Our Story: 

While the rain was falling last summer 5 tenacious refugees from the Coffs Harbour Myanmar Community embarked on a journey to form an Agriculture Co-operative.

In June - the Myanmar Community Agriculture Co-operative was registered as a not-for-profit organisation - a social enterprise that exists to give Refugee's with agri-cultural backgrounds an opportunity to access land to farm.

What! How did we do that? 

Working with Ignite Small Business Start-ups Resource Team - we've had help from a local Business Advisor from Nortect Business Connect, a Co-operative Expert from The Co-op Federation, Volunteer Financial Advisor and local Burmese Businessman, and support from a local Entrepreneur and Agri-business Mentor.

Now.. 

We have an offer to access land with irrigated fields, rights to water, a pack shed, a cool room, a small green house for raising seedlings, a massive green house to grow indoors, and local mentorship with an initial 5month honeymoon period!

‘”This is our chance to get to work for the community” 

- Arthur Hein (Secretary of Myanmar Community Agri-culture Co-operative). 

So...

In start-up phase, we need to raise funds to really kick things off and after 10 months of planning we are reaching out hoping that the wider business community will support us, stay connected, and follow us on this new and exciting journey. 

Other awesome things! 

King Tide Brewery are keen to donate their by-product to the farm for composting in exchange for a supply agreement and Fresco's are keen to support our first Harvest too!  Sydney University’s 180 Degree's Consultancy are dedicating 150+ hours to build a sustainable business plan, and a local design duo Lemon Street are creating our brand! 

Why? 

According to Coffs Council Refugee Action Plan - the 'Coffs Harbour LGA officially became a Refugee Welcome Zone in 2008 and is one of the most multicultural and inclusive regional cities in New South Wales. Between January 2008 and March 2020, 1,602 permanent humanitarian arrivals settled in Coffs Harbour.' Many who come from agri-cultural backgrounds. https://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/Community-and-Recreation/MyCoffs-Connect/Pages/Refugee-Sector-Action-Plan.aspx

“Humanitarian immigrants face perhaps the greatest barriers to setting up a business enterprise in Australia because they have no financial capital, no social capital, their human capital is not recognised, they don’t know the market or the business red tape.” https://socialimpact.uts.edu.au/case-study/ignite-small-business-start-ups-refugee-entrepreneur/

We expect that once the Co-operative is established as an successful farming enterprise and operation, others in the community will join us too.

Can you help us turn the sod?

A special thank you also to Lendlease who support the Ignite programme in Coffs Harbour and to the Coffs City Council for all your support. Working together for Community!

With 5 families ready to do the groundwork to get the Co-operative farm started, we hope our wider business community will support our campaign to help the orgnaisation with the initial set-up infrastructure of the farm. Funds raised will be used to get the farm back into production including; 

• establish bathroom and amenities for members to toilet and shower  

• set shed and cool room up

• set-up small hot house to raise seedlings   

• establish composting processes  

• re-establishment of 6 additional beehives  

• repair & clean out the chicken house  

• put fuel in the tractor 

• purchase seedlings 

• lawyer fees to secure a lease

• set up large hothouse to grow indoor crops!

We can not thank you enough for your support!