Michael Bednarz from Nutiren Ag Solutions was a welcome visitor to the weekly Farmers Market in November held in the Stanthorpe Heritage Railway Precinct.
The volunteers at Artworks Granite Belt who manage the site, have taken on the task of restoring the Queensland Fruitgrowers Society Building which has lain derelict since its closure in 1992.
Artworks president Mary Findlay was pleased to accept the first grant funds amounting to $5000 from the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal and Nutrien Ag Solutions in this journey to return this building to the heart of the community.
As Michael Bednarz from Nutrien Ag Solutions has said, ‘The Queensland Fruitgrowers Society, not unlike Nutrien, was a co-operative business that supplied our local primary producers through a business model that included merchandise, cold storage and pack houses.
The old building in the heart of the district is a reminder of the foundations of our community – our primary producers, restoring this space will contribute to restoring a sense of pride and a place for past, present and emerging farming generations to relax and enjoy.’
These funds will be used to begin the stabilisation of the building with new stumps. It is a big project and ongoing fundraising will be required to bring it to fruition.
Queensland Rail have granted permission to Artworks to effect the restoration work to make the building habitable again.
