Aborigines to Reap the Rewards of Bush Food

The Advertiser, September 6, 2006
By Nigel Austin, Rural Editor; Picture: Sarah Reed

After building up the Outback Pride bushfood label, Gayle and Mike Quarmby have started handing it over to a network of Aboriginal people to become a self-sustaining business.

In the first part of the process, the Quarmbys have given the Adelaide-to-Darwin distribution rights for Outback Pride to the Adelaide Aboriginal Community Development Employment Program.

Representatives Allison and Renee Watkins are promoting Outback Pride in the Taste SA tent at this week's Royal Adelaide Show.

Many of the most successful lines from their 40 grocery products are included in the display.

"The Adelaide Show is exciting for us as it is part of the big picture of our Outback Pride project," Mrs Quarmby said. "This links the bush to the city because Mike and I travel about 8000km a month down dusty roads establishing small bushfood growing enterprises on remote aboriginal communities and building a supply chain to retail and restaurant markets."

The Quarmbys plan to give the Outback Pride brand to the network of Aboriginal people involved in growing and distributing the products. They are concentrating on developing the business by increasing production through expanding teams on 12 Aboriginal communities across Australia.

Mrs Quarmby said that for six years they had been involved in the project to help remote indigenous communities participate in the burgeoning native food industry.

Their involvement in bush foods as a philanthropic program echoed the success of Mrs Quarmby's father Rex Battarbee in establishing an art infrastructure in Aboriginal communities.

"What dad created in the communities is the only thing that's heppening that is creating industry based outcomes," she said. "Now, we need bush tucker officers in the same way as Aboriginal arts officers."

Mrs Quarmby said a more formal partnership had been created with Regional TAFE and APY Lands, which had helped remote students participate in daily operations of a commercial propagating nursery.

Outback Pride is available through The Outback Cafe with Mark Olive on the Lifestyle Channel and on www.theoutbackcafe.com.