Father-and-son duo Matthew and Liam Dennis might not agree on everything, but when it comes to life on the land they are on the same page.
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The Dennis family is passionate about local food and selling direct to the public.
Fairfax Media caught up with them as part of National Agriculture Day, which falls on Tuesday, while they were busy bailing hay and carting it before the rain set in.
Having hay in the shed, and then enjoying steady rain, is like winning the lotto for a farmer.
“We were working late to get the hay done, we had tickets to see Paul Kelly but we couldn’t go,” Matthew said. “That’s the way it is.”
They also had to pick their ever-growing range of vegetables to take to the Slow Food Earth Markets in Maitland CBD, a place where local growers can sell direct to the public.
It’s been a lifeline for them since the markets started in May last year, and it means they earn a fair price for their food.
Matthew hasn’t always sold direct to the public. He used to be a broadscale farmer selling to the Sydney wholesale markets, but the money he earned did not compare. For a crop of pumpkins he would receive 25 cents each, while major supermarkets sold them for at least $3 a kilogram.
Now he balances the two pursuits and is looking to grow his offerings at the market.
Liam is also keen to bring more variety to the markets and meet their customers’ needs. He is trialing a new range of vegetables at the moment that may become part of the usual mix.
“We’ve got trial carrots and radish in, so we’ll see how that goes,” Liam said.
“I wanted to try them for this market so we can be a bit different instead of having just the basics.”
Matthew is proud to have Liam working with him full-time and is glad his other sons Coen and Aiden are also involved when they have the time.
“All my kids could drive a tractor when they were six,” Matthew said. “It’s a good upbringing for them.”
For more information about National Agriculture Day, presented in partnership with Fairfax Agricultural Media, visit www.agday.org.au.