Who we are
OUR BUSINESS MISSION
To supply the highest quality Australian indigenous foods in as pure and natural way as possible (without artificial additives or preservatives) for both domestic and international markets, and to educate the public about these Australian natural foods. To encourage and support organic sustainable farming methods which aim to preserve native flora and fauna and their habitats. To pay tribute to Australias indigenous people through education and understanding.
Playing with Fire is owned by Gus Donaghy and Rebecca Barnes. We found inspiration one day when wandering through the bush we discovered the delights of native raspberries. A trial crop was planted a few months later and was a huge success. Our appetite for Australias indigenous foods was born and still grows today. We are fascinated by the variety, nutrition, taste, colours and smells of foods available and largely ignored by white man. We operate from beautiful Ballina by the Sea in northern New South Wales and have become passionate about this regions rainforests and coastal heaths.
Some years on from our original discovery and the potential for these fruits has only grown. We have been supplying rainforest fruits for testing and research to Food Science Australia . Their research has shown these fruits are literally loaded with anti-oxidants and health-giving nutrition. Clinical trials are underway to investigate further bioactivity including antimutagenic and anti-cancer activities. we'll keep you posted....................
To see more on the research click on the following link:
http://www.csiro.au/news/ps3ax.html
CONGRATULATIONS to our founding director Rebecca Barnes for her latest success as a finalist in the RIRDC NSW/ACT Rural Woman of the Year 2017. We are all very proud....
Why Playing with Fire??
Land in the State of New South Wales was traditionally owned and occupied by
Aborigines. Land is of spiritual, social, cultural and economic importance to
Aborigines. It is fitting to acknowledge the importance which land has for Aborigines
and the need of Aborigines for land. It is accepted that as a result of past Government
decisions the amount of land set aside for Aborigines has been progressively reduced
without compensation.
Preamble to the Aboriginal
Land Rights Act 1983.
Aboriginal people have an extensive and intimate ecological knowledge of Australia . Each clan or group lived in a well defined area that it owned according to ancestral law or Dreaming. Each had a detailed knowledge of local resources and looked after their land accordingly. Perhaps the most important single way in which this country's indigenous peoples still relate to the plants of their environment is through the use of fire. Although they are not strictly farming, Aborigines are able to alter and manage their land and thus to some degree control the source of their food by using fires in small well defined areas. They know that country that is not burned for a significant period is poor as a food resource. They usually burned small patches of land, and then perform totemic increase ceremonies, in the hope of plentiful supply. Many important foods appear in the regenerative phase following burning and lots of bushfood species increase after fire. Fire is also important in hunting animals of the grassland plains. The traditional aboriginal pattern of fire management produces small areas of landscape which as it changes offers various plant communities at different stages of recovery from fire. Large scale bush fires now common in the south east of Australia are not prevalent with this traditional management of small scale fire-stick farming.
Playing with Fire is our show of respect for this sadly all but lost culture.
Contact us
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