Former Bathurst man publishes book promoting self sufficiency

As it turns out, it was the catalyst for his next business venture, the publication of his book, The Smart Veggie Patch.

Determined to become more self-reliant in this era of unpredictable weather events and worsening health caused by highly processed food, Mr Memory designed a system that combines ancient agrarian traditions with the latest in science and technology to deliver massively increased yields while radically reducing workload.

He then published his ideas.

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He said the book provides a complete system for growing nutritious, abundant organic produce to feed a family and help save the planet.

"A Smart Veggie Patch only takes two hours a week to maintain and will provide an abundance of homegrown produce all year round," he said.

He hopes his overview of the deteriorating state of food supplies will inspire others to take a step towards self-reliance, while his practical tips and how-to's offer the tools people need to get going.

Meticulously researched and passionately argued, with clear and accessible instructions, the book is for anyone looking to cut costs, improve their health and save the planet.

As with anyone concerned with human health, the environment and future food security, Mr Memory has had a zillion conversations about the issues and inequality that plague the globalised industrial food system.

The Smart Veggie Patch book was inspired by his belief that the time for talk is running out, and there is now an urgent need for us to focus on what real options and solutions are available.

Mr Memory, who initially moved to Bathurst about 18 years ago with his parents, met his future wife Gemma Lynch while living here.

They both lived in Bathurst before heading off to university when he was 21 and she was 19.

"Went off and did other things, and then came back [to Bathurst] in 2011," he said.

"While we were there launched the Tasmanian Tea Company."

Since then the couple moved to Tasmania, where they launched other business ventures including the 13 Seeds Hemp Farm in 2017.

Mr Memory said they wanted to find a way to use their land productively for a cropping enterprise.

Taking their lifetime of family-based food experience, they designed Australia's most extensive range of hemp-based food and skincare products.

The award-winning products included Australia's first hemp muesli, porridge, chai, hot chocolate, falafel and a hemp protein-infused Tasmanian honey.

The 13 Seeds Hemp Farm became hugely successful. The couple then designed and built Tasmania's first dedicated hemp food manufacturing facility in 2019.

The 13 Seeds Hemp Farm, which the couple started on their kitchen table, was listed on the Australian stock exchange via a parent company in 2020.

He said the business was so successful it was moved to Melbourne, which enabled him to "cool his heels for a while" and enabled him to develop the idea of the self-sufficient veggie patch.

Mr Memory said the idea of being self sufficient has always appealed to him, and he wanted to look at an entrepreneurial approach and develop a system which produced a net result.

"In lockdown I got a lot of solace out of the garden," he said, adding if he has been able to become self sufficient, everyone can.

"I've got six kids and businesses and not a lot of time.

"It's about the least amount of input with maximum output."

He said his book combines traditional gardening with technological science.

"Don't do it like grandpa used to do it, do in a futuristic way..... it's about looking to future rather than at the past," he said.

Mr Memory said he was pleasantly surprised with the uptake of the book since its release.

"I thought honestly I'd self publish 50 copies and give it to family and friends," he said.

He felt if he sent it to a publisher he thought they would either "ignore me or worse, tell me it was crap or I'm a crap writer."

But within 12 hours of reaching out to an agent he was fielding calls from London from people wanting to talk.

"My agent called with three major Australian publishers interested," he said.

"When Pan Macmillan called, I was gob smacked."

The Smart Veggie Patch is available online or at Books Plus in Bathurst.

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