Landmark Harcourts will help connect urban Brisbane consumers with the origins of their food at this year’s Ekka.
A big screen will allow visitors to the event to speak in real-time with producers across rural Australia, providing a valuable insight into life on the land.
Landmark Harcourt’s Darren Cole said bringing the bush to the big screen assists in bridging the country-city divide and highlights often overlooked aspects of farming such as animal welfare and landcare.
“At a time when people are more interested than ever about where their food comes from, it is important we give consumers an opportunity to connect with producers in remote, yet major food producing regions across the Northern Territory, Queensland and the Kimberly,” Mr Cole said.
The Royal Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland junior vice president Angus Adnam said the initiative would provide a real-time experience, allowing Brisbane families to talk directly with managers of feedlots and large outback cattle stations.
Managers from Mort & Co feedlots across eastern Australia and on cattle properties owned and operated by AACo in Queensland will take part.
“The Royal National Agricultural (RNA) committee is concerned about the ever-increasing gap between the bush and the city; there continues to be a real lack of understanding of where our food comes from,” said Mr Adnam.
“It is the RNA’s intention to give urban Brisbane consumers a real-time life experience through talking directly with cattle producers.”
The big screen will be set up in Building 9 at the RNA during Brisbane’s EKKA, from August 8 to 17, and will consist of a small grandstand facing a host flanked by two plasma screens. The host will facilitate question-and-answer sessions between consumers and producers four times a day over the ten-day event.