With its rich, volcanic red soil and perfect ratio of sunshine and rain, the Bundaberg and North Burnett regions has been farmed for generations, with established farming families joined by more recent additions – with more than a few characters mixed in!

Let's take a moment to chat with a few of the locals who work hard every day to keep food on tables across the country.

TinaBerries: Brilliant berries and a banker with berry good advice!

Tina and Bruce McPherson are first generation farmers of the most delectable strawberries you will find. They have a massive following in both Melbourne and Sydney – but we are lucky to have them stocked locally at their farm gate at 15 Zunks Rd, Elliot Heads during their Winter production. And even luckier, the farm is open year-round for strawberry goodness, in one way or another. In Spring, you'll find the fields of strawberries full of locals and visitors alike picking their own (and sometimes tasting one or two too!) or eating the delicious real fruit ice cream year round. 
According to Tina, their strawberries are big, juicy and delicious, with the fruit destined for top tables across the country.
"I love that you know where it comes from, you can see it growing. There is nothing like (eating them) straight from the paddock."
"And if that applies to strawberries, then it applies to the capsicums, bananas, ginger and all of the produce in the area. Really there is nothing much you can't get around here," she said.
On explaining how they came to own Tinaberries, Tina explained that "there is no family history".
"About 13 years ago, Bruce and I decided that we needed to grow something on a cane farm that we bought here in Bundaberg. We were deliberating about what to grow and I happened upon strawberries. Whether economic times are good or bad, people will buy strawberries", said Tina.
"People buy strawberries for their children because they are fruit, whereas children think they are a treat. Lovers buy strawberries for other lovers - people are addicted to them. I love eating them, they look great, people get passionate about them, I love that people get excited and really want to eat them".
Tina's favourite way to eat a Tinaberry is to first dip it in sour cream. and then in brown sugar.
"Many years ago, our banker suggested it. Generally you don't take culinary advice from your banker, but it is to die for. I think it's the very best way to have them – though Bruce reckons they are best eaten "nude!".

Rosengal: Where dance music and a dash of love deliver delicious beans!

The Galati family's foray into farming and bean production all started with Christmas lunch in Melbourne.
Struggling to source fresh, local beans, Rosengal farm owner Dave Galati's dad took it upon himself to find and sell beans to friends who were planning family feasts at home. Making more money in that two weeks than he had made in previous six months in their family-run café in Bairnsdale, Melbourne, he knew he was onto a winner.

"He got the beans, made some money, the rest is history. He got the bug", said Dave Galati.

The Rosengal bean brand has been a permanent fixture at Melbourne wholesale markets for a few years now, with Dave and his wife Meg Galati running the Bundaberg arm to ensure year-round supply of green, yellow, flat and borlotti beans, and peas.
The farming game, as Dave describes it, is a bit like 'chasing that big win' as his Dad found in the early days. But, Dave notes, it's also first and foremost about taste, and being in tune with what you are growing and the local environment - and being proactive.

Dave's top tips for growing good beans is to first and foremost play them dance music (he lists David Guetta as a favourite), and to truly be in love with your product. From that unusual (but apparently very effective!) advice, Dave then rounds out his approach by ensuring attention is paid to environmental changes and keeping soil healthy.
"It's like raising a child, you are so in tune with what is happening that you feel every step of the way – you have to think like the crop you are growing," he said.

With an Italian family history that runs deep and is at the forefront of the Rosengal family bean-business, the Galati family have been a long-standing tradition at the Melbourne wholesale markets.
Dave says ultimately all of his farming efforts come down to taste – a commitment that is evident when you try a farm fresh Rosengal bean!

Greensill Farming Group: Supplying the nation for decades

Beginning in 1864 when Fredrick and Matilda Greensill migrated to Australia from England, purchasing a parcel of land near Albany Creek, Brisbane, the Greensill Farming Group has seen a vast number of changes including a move to the Bundaberg region, a change in crop production and farming practices. These days Greensill Farming Group continues to operate as a family-run business growing sweet potatoes, watermelons and sugar cane in the rich iconic red soil of the Hummock. Employing 120 local employees full-time this dedicated family farm believe the most important part of their business is the people who day-in-day-out assist in producing the best possible crop for their customers while growing their agri-business knowledge and supporting the wider community.