A small organisation with limited resources is at the forefront of developing Australia's first Indigenous-owned agri-food export business, and planting the roots for a new industry for First Nations people.
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The mission is to develop a honey and wattle seed supply chain from Noongar lands in Western Australia's south-west corner to retail shelves in Singapore as a niche and versatile kitchen ingredient.
The vehicle is a $1.58 million federal government grant to the not-for-profit Noongar Land Enterprise Group.
The relatively small funding package for the two-year program also holds an ambitious purpose: to start redressing a situation where non-Indigenous-owned companies produce 98 per cent of bush foods in Australia. The remaining 2pc are commodity suppliers held in Indigenous interests that do not directly sell to the public.
But, beyond the economic potential and stable employment, NLE chief executive Alan Beattie said successful Indigenous-owned businesses will help heal bodies and minds and country and put local community members back in touch with the environment.
Indigenous people have sustainably managed and shaped landscapes for millenia and it is these rich traditions, practices, skills and knowledge that will be poured into the packets along with seeds.
"There has to be the explorers. But it is not just about getting a new line on the shelves, it is about doing it in a culturally appropriate and ethical way and ensuring the provenance and story around it is told and is authentic," Mr Beattie said.
The Export Readiness Pilot for First Nations Agriculture is a part of the National Agriculture Traceability Grants Program.
Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Murray Watt, who has spoken openly about his desire to increase Indigenous involvement in agriculture, said the grants would facilitate growth along the First Nations supply chain and foster collaboration between First Nations and non-First Nations agricultural enterprises.
"This program will demonstrate to consumers in Australia and around the world that our produce is delicious, safe, clean and sustainable from paddock to plate," he said.
The grants also recognise that First Nations organisations need upfront financing, "support and time" to become export ready.
The NLE will bring in branding, sales and marketing strategy expertise and Australian Export Council know-how in navigating regulations and setting-up markets, creating digital and paper-based traceability systems to meet export requirements and consumer demands, as well getting the products ready and in quantities to hit the ground running.
The early learnings will also be fed back to the government to develop export-ready programs for a wider spectrum of potential Indigenous export businesses.
Mr Beattie said the pilot program will also sprinkle unique and culturally-appropriate employment, economic, cultural and social benefits for First Nations people right across the country.
His confidence is built on experience.
The NLE purchased a native tree farm three years ago near Northam and, despite the area having a relatively large Indigenous population, prior to NLE's purchase had no Indigenous employees. Now, about 12 of the 20 workers are Indigenous.
"People love working here because they are getting their hands dirty and connected to country and putting things back on country. It addresses issues around mental health and physical health and creates feelings of self-worth and value," he said.
"That is partly why we want to develop these products ourselves. Hopefully it will inspire others and demonstrate to the broader public that there is no reason First Nations people cannot do it, we just need support to get to a certain point in a competitive market."
The enterprise chose to initially roll with wattle seeds because it had little money in the bank but between 500,000 and a million Acacia bushes growing naturally on its various properties ready to harvest.
It also helped that the first harvest did not require expensive machinery, but was pulled for a few hundred dollars using volunteer labour, buckets, tarps and ladders.
Since then the volunteers have become workers.
Strategists locked in Singapore as the first target market after the EU Commission ruled bush foods as a "novel" product and therefore banned for import.
"We had to specifically look for countries whose regulations will allow the products and we are not looking at products in the millions, we are looking at niche markets where there are people looking for something exotic in their food," Mr Beattie said.
Raw wattle seeds are cleaned using sieves and the wind and then, to ensure it is food grade quality, put through a machine.
"We actually want to keep it as much a manual process as possible," Mr Beattie said.
"It would be cheaper to put it through a machine from the start, but that takes out the whole cultural element of bringing people together and inter-generational connections and the genuineness of the product, and because it provides employment.
"We have had three generations of a family either picking the wattle seed or cleaning it. We are seeing the fruits of 10-years worth of working coming together."
Wattle seeds were used in meals for thousands of years and, more recently, by early settlers in damper recipes.
The curve-ball for wattle seed harvesting is the extremely narrow window of no more than two weeks where the seeds go from too green to pick to falling to the ground due to WA's traditional stifling summer heat.
A 2022 Australian National University report found the opportunity of the First Nations' estate, which covers more than 57 per cent of Australia's landmass, was being missed by government and business.
The NLE next has its sights on expanding markets for existing products, like quandong and saltbush
