Agricultural
8 August, 2025
Afterglow Organics - farming for the future
Clifton business Afterglow Organics, run by the Edwards family, is using innovative and regenerative farming practices to grow sustainable and high quality produce.
Parents Fiona and Tony Edwards and their sons Kehan, 20, and Hayden, 17 have spent the last few years developing their property at 33 Cemetery Road.
Their ever-growing list of produce, which now covers an acre, includes capsicums, eggplants, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, salad greens, cabbage, scallions, leek, shallots, herbs and edible flowers.
Although there are a few organic market gardens on the Darling Downs they are few and far between.
With a keen science background coming out of high school, Kehan has taken on the role of farm manager and is the brains behind many of the novel farming practices Afterglow is using.
The farm is a full time job for Fiona, Kehan and Hayden and Tony helps out when he can on the weekends.
Fiona is in charge of the picking, washing and marketing while Hayden is the assistant manager, helping out wherever needed.
Fiona said they bought the property four years ago and spent the first year observing the lay of the land, especially paying close attention to the swales and where water traversed.
Kehan said they started a couple of years ago as a glorified garden but have been growing and growing as they improve the soil and refine their practises.
Their methods are concerned with micro-biology, using no-till farming.
“This is so you don’t disturb soil pathways,” Kehan said.
“Some of our regenerative practises are cover cropping, increasing organic matter in soil, growing in rich compost and a deep compost mulch layer system.”
He said another important factor is that the crops are hand-tendered.
Fiona said she has been getting great feedback from customers.
“We always get how fresh it is, how it tastes better,” she said.
Fiona said she hopes more families start growing more fresh produce at their properties.
“If we can get everyone to have a backyard garden - that’s what Australia needs,” she said.
Fiona said organic farming plays a role in the larger agricultural industry.
“We support our already great farming community,” she said.
Afterglow Organics recently had the honour of having their produce including salad greens and edible flowers featured in the signature event of Warwick’s signature festival, Jumpers and Jazz in July.
The Local Flavours Long Lunch was curated by chef Luis San Martin and included many of Afterglow’s fresh produce.
“We were very excited to have the recognition of such a renowned chef,” Fiona said.
Another local supplier for the long lunch was Echo Valley Farm at Goomburra.
Being organic, Afterglow’s produce is seasonal, although they plan to invest in more polytunnels to protect crops during Clifton’s harsher months.
As well as the market gardens, Kehan’s interest in studying agri-forestry has led him to try giving syntropic farming a go.
Syntropic farming is a regenerative farming approach which sees the likes of crops and trees grown together to create a better ecosytem.
With the help of grants from the Acciona MacIntyre Wind Farm south of Karara and from the Koala Tree Project, Kehan has planted 1,000 trees.
Fiona said this approach can see nature take care of pests and diseases.
The syntropic farming is relatively new and will take some time before it is fully developed.
The market garden will remain the family’s main focus, with a further four acres at the farm available to grow produce.
They freshly harvest on Friday mornings and produce can be purchased from a roadside stall after 10am.
Customers can also order through the ‘Afterglow Organics’ Facebook page.
They sell their produce at markets in Warwick and hope to begin selling at the Toowoomba Farmers Market in the future.
Fiona said she also hopes they can start providing produce for local restaurants and cafés.
