Bevan and Letti Nicholls are amongst a growing band of Indigenous South Australians providing bushfoods for lovers of cakes, breads and sweet sauces.

This followed a sustainable business planning course with Rural Solutions SA during which they identified that many of the bush foods sold commercially already grew naturally on their property.

These included, for example, seeds from coastal wattle which are ground, roasted and used in breads or as seasonings - and the muntries berry which is a sweet native berry used in desserts, cakes and jams.

As part of the course, the Nicholls family also visited other Aboriginal groups who are growing bushfoods to see how it was done.

Thanks to a Regional Development Board start-up grant, this family is now setting up a bushtucker business on their Teeluk property near Kingston – to date they have been wild harvesting on their property and selling the produce through a local supplier.

“Pilot programs like this help local indigenous communities convert traditional bush food varieties into sustainable enterprises,” said Peter Marin of Rural Solutions SA – the team dedicated to giving farmers, families and communities some practical ways of growing and managing rural businesses.

Apart from helping secure the grant, Peter helped the Nicholls with their business planning and establishing their business structure.

“It’s great to see how the work we did together is literally yielding fruit - and this type of activity can work for many with the right planning and preparation behind it,” he said.

The Rural Solutions SA has spent many years working with indigenous communities – seeking their views on natural resource management; and continually ensuring that local issues and concerns regarding the land are understood and dealt with.

To help explain its work in more detail: Contact Peter Marin.