Welcome To Glasshouse Plantation

MEET THE FARMERS

At Glasshouse Plantation, Paul Ziebarth and Lisa Palu draw on their lifelong careers in agriculture to tell the story of food, and help people connect with what they eat, how it sustains them, and understand it’s incredible journey to their plate.

Paul was born and bred in the Lockyer Valley, where he was the fifth generation in his family to grow vegetables.

Lisa’s family have been sugar cane farmers and orchardists in Bundaberg for over 100 years.

Both Paul and Lisa have degrees in Agricultural Science from The University of Queensland and are passionate about helping people develop a deeper connection with where their food comes from.

paul ziebarth

FARMER

Throughout his decades of vegetable farming, teaching, and as a horticultural industry leader, Paul has advocated for family farmers to tell ‘The Story of Food’.

He explains the idea with six questions:

> What is this product?
> Where does it come from?
> Who is the family who has grown it?
> How have they grown it?
> What can I do with it?
> Where do I buy it?

lisa palu

FARMER

As a first year Agricultural Science student in the early 1980’s at the University of Queensland, Lisa had a lecturer pass on some valuable wisdom:

“Live as though you’ll die tomorrow,

but farm as if you’ll live forever”.

This way of thinking has had a profound impact on Lisa’s lifelong career in agriculture.

we are farmers

OUR

Native Wildlife

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS

Glasshouse Plantation is alive with a range of native Australian animals and birds. Late in the afternoons you’ll see Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Pretty Faced Wallabies. Among the birds in the paradise of the Glass House Mountains you’ll see Black Cockatoos, Rainbow Bee Eaters, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Laughing Kookaburras, Spangled Drongos, Channel-Billed Cuckoos, Pacific Koels and a plethora of other noisy, colourful native birds. If you are lucky you might even see a Glossy Black Cockatoo, listed as Endangered in many parts of Australia.

EXTENDED FAMILY

“Our kangaroo’ likes to graze around our farmhouse early in the morning and at dusk. We love this photo of the third joey we have watched her raise. He is almost as big as her now, still always with her while the next one is already out of the pouch and eating grass, though she often puts her head back in to feed. While ‘our girl’ and her joeys are relaxed around people, the majestic males who visit when she is in season are not, and we are always incredibly careful around them. They are, afterall, wild animals.

THREATENED SPECIES

At night we are thrilled to have Powerful Owls travelling through. We are part of the territory of a breeding pair Powerful Owls, who mate for life and can live for 30 years. Listed as a Threatened species, this is the largest owl in Australasia, measuring 60 centimeters in length. This wonderful photo was taken in a large Eucalypt near the western boundary of our property. The terrible screeching of a fruit bat being eaten by the Powerful Owl drew us outside. The owl was hanging from a branch with one wing, while grasping the hapless bat in its strong talons.

FEEDING TIME

The Rainbow Bee Eaters nest in September behind our farm shop. We love watching them dig their metre-long tunnels by resting on their beaks and scratching out the soil with their tiny feet. We delight in watching them fly in and out of the small hole on the surface to feed their young. We also love to watch them continue to feed their young once they have fledged, with our powerlines making the perfect dinner table.

LOOK CLOSELY

See our native beehive and these tiny insects at work making honey. Native bee keeping is valuable to Australian ecology and you can learn all about the hive, honey production and bee family structure.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Some of the Allocasuarina species that have been planted on Glasshouse Plantation are successfully attracting the Vulnerable Glossy Black Cockatoo because they are the preferred food of this magnificent bird.

Glasshouse Plantation Philosophy

We use sustainable farming practices and Glasshouse Plantation is committed to environmentally friendly choices wherever possible.

The motto we live and farm by is:

grow. sustain. respect.

We are mindful of the devastating impact development has on Australia’s unique native plants and animals. With our neighbours, we are rehabilitating half an acre of land as a wildlife corridor so the kangaroos and wallabies can more safely move around, and to provide nesting sites for native birds and habitat for small marsupials.

Glasshouse Plantation sources 100% Australian produce, mostly from the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Respect for Our History

With Mt Beerwah and Mt Coonowrin always in our view, we are forever mindful of the continuing spiritual signiﬁcance of the Glass House Mountains to First Nations People of the region.

Not far away from Glasshouse Plantation are ancient bora grounds where Aboriginal people gathered for business, ceremonies and dancing, and there are paintings in some of the mountainous caves. They give us precious insight into how people lived in this unique landscape for thousands of years. See more about Glass House Mountains culture.

We are incredibly privileged to work with Queensland Aboriginal artist, Murruppi (Daniel Murphy) so visitors can have an authentic experience of Indigenous culture, art, and craft. You can see more of Daniel’s work here.

Glasshouse Plantation Community

Glasshouse Plantation is an active member of organisations that support our philosophy:

Australian Sub-Tropical Coffee Association

The Rural Press Club of Queensland – Lisa served as President and Vice-President for five years.

Glasshouse Country Chamber of Commerce

Sunshine Coast’s Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN)

Regional Tourist Organisation, Visit Sunshine Coast

The Future of Glasshouse Plantation

Each visit to the Glasshouse Plantation is different. Seasons change and so do our orchards. We watch the cycle of life alongside our beautiful wild animals. We nurture our trees through drought and flooding rain. From our farmhouse on the hill we plan for a bright future.

We are currently planting 6,000 arabica coffee trees, to complement our mango and lychee orchards. Each visit offers unique discoveries as our coffee plantation takes shape, with our first harvest of coffee cherries due in 2023, all going according to plan!

WITNESS THE CHANGING

SEASONS

Currently all Glasshouse Plantation grown fruit is turned into preserves, which you can sample in our farm shop and take home.

In the future, visitors will also be able to experience our fruit made into delicious smoothies, and deserts, fresh from the kitchen of the original farmhouse, built in about 1920.

In conjunction with our neighbours, we are planting half an acre of land along our western boundary with the trees and shrubs that once grew there. Our goal is to rehabilitate the land and turn it into a nature reserve for wildlife such as the Vulnerable Glossy Black Cockatoo.

BREATH IN THE

FRESH

MOUNTAIN AIR

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

When can I visit?

We are open on weekends from 9 am till 6 pm.

Is there parking?

Yes, there is plenty of parking.

When is the best time to see kangaroos?

All our animals are easiest to catch sight of in the early morning and later in afternoon. Except the Powerful Owls, being nocturnal, they are only visible at night.

Can I purchase art made by your Indigenous artist?

Yes. Murruppi creates beautiful ‘one off’ paintings and traditional tools available for purchase.

Visit This Weekend

122 Glasshouse-Woodford Road, Glass House Mountains
(We’re on the road to the Scenic Lookout)
T: 0419 663 404

Opening Hours

Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ~ 6 pm

Cost

Free entry when you purchase something from our shop – you’ll be welcome to enjoy our farm for as long as you would like (until 6pm).

Questions?

Ask away. We’ll reply to your queries as quickly as possible.