Demand for super vegie grows

Sampling some kale are, from left, Houston's Farm's Vanessa Ford and Estelle Blackwell, with food scientist Hazel MacTavish-West. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

SALES of leafy super-vegetable kale are flourishing, with Tasmanian producer Houston's Farm struggling to keep up with demand.

Houston's Farm marketing manager Allison Clark said its product, grown at its Cambridge property, was sold around Australia through Woolworths and sales were going really well.

"Our sales in baby leaf kale have grown about 25 per cent in the last 12 months," Ms Clark said.

"Consumers are starting to understand it, try and experiment cooking with it."

Hobart-based food scientist Hazel MacTavish-West said there was a simple reason why kale was a hit with consumers.

"Everything that is good about vegetables can be found in leafy kale," Dr MacTavish-West said.

"Being sexy and eating vegetables, especially kale, go hand in hand because it improves skin tone."

Kale is among the brassica vegetables and has a high antioxidant capacity, along with many vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres.

And Tasmanian vegetables would be the purchase of choice, a recent national survey says. Almost 70 per cent of Australians said they would buy our vegetables, if available.

The survey, taken on behalf of Eat Well Tasmania, also highlighted the fact that people most often buy fruit and vegetables from independent greengrocers.

roger.hanson@news.com.au

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Hobart dines out on circus

Cast members rehearse for the Hobart's Only Theatre Restaurant show on August 31. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

ROLL up, roll up, but be warned -- this is not your regular circus.

It is, in fact, Hobart's Only Theatre Restaurant, performing a circus-inspired show in pop-up restaurant events.

Lockhart Brownlie, who has danced with Katy Perry and is touring with Taylor Swift, choreographed the show.

Marketing manager Lynn Batge said dancers and singers auditioned from across Hobart.

"We wanted to do something different, and give the kids more opportunity," Mrs Batge said.

"It's based on the original circus and the freak show, so its got all those characters and around it is a love story between the two circus owners."

The next show is on August 31.

A two-course meal is served during the show, which is held at the C3 Convention Centre at South Hobart.

emma.hope@news.com.au

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Community's heart beats on

TUCKED away in suburbs across the state, Tasmania's network of 34 neighbourhood houses are on the front line of the state's financial crisis.

Most of the houses are under increasing pressure to meet demand and staff say promised extra funding can't come soon enough.

Risdon Vale's Neighbourhood Centre is a typical example of the many ageing, cash-strapped houses that are still managing to make a positive impact in their community.

Centre co-ordinator Ann Harrison is the only full-time paid staff member at the centre.

The centre's annual budget from the Department of Health and Human Services is about $112,000 a year.

More funding is sourced from a patchwork of grants and the houses rely heavily on a pool of volunteers.

The humble brown brick house next to the Risdon Vale shopping area was opened in 1985.

"Because of the increased demand now on neighbourhood houses and the cost of living pressures we're doing much more and there's just not enough space," Mrs Harrison said.

Young mum Danielle Clifford, of West Moonah, grew up in Risdon Vale. Her parents still live there and she attended playgroup at the community centre when she was a child.

Now she brings her own son Riley, 1, to playgroup and is learning new skills by volunteering at the centre.

"It gets us all together, and we're getting things organised and getting things done," Ms Clifford said.

Mrs Harrison said the centre was an empowering place for young mothers.

"Sometimes the young ones have babies and they become isolated at home and they get lost. When they are young they want to have a baby and then they realise it's not the be-all and end-all ... with everything that they do here, they are learning skills and it gives them confidence and self esteem," she said.

With charities buckling under rising demand, neighbourhood houses are now providing food aid daily. Staff also connect locals with financial counsellors and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

Cooking classes are offered to local mums who struggle to afford healthy food and who lack a sound knowledge of cooking and nutrition.

Mrs Harrison said the Federal Government's decision to transfer some single mums from the single parenting payment to Newstart was having a big impact at Risdon Vale.

"Some [single mums] have lost $100 per fortnight and that's their food money. I don't think things are going to get any easier. Kids have poor diets in these high-needs communities," Mrs Harrison said.

As one of the few winners from this year's State Budget, neighbourhood houses will be making the most of every cent.

A total of $4 million will be allocated over the next two years to pay for infrastructure upgrades across Tasmania's 34 neighbourhood houses.

In addition, $580,000 has been provided for preventative health programs to be run through the houses.

Mrs Harrison said the Tasmanian Association of Community Houses had been lobbying the Government and MPs for extra money for some time.

"They know it's money well spent, we save the government a lot of money through the work we do, it's the community doing work to help the community."

For more information, go to www.tach.asn.au

blair.richards@news.com.au

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Forestry funding in balance

AS the fate of the final $100 million of the $420 million Tasmanian Forestry Agreement hangs in the balance, Deputy Premier Bryan Green has launched a blistering attack on his Liberal Party opponents, describing their plans to thwart the deal as the "biggest act of political bastardry in Tasmania's history".

The Liberals, for their part, say they will do nothing to stop the cash from flowing, saying it is only Labor that has made the funding conditional.

Where the money goes

Money promised by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last month is contingent on the state's Upper House giving its final blessing to the forest peace deal.

The ongoing crisis in forestry has caused the state's biggest company -- Gunns -- to go belly-up and Forestry Tasmania to teeter on the brink of insolvency.

Mr Green said the federal money was vital to building a post-forestry economic future for timber communities.

"Funding from the Tasmanian Forest Agreement is extremely important for Tasmania's economy and the people who have been impacted by the downturn in the forest industry," he said.

"The TFA is about helping the industry to restructure, for businesses to transition and to support forestry workers and communities through these difficult times."

Mr Green has hotly denied repeated accusations from the State Opposition that the money is payment to shut the forest industry down.

"The Liberals have the one-liners and policy slogans but no answers. It is the Liberals who pose the biggest threat to the forest industry and money flowing from the TFA," Mr Green said.

"If the Liberals succeed, it would be the biggest act of political bastardry in Tasmania's history."

The state Liberal Party has long vowed to tear up the forest peace deal should it win office at the next state election, expected in March next year.

That pledge would mean that forests placed in reserves would again be open for logging.

Liberal MP Peter Gutwein condemned the conditional nature of the forestry funding.

"Tasmania deserves its fair share of regional development money to grow industries across the state," he said.

"This money should not be linked to shutting down forestry.

"We don't support paying to shut down the forestry industry, close businesses and buy out jobs."

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott told ABC radio the forestry funds would still flow if the Liberals won the federal election.

"What I said was that I was not going to begrudge hard-pressed businesses the federal grant that they were recently given by Mr Rudd," he said.

"I also said that as far as I am concerned, Commonwealth money spent in Tasmania should be to keep industries going and to boost industries, not to close them down.

"But those grants that were announced by the Commonwealth a few weeks ago, they will be honoured."

david.killick@news.com.au

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