Garlic is a very labour-intensive crop, particularly in this case where the land hasn’t been cultivated for years and weeds are a major problem. This, however, is no deterrent to these families who say they are well-accustomed to putting in long days of hard labour.

Darthula’s Ian Saunders can vouch for that, saying the women in particular regularly put in 10-hour days over a solid week, often with a baby on their back.

“There’s a good reason garlic’s worth a lot of money and it’s a lot of work, but that doesn’t bother them.”

Investigations into weed matting might reduce that pressure in future plantings.

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Each of the families look after a different section of the garden, irrigated overhead with water drawn from the nearby creek. Mr Saunders said the property has a large water license and, as it’s on an unregulated stream, he pays for the water whether it’s used or not. This coupled with the existing solar pump means the additional water usage isn’t impacting his operations.

A planting last year on Philip and Julia Harpham’s ‘Moorabinda’ didn’t thrive due to a lack of water, but did provide ‘seed’ cloves for this planting.

Both Giant Russian and Purple garlic varieties have been planted, with the former supposedly more marketable.

“We shall see,” Mr Saunders said.

Meanwhile he is watching the area of the market garden that was set aside for logistics like tractor-turning slowly being encroached by plants.

“Isaac (Icimpaye) is working his way in,” he said.

“Where they come from, food is precious. They’ll work on every inch they can.”

In addition to the one-acre winter garlic crop, the families also accessed another eight acres on Darthula last summer to grow corn, potatoes and beans, primarily for their own consumption. Included was a traditional multi-coloured maize crop which Mr Saunders said grows ‘miles high’.

Again this was land that wasn’t growing lucerne due to its awkward position.

Mr Saunders said there was extensive discussion between family members as to whether to take up his offer to mechanically plant the corn with his equipment or to stick with their traditional methods. It was decided to do just one run with the tractor, but this quickly expanded where they saw the result.

Of course any corner the tractor couldn’t reach was planted by hand. Mr Saunders is impressed with the traditional method, where the workers keep a store of seed in their mouth and spit it accurately-spaced into the prepared trench. (In the western world, though, it would be important to check what treatment the seed had received.)

So far Darthula’s support of the families hasn’t had too much of a commercial impact on its own operations, but Mr Saunders said the parties would be looking at some sort of share farming arrangement if lucerne paddocks need to be sacrificed to accommodate the expanding market gardening. This is looking likely, particularly as garlic plantings need to be rotated through fresh paddocks.

Regardless the three families are establishing a more business-like footing, organising business registrations in anticipation of a bumper garlic harvest.

Renata Tihabose joked that she hoped they’d eventually need trains and even helicopters to haul away the harvest, and she has no problem at all with the amount of work that the crop requires.

Mr Saunders said these are rural people who have farmed before and are realistic about the challenges involved.

“They understand,” he said.

“In their experience it could be monkeys that take everything overnight.

“They’re not dreamers. They know hard times.”

He said there’s potential for the families to become successful on small acreage, and that money is not the only measure of success with good physical and mental health a bonus. 

“Many business don’t make money in their first or second year, but it’s their labour that will make the difference.”