HELPING people connect with where their food comes from has long been a passion for Paul Ziebarth and Lisa Palu, whose Glasshouse Plantation this year won the 10th annual Glass House Small Business Gold Award.
Both agricultural scientists, Mr Ziebarth comes from a five generation Lockyer Valley vegetable-growing family, while Ms Palu grew up on a cane farm near Bundaberg.
Their Glass House Mountains agritourism business is the result of a 16-year journey that began after a family visit to the area in 2010 and was inspired by a small-scale coffee farm they visited on Norfolk Island the following year.
After a five-year search, they found a property with the north-facing slope, reliable water, mountain views and tourist-road access they wanted.
They began planting coffee in 2021 and now grow 5000 Arabica trees, with plans to expand. In August this year they machine-harvested their first significant crop, which is now drying.
Visitors can sample Australian-grown coffees in the plantation’s restored 110-year-old farmhouse café overlooking the coffee trees and Glass House Mountains. The café serves breakfast from 8-11.30am and lunch from noon-2pm, using local seasonal produce prepared by Italian chef Ilario Duo and two trainee chefs.
Son Nick also offers in-depth coffee tasting experiences, while Paul and Lisa conduct farm tours taking visitors through the coffee trees, harvester and processing equipment.
The farm shop stocks locally grown pineapple, macadamias, tea and honey, along with Australian coffees to take home.
Since opening two years ago, Glasshouse Plantation has grown into a busy agritourism destination employing 12 people, most of them young locals.
Open 8am-3pm every day except Tuesday and Wednesday at 122 Glass House-Woodford Road, Glass House Mountains. More information and bookings: glasshouseplantation.com.