Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently had the pleasure of visiting A Taste of Paradise farm in beautiful Berry to hear about the fabulous work Tim and the team are doing to support local young people. A Taste of Paradise is an organic-farm based charity focused on mentoring and work experience for disadvantaged and at-risk young people. Tim and Andrea Francis founded the farm in 1999 and have been doing an absolutely fabulous job since then working to make a difference in the lives of others. It is truly something to be admired, and I was humbled to visit their farm and see firsthand the wonderful work they are doing. Tim and Andrea take young people who are disillusioned with the system and give them a new lease on life through their programs, agricultural training, animal therapy and more. Over time, they have added more mentors to their team, growing their capacity. The volunteers at the farm sell their produce, run fundraisers and working bees, rely on local donations, as well as holding a regular stall at the Berry farmers' market to help keep the farm afloat. But they need more help. I don't want for see a fabulous program like this fall over because they aren't getting the funding support they need. I will work with and support A Taste of Paradise in any way I can to make sure they can continue their vital work into the future. Thank you to Tim and the team for having me.