The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) alongside its peak body members is inviting Queenslanders to reflect on what farmers mean to them and the agricultural products they can’t live without this November in conjunction with National Agriculture Day celebrations.
The Queenslanders Can’t Live Without campaign, launched today, is asking Queenslanders to visit the campaign website www.cantlivewithout.com.au where they can upload a photo and 25 words, or a 10-15 second video, explaining what agricultural product, food, fibre or foliage item they can’t live without.
The item/s must be an agricultural product i.e. a fruit, a vegetable, a meat product, a dairy product, a cotton product, a sugarcane product, a nursery or garden product, etc.
Participants will go in the running for a two-night weekend getaway for two people at Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages in the Scenic Rim, along with a food and boutique wine package to enjoy during their stay.
The campaign coincides with National Agriculture Day, a celebration of the country’s farming sector that is held on the third Friday of November each year.
QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said that National Agriculture Day is an important day in the Australian agricultural calendar for industry to celebrate its achievements and for us all to take the time to reflect on what agriculture contributes to our everyday lives.
“This year QFF are shining a light on the fact that we all rely on incredible Australian grown food, fibre and foliage every single day,” Ms Sheppard said.
“By asking Queenslanders to tell us the foods and agricultural products they can’t live without, we’re inviting the public to think a bit more deeply about where their favourite fresh produce, natural fibres, and foliage comes from.”
QFF will be highlighting responses to the campaign via their social media channels as well as at their National Agriculture Day breakfast event on Friday, 15 November 2024.
“QFF are really encouraging all Queenslanders to get involved in this campaign. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the hard work of Queensland farmers and the world-class food, fibre and foliage being produced across the state,” Ms Sheppard said.
“Whether it is the fresh dairy and sugar in your daily cappuccino, your bacon and egg roll, a fresh fruit smoothie on a hot summer day or your fluffy cotton towel on a chilly winter morning as you hop out of the shower, we all have an agricultural product we just can’t live without.”
Ms Sheppard also noted that the prize offered Queenslanders a chance to experience agriculture via an agritourism experience.
“Agritourism is a growing industry in Queensland, and if you have a look at the prize on offer here it isn’t hard to see why.”
Entries for the campaign will close at 11:59pm AEST Saturday, 30 November 2024, with a winner to be announced soon after.
Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray said the cotton industry supports National Agriculture Day and in particular QFF’s campaign #qlderscantlivewithout because just about every person comes into contact with farm products every day.
“Queenslanders sleep in cotton, dry themselves after their morning shower with a cotton towel, wear cotton clothing and even filter their coffee with the help of cottons,” Mr Murray said.
“Hospitals rely on cotton for bandages, swabs and other cleaning uses while cotton oil is used for cooking, cosmetics and even margarine.
“Cotton touches just about every area in our life and the Australian farmers who produce it are proud to do so in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.”
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers CEO Rachel Chambers said “This National Ag Day we salute the many horticultural and farming businesses throughout Queensland because we can’t live without… you!
“From Mareeba to Stanthorpe and everywhere in between, growers and workers who, through dodging weather events and all the ups and downs of farming, continue to put healthy fruits, vegetables, and nuts on our plates.
“Farmers do more than grow food—they sustain communities, traditions, and our future. They innovate to meet the demands of changing climates, invest in sustainable practices, and work tirelessly to ensure that we have access to fresh, healthy food.
“As a nation we need to see the vast value and worth farmers hold for us today and support them to continue their important work into the future.”
Canegrowers CEO Dan Galligan said “It’s amazing to think that so much of what we rely on every day comes from agriculture – from the food on our plates and clothes on our backs to cheaper fuel at the petrol pump.
“And with sugarcane, we’re not just sweetening our morning coffee, we could soon be powering our homes and even our air travel. There really are exciting times ahead for Queensland agriculture.”
Find full details, including terms and conditions, and submit your entry at www.cantlivewithout.com.au
-ENDS-
Media contact:
Anna Jones
Corporate Partnerships and Communications Manager, QFF
E: partnerships@qff.org.au
P: 0481 395 623