Did you see the recent ABC Rural News article on the upsurge of ‘Foodie’ tours? The ABC reports that Australian farmers are reaping the benefits of the ‘foodie’ movement by hosting ‘paddock to plate’ experiences.
While these hands-on experiences are wonderful for regional tourism, they do pose issues for farm-gate hygiene. So, we were pleased to see biosecurity mentioned in the article. “A big consideration for farmers who want to become part of a tour is biosecurity hazards from tourists going to multiple different farms in a day, so tourists are often asked to fill out a form, wipe their boots and wash their hands before stepping onto a property,” the article says.
Practices such as these are helping to deliver messages of farm-gate hygiene and biosecurity to the public. And the more conversations we have about biosecurity, the better.