Moree locals and visitors are being encouraged to take part in an agri tour before or after Moree on a Plate next week, for a full paddock to plate experience.
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O'Dempsey's Agri Tours, working in conjunction with Tourism Moree, are running additional farm tours to coincide with Moree on a Plate, to be held next Saturday, May 11.
Tourism Moree CEO Tammy Elbourne said agri tours have been around since the inception of Moree on a Plate, which was established to showcase our local producers.
"The whole focus of the festival was about promoting our local agricultural industry and showcasing that paddock to plate experience," Tourism Moree CEO Tammy Elbourne said.
"The festival aims to give a platform for smaller producers to have a market to sell to."
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In fact, the festival date was originally chosen because it falls during the pecan, olive and cotton harvest.
"That time of year was decided, not only because it's the best time in Moree weather-wise, but it's our harvest time for olives, pecans, cotton and summer crops. The idea behind the date was so we could really showcase those industries."
While O'Dempsey's runs agri tours throughout the year during seasonal times, this year it was decided to return to the roots of the food and wine festival and run additional tours before and after Moree on a Plate, working with the idea of making a whole weekend out of it.
The team at Tourism Moree encourage visitors to come to Moree around the time of Moree on a Plate, so having additional activities for visitors to do while they're here means people are more likely to stay longer and inject more money into the community.
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"We get visitors asking what's a good time to come to Moree, and we do encourage them to come back at this time and spend a little bit more time," Mrs Elbourne said.
"The Moree on a Plate committee have done a great job of ensuring there's a vast array of activities happening around this time, which can really increase visitation to the shire and increase people's length of stay.
"Having an event where you extend activities really helps inject some wonderful economic dollars into the community, particularly at a time when we really need it, when locals are feeling the pinch.
"Lots of people ask 'how can city people help during the drought', well it is by going out to these areas and shopping in our shops, staying in our motels, eating in our restaurants."
The agri tours aren't just for visitors - locals, particularly people new to town or those who have never been to the pecan nut farm or a cotton farm, are also encouraged to take part.
"It's a beautiful time to see the pecan nut farm and cotton when they're harvesting," Mrs Elbourne said.
O'Dempsey's will run four guided agri tours over Friday, May 10 and Monday, May 13.
A cotton farm and gin tour will run from 9am to 12noon on Friday, May 10 and from 1pm to 4pm on Monday, May 13, while a pecan nut farm tour will run from 1pm to 4pm on the Friday, and from 9am to 12noon on the Monday.
Cost is $30 for adults and $20 for children under 14.
For more information and bookings, contact Tourism Moree on (02) 6757 3350.
Moree on a Plate will be held at Moree Secondary College Albert Street campus from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 11.
