In a classic tale of Aussie ingenuity, two fifth-generation farmers from Queensland are making waves by converting their wasted garlic into a premium product and taking on the global spice giant, China.
From Farm Waste to Market Leader
David and Andrew Moon, brothers who run the Moonrocks garlic brand from their farm in St George, Queensland, found themselves frustrated with a recurring problem. While their fresh garlic was successful in major supermarkets like Coles, a significant portion of their crop was deemed unfit for sale due to cosmetic issues like crooked cloves or irregularly sized bulbs.
This 'waste' garlic was perfectly good to eat, but supermarket standards meant it couldn't be sold. "We knew that our garlic that was going to waste was perfect garlic," David Moon explained. He describes garlic as "a lazy plant" that is difficult to grow and must be harvested entirely by hand.
Instead of accepting the loss, the brothers saw an opportunity. They identified a gap in the market for a high-quality, pure Australian garlic powder. "China produces more garlic than the rest of the world put together and most garlic powder in Australia comes from China," David noted. "We wanted to change that."
The Birth of G'day Garlic
After three years of dedicated trial and error, the Moon brothers launched their solution: G'day Garlic. This is a 100 per cent pure Australian garlic powder, containing no additives, and is processed on-site in their own sealed, high-care kitchen on the farm, located roughly 500km southwest of Brisbane.
Their new venture now offers chunky, fine, and seasoned garlic powders directly to consumers through their online store, with ambitious plans to eventually stock the product on supermarket shelves nationwide.
The Grit Behind the Garlic
The success of G'day Garlic wasn't achieved overnight. Commercial garlic farming and processing is a demanding, hands-on business. The entire process is manual and relies on seasonal workers from East Timor and Vanuatu.
Furthermore, the financial challenge is substantial. David Moon highlighted the cashflow strain, stating, "There’s a nine-month gap between planting and being paid. It’s a huge drain on cashflow, and that’s where Westpac comes in."
Peta Ward, National General Manager of Westpac Regional and Agribusiness, praised the brothers' perseverance. "With the right financial support, the Moons came up with an outstanding world-class product," Ms Ward said. "The challenge for every farmer is seasonality. Cashflow support is crucial, and we’re proud to help farmers like David and Andrew continue to feed Australia."
With plans already in motion to expand their product line to include crushed and pickled garlic, it's clear that for David and Andrew Moon, and for G'day Garlic, this is only the beginning.
