Gary Donaldson (and his partner Jan) began small scale farming in South Australia in 1976.
They bred rabbits, goats and several breeds of poultry and waterfowl. They reared broiler chickens and pigs, hand milked two cows, grew olives and owned the obligatory 20hp grey “Fergie” tractor.
Among the pioneers of Australia’s fledgling game bird industry, they designed and built much of the equipment used in the breeding and rearing of game birds and other small livestock. They operated one of the first purpose-built quail processing facilities in Australia, packing up to 1500 quail per week.One of the more unusual outputs of their poultry and game venture included the production of balut (chicken embryos) for the local Vietnamese community.
Their restaurant supply business Quailco specialised in the supply of game bird and animal products to Adelaide restaurants and hotels. Some of their early customers are now among Australia’s most prominent chefs.
During this time, Gary also worked as a plant operator in a major wastewater treatment facility where he gained valuable experience with bio-digesters, bio-filters and dual fuel engines.
During the ensuing years, Gary and Jan owned and operated a variety of small ventures including an award-winning fine craft gallery, a restaurant, a country hotel and a fast food outlet.
In 1997, Gary and Jan relocated to Queensland where they started their own small business consultancy and resumed backyard food production.
Gary’s long held ambition to grow his own freshwater fish was realised when, in 2006, he finally built his first backyard-scale aquaponics system. He published The Urban Aquaponics Manual in 2007 and the 2nd Edition was released in 2008.
Gary and Jan are developing Creek Street Micro Farm as a showcase of backyard food production strategies.
