Australia's biggest rosella producer is calling on jam makers to attend a virtual festival in a bid to prevent the biggest crop it has ever grown from going to waste.
Petersen's Farm was forced to cancel its annual festival this year, but is hoping to provide the next best thing by live streaming farm tours and cooking demonstrations.
The coronavirus-driven cancellation follows tough times for the Woolooga, Queensland operation — last year the rosella plants had to be hand-watered in 40 degree heat amid the brutal drought.
"COVID-19 hit us, two major orders fell through, and the next six months of events we go to have all been cancelled," Cecilia "CC" Diaz-Petersen said.
"It's been knock-back after knock-back, so we want to share something positive, something uplifting, something that will be motivating.
"If people can watch a choir singing or celebrities doing their concerts online, then why can't we have a big rosella festival online?"
Bumper crop
After reliable rain, the farm's fields are loaded with a record crop of the tangy ripe red fruit that, in a normal year, could have been sold to restaurants as well as at the festival and other events.
"Greg [Petersen] has said he will probably have to let two patches of rosellas go, just because we just don't have a market," Ms Diaz-Petersen said.
"I'm working with other small producers … for us to try to save them by making other value adding products.
"And we will be freezing four tonnes of rosellas for CC's Kitchen this year, instead of two-and-a-half."
Old fashioned flavour
In 2018 the family's efforts to bring the old fashioned fruit back into favour was recognised in a Landline story.
"Rosella is one of those flavours that is so unique, as soon as you taste it, you pretty much get hooked on it," Ms Diaz-Petersen said.
"Rosella jam just brings back so much memories from childhood."
The virtual rosella festival events will be staged early next month.
"It's not just going to be about the big Rosella festival," Ms Diaz-Petersen said.
"It's also including chefs and other producers working together to do something really positive."
Chefs support festival
Chefs Matt Golinski, Jason Ford, Wild Canary's Glen Barrat, Hungry Feel Eating House Buderim's Chris White, Charlies Hotel Gympie's James Barnden, Valerie Ferdinands and Dan and Steph Mulheron will all contribute cooking demonstrations.
"CC's so energetic and innovative," Golinski said.
"All of the chefs who normally go there and help her out have all jumped on and said 'Yes, we'll record a recipe.'"
\As the Gympie regional food ambassador, Golinski hopes appreciation for local producers like the Petersens will grow as a positive from the pandemic.
"Taking the festival to the people instead of having them go there," he said.
"I think it's a really great idea."
