Paddock to Plate – It’s the Only Way to Eat!
Buy Local Christmas Campaign 2025 – Tasmanian Irrigation

“If Tasmanian farmers aren’t supported, we won’t be here to produce food.”

That’s the call from Scottsdale vegetable, beef and lamb producer Graeme Bissett.

“If consumers buy local, they know they will eat some of the world’s best produce grown in rich soils with the best intentions – quality, fresh and without residual chemicals found in some imports,” he shared.

Graeme and his brother Leslie are proud to grow onions, potatoes and carrots, as well as pyrethrum and poppies, and produce beef cattle and fat lambs, on their 225-hectare property Listers Lane.

They will harvest and pack up to 900 tonnes of red and brown onions for the Sydney fresh market, about 850 tonnes of Russet Burbank and Barossa potatoes for Simplot, and their 3.5 hectares of carrots will be supplied to the Moore family at Scottsdale for distribution into local supermarkets.

Graeme said this was the first year trialling Barossa potatoes – a new red-skinned, white-flesh variety that is ideal for chips and baking.

Graeme and Leslie encouraged all Tasmanians to select and eat fresh local vegetables this summer – whether from their own vegetable garden, from pick your-own on-farm experiences, supermarkets, boutique stores or farmers markets.

The Bissetts will spend much of the holiday period working, relying on high surety water from the Scottsdale Irrigation Scheme to ensure their crops and livestock flourish.

The 8,600-megalitre Scottsdale Irrigation Scheme was commissioned in 2020, delivering water to the Scottsdale, Bridport, Springfield, Nabowla and Waterhouse areas. The $57.27 million project supplies irrigation water to about 85 farmers.

“We have water entitlements for about 225 megalitres out of the Scottsdale Irrigation Scheme, as well as on-farm dams,” Graeme said.

“Before the scheme was built, we didn’t have enough water to irrigate any poppies or pyrethrum as we saved the on-farm water for carrots, potatoes and onions.

“Now we have the assurance of plenty of water for all our crops and for pasture in autumn for our beef cattle.

“Tasmanian Irrigation water gives us peace of mind and minimises risk, especially in dry years.”

For more information about the Scottsdale Irrigation Scheme, please visit www.tasmanianirrigation.com.au/schemes/scottsdale.