jinibara Country