By Oliver Lees
For Kyneton resident Tadhgh Knaggs, it took a life-changing moment to commit to his dream of owning his own business.
“Last year I was made redundant from my position in the city,” Mr Knaggs said.
“After that I decided I wanted to take some control of the situation. My heart was telling me I really wanted to get back on the land, and get back some of that power back.”
Mr Knaggs ditched the lifestyle of working in the city and committed himself full time to growing and selling garlic at his 3.5 hectare home property.
To kickstart his venture, Mr Knaggs enrolled in the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS).
Facilitated by employment service Asuria, participants in the program receive a certificate III in entrepreneurship and new business.
Program manager Amanda Hamill said many entrepreneurs had expressed their interest in the program since the outset of the pandemic.
Mr Knaggs said the program helped him find his niche.
“With Kyneton’s hot summers and freezing cold winters, we get really healthy [garlic] bulbs in the soil here,” he said.
“But garlic is a seasonal crop that you can only really plant at one time of the year.
“My mentor got me to think about how you have a point of difference and attract people to what you’re selling.”
Mr Knaggs and his partner Sarah now run the business together.
They use regenerative farming techniques and sell black garlic, a slow-cooked, versatile garlic that allows the pair to keep their business ticking all year round.
“To be in control and see the potential gets me up in the morning, and gets me thinking at night,” Mr Knaggs said.
For more information on Knagwood Garlic Farm, visit: www.facebook.com/KnagwoodGarlic
