Aquaponic Gardener

Forgot to let you know that last month I travelled to Warraber Island (Torres Strait Island Regional Council) to deliver some hands-on food security workshops focused on growing food in sandy soils and strengthening local resilience, including Aquaponics.

We worked on practical systems communities can manage themselves including mulching, composting, worm farms, wicking beds & aquaponics. In the Torres Strait, food security is a real challenge. Communities rely heavily on barges and air freight, with high food costs, limited fresh produce and disruptions impacting health and wellbeing. Some islands can also be cut off for months each year.

This off farm work work builds on what we are developing at Barron River Redclaw in Far North Queensland which is really a demonstration farm for practical aquaculture, aquaponics and food security systems. The farm has also become a springboard for private education, consulting and training across FNQ, helping communities and organisations implement practical food production systems that work in remote conditions.

Anyone need any Juvenile Redclaw Crayfish 5-15grams for Aquaponics, Aquariums, fish ponds or fish tanks etc. They will be ready to eat in 5 months. Super genetics from fast growing commercial stock.

I have been adding crayfish to a lot of new Aquaponics systems lately with great success.

All farmed under licence.

Just $2.00 each. Can deliver to Cairns for $20 if required or collect from farm.

This week I had the privilege of travelling to Horn Island (Torres Strait Council) to deliver hands-on aquaponics training while restoring an old system back to life.

Over four focused days we repaired leaks, improved water flow, restored filtration, stabilised grow beds, and planted the first crops. The system is now operational, cycling well, and will soon be ready for fish and redclaw stocking.

Why it matters, food security in the Torres Strait is a real challenge. High food costs, limited fresh produce, freight disruptions and income-cycle shortages all impact health and wellbeing.

Aquaponics isn’t a silver bullet, but when properly set up and locally managed it can:

• Grow fresh food close to home
• Reduce reliance on freight
• Build practical skills
• Strengthen community resilience

Most importantly, TSC staff now understand the biological foundations of aquaponics and the daily, weekly and monthly disciplines needed to keep it thriving.

Before flying out, I also delivered a community day on Thursday Island focused on healthy living and growing food at home — covering wicking beds, composting, worm farms, and building healthy soils.

Practical skills. Local ownership. Long-term food resilience.

The scale of innovation, the quality of conversations, and the depth of thinking around the future of agriculture at Evoke Ag 2026 have been overwhelming, in the best possible way.

From cutting-edge AgTech solutions to practical on-farm applications, the exchange of ideas has been constant. Every conversation has sparked new thinking about how we can strengthen production systems, improve efficiency, and build greater resilience into aquaculture and aquaponics operations.

I’m leaving with a notebook full of insights, new contacts and opportunities to explore , all of which I’m looking forward to testing and refining back at Barron River Redclaw Farm and future Aquaponic system builds.

Queensland agriculture is not standing still. The innovation pipeline is strong, and the collaboration across sectors is real. I'm so grateful to be part of and to represent our farmers on this stage. Now it’s time to bring the learning home and turn so many ideas into action.

This week I'm attending EvokeAg (17–20 March) as part of the Queensland delegation, representing Barron River Redclaw, the Aquaponic Gardener and other QLD farmers.

One area I’m particularly passionate about is how aquaculture and AgTech can open pathways for Indigenous careers and enterprise development. Also seeking indigenous partnerships for farm investment.

Sustainable aquaculture systems including redclaw and cherabin - offer real opportunities for food production, local employment and community-led economic participation across northern Australia.

Queensland’s AgTech ecosystem has the capability to support these outcomes at scale.

Looking forward to meaningful conversations at EvokeAg about innovation that delivers both commercial return and social impact.

Excited to be heading to (17–20 March) representing Barron River Redclaw, & the Aquaponic Gardener as part of the QLD delegation.

Aquaculture & Aquaponics has a major role to play in strengthening Australia’s food systems — particularly in regional and remote communities.

At Barron River Redclaw, we’ve been focused on sustainable freshwater crayfish production systems that are practical, scalable and aligned with long-term food security outcomes.

Queensland’s AgTech sector is not just about technology — it’s about real-world solutions for farmers, communities and future generations.

Proud to be part of showcasing that capability to the world.

Next week (17–20 March), I’ll be travelling to EvokeAg 2026 as part of the Queensland delegation, representing Barron River Redclaw and fellow Queensland farmers. It's an honour to stand alongside a strong QLD team showcasing the depth, resilience and innovation of Queensland’s AgTech sector to a global audience.

From aquaculture and sustainable food production to cutting-edge ag technologies, Queensland continues to demonstrate that regional producers can lead on both productivity and sustainability. Looking forward to connecting with innovators, investors, researchers and producers who are serious about the future of food. If you’re attending EvokeAg, let’s connect.

Honored to have recently supported the Climate Intelligent Workshops hosted by Hopevale Foundation and sponsored by Cape York NRM (14–15 November 2025).

Over two packed days we shared practical, climate-smart agriculture and aquaculture ideas that people can take home and implement themselves, including:

-Aquaponics for resilient food production

-Wicking beds for efficient water use

-Composting, mulching and worm farming to build healthy soils

-Simple, low-cost techniques to boost food security in remote and regional communities

It was especially encouraging to see community members, Elders, and school children so engaged — the kids’ session was a real highlight and showed just how interested the next generation is in growing their own food.

Big thank you to Hopevale Foundation and Cape York NRM for their leadership and climate-friendly initiatives, and for inviting me in my role as Barron River Redclaw farmer and Aquaponic Gardener to share my life long knowledge of food security systems.

📌 Stay tuned for possible future workshops as we continue to build resilient, climate-smart food systems together across Cape York and Far North Queensland.

I'm really looking forward to Hopevale Foundation's free Climate Intelligent Workshops on sustainable climate-smart agriculture you can do yourself (Nov 14-15th). It's so important for our communities to dive into discussions about food security using innovative techniques like aquaponics, wicking beds, composting, mulching, worms etc. Theres even a session for the kids. Plus, having Cape York NRM on board will give us a great chance to learn about their climate-friendly initiatives! See the flyer and get all the details. Let's spread the word and inspire everyone to join in. Yours truly will be presenting- no pressure? Here’s to creating a sustainable future together!

Check out this happy customer! 😄 No one told him he couldn’t play with his food – in this case, it was our jumbo redclaw, each weighing 250+ grams. 🦞

Fresh, sustainable, and a whole lot of fun!

After some serious effort leveling that conical base with sand, we’ve finally got our two 10,000lt fish spawning tanks in place! Can’t wait to harness that next rainwater and get the ball rolling on spawning barra and perch once again. Huge shoutout to my awesome mates Matt and Ty from – couldn't have done it without your help in moving all that sand and tackling those huge, awkward tanks! You guys are the best! 💪 Stay tuned for updates as we dive into this exciting chapter moving more tanks into position and plumbing Aquaponics growbeds to all the tanks! Stay tuned.