If you’ve ever bitten into a sun-warmed tomato and wondered where it came from, Eat Local Month is for you. Held every June in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, this month-long celebration of food, farms, and fabulous flavours (no bland bites here!) is your chance to get muddy, meet the growers, and enjoy sensational dishes made from ingredients grown just down the road.
Welcome to Eat Local Month: Where the Paddock Meets the Plate
If you’ve ever bitten into a sun-warmed tomato and wondered where it came from, Eat Local Month is for you. Held every June in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, this month-long celebration of food, farms, and fabulous flavours (no bland bites here!) is your chance to get muddy, meet the growers, and enjoy sensational dishes made from ingredients grown just down the road.
This year, however, comes with a soggy twist. Months of relentless rain have left fields flooded and farmers heartbroken. Entire crops washed away, livestock lost, and futures clouded by the rising cost of doing business. Yet these producers are still opening their gates and setting the table, offering a firsthand look at what it truly means to farm through adversity.
Eat Local Month offers over 125 food events across the region—think hands-on cooking workshops, farm gate trails, degustation dinners, long table lunches, and meet-the-maker tastings. Whether you’re a hungry locavore or a curious city slicker, you’ll find your foodie heaven just an hour’s drive from Brisbane.
Kathryn Sowter from Witches Falls Winery and chef Elliott Platz at the launch of Eat Local Month at Kooroomba. Picture by Luke Marsden.
Where is the Scenic Rim and How Do You Get There?
The Scenic Rim is one of Queensland’s best-kept secrets—a lush farming region surrounded by ancient mountains and heritage-listed national parks. Located less than 90 minutes from Brisbane or the Gold Coast, it’s an easy day trip, but trust us, you’ll want to stay longer. Hire a car and follow the Scenic Rim Food Trail, or hop on a guided tour to explore farms, distilleries, vineyards, and artisan producers.
Plan Your Trip to Queensland’s Scenic Rim
- Cheap flights
- Savings on accommodation from hotels to luxury hotels
- Affordable sightseeing tours and day trips
- Affordable car rental options
- Great destination touring options
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Theresa Scholl, Valley Pride, Javier Codina, Moda Restaurant, Kay Tommerup, Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, Tom Drewitt, Loborn Tasting Bar, Tamborine Mountain.
This Queensland Region Is Feeding the Future—But Is Anyone Listening?
At an Eat Local Month preview lunch, guests gathered for a very special menu curated by acclaimed chef Javier Codina of Moda. Around the table were some of the Scenic Rim’s top farmers and producers, and with every bite, a tale unfolded.
Javier kicked things off with his famous tomato tart, topped with raclette cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, whole grain mustard, and his grandmother’s pesto recipe. Then came chicken croquettes made with love and generations-old knowledge. “Sometimes it’s the simple things that become the most memorable,” Javier said, recalling how the tart was born from a last-minute entrée idea that turned into a crowd favourite.
Challenges on the Land: Farming After the Floods
This year’s harvest has come at a high cost. Farmers shared stories of resilience after torrential rain and floods wiped out crops, livestock, and livelihoods.
Theresa Scholl from Valley Pride Farms didn’t hold back: “In December, we had 595mm of rain in one week. We lost everything. Then Cyclone Alfred arrived. Between December and January, we lost $350,000 worth of product.”
Kay Tommerup of Tommerup’s Dairy Farm added, “We lost four of our beautiful Jersey girls this year, and our son hasn’t had a crop since November. It’s been… well, crap.”
Despite it all, these farmers show up. They pick in the mud, deliver produce directly to markets, and continue to grow what they can, sometimes against all odds.
The Abattoir Crisis: Where Local Meat Hits a Roadblock
While plant-based produce is one battle, meat is another. The recent closure of the Beaudesert abattoir now means the closest facility for small producers is over two hours away.
“We used to drive 30 minutes to process our pigs,” said Kay. “Now it’s over 100km to Esk. If that closes, we’re out.”
With no support for mobile or micro-abattoirs in Queensland, local meat faces a grim future unless regulations change. Farmers are calling for new systems that keep their businesses sustainable and ethical.
RELATED POST: What’s Really on Your Plate? Exploring the Dark Side of Food Fraud
Eat Local, Eat Better: Why It Matters
It’s not just about what’s on your plate—it’s about how it got there. When you buy direct from a farmer at a market, or choose a restaurant that sources locally, you’re helping keep family farms alive.
As Javier said, “Some of my best dishes have come from seconds produce. Ripe figs, soft tomatoes—things supermarkets reject, but chefs treasure.”
Therese added, “People think veggies are expensive, but I get $2 a bunch from the big guys. That beetroot you buy for $6.50? I grew, picked, packed, and labelled it. And I still get the smallest cut.”
The Lost Culinary Arts: A Delicious Revival
New to Eat Local Month is the Celebration of Lost Culinary Arts at Kalbar School of Arts Hall on Saturday, June 28. This heartwarming event pays homage to the food traditions of our grandmothers. Think preserves, pickles, stews and recipes that turn every scrap into something sensational.
Javier contributed his cherished chicken croquette recipe, passed down from his abuela. Other chefs shared their own heirloom dishes, offering a flavourful nod to the past—and a delicious inspiration for the future.
Why Eat Local Month Matters More Than Ever
This isn’t just a festival; it’s a lifeline for local growers. The Scenic Rim’s fields may be green, but the road ahead is tough. Eat Local Month connects you with the people behind your produce. It helps them survive—and thrive.
So next time you’re tempted by shiny imported grapes in winter or a $2 avocado, pause. Ask where it came from. Better yet, head to the Scenic Rim and meet the growers yourself.
RELATED POST: Epic Escape on a Scenic Rim Road Trip Trail
Plan Your Trip
- When: The Entire month of June
- Where: Across the Scenic Rim, Queensland
- Highlights: Farm gate trails, cooking workshops, long lunches, the Winter Harvest Festival
- More info: eatlocalmonth.com.au
Let’s Raise a Fork to Local
Come for the food, stay for the stories, and leave with a new appreciation for the muddy, marvellous, magnificent world of farming. Because in the Scenic Rim, the dirt tells a delicious tale.
Queensland’s Scenic Rim—lush, local, and less than 90 minutes from Brisbane.
