Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my electorate of Wannon there are many small family farms that are doing interesting things with produce. One such farm is Great Ocean Ducks, or GOD, where Greg and Jodi Clarke have established a 16-hectare operation farming free-range Aylesbury and Pekin ducks. Nicknamed GOD for short, this farm is as close to a slice of heaven as you are likely to see, with views down to the coast near the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road at Port Campbell. I can attest to this as I visited their beautiful farm in October this year and had lunch with Greg and Jodi.

Jodi and Greg established the duck farm from scratch in 2009 with no farming experience and just 30 ducklings. In fact, prior to this sea change, Jodi confessed she had never used a shovel. I suspect this may have changed by now. Greg, who is a writer, now spends more time around the farm than in front of the computer. However, he did take time to write to me to ask about the export possibilities available to small farming operations. Thankfully, the government has things well underway on delivering free trade agreements galore, with support for smaller as well as bigger agricultural operations a priority.

The ducks are fed on fresh strawberries and other fruit and nuts—not a bad diet for a coastal lifestyle. After six years of care and attention, Jodi and Greg now supply around 150 ducks per week to some of the best restaurants in the country. Whether you are sitting down to a meal at the Royal Mail in Dunkeld—another wonderful institution in my electorate—or Brae near Birregurra, in the member for Corangamite's electorate, or at the European on Spring Street, the duck you order will have come from GOD.

Great Ocean Ducks have diversified this year by producing a cookbook—the result of a large number of requests for recipes and tips for how best to cook duck. Thanks to the many noted chefs and restaurants that have been sourcing their ducks from GOD, the book is full of fantastic ideas and suggestions on the best way to cook what can be a hard dish to master. I am told that copies are selling fast; some are even being ordered from overseas.

Along with their two children, Madi and Milla, Jodi and Greg have established a wonderful farm and operation in my electorate and are a true testament that the heart of farming is to have a go. Great Ocean Ducks is a truly free range and family-run farm. The government's FTA agenda is to support ventures like this, particularly in helping to get these smaller operations into overseas markets. Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend Just Duck to you and to the House.