The Northern Rivers Rail Trail has its supporters and detractors, especially since the Lismore to Bentley section was opened in December 2024.

There are a number of businesses at the start of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail in Lismore and at the end in Casino; however, there is not much in between.

That will change if a development application (DA) is successful for a farm stay, microbrewery, cafe, and wedding venue at Fernside, about 13km west of Lismore. The operation expects 50% of its trade to come from Rail Trail users.

The farm stay part of the operation already exists, with four (4) guest rooms being utilised. Another bungalow will be built on the south side of Kyogle Road, with the rest of the facilities on the north side of Kyogle Road.

The DA says the new venture will create a farm experience compromising a farm production brewery (utilising raw materials grown/sourced on-site), a café/restaurant, and a function centre (weddings etc). All parking will be provided on-site.

The brewing infrastructure & components will be housed within an existing farm shed.

The initial production will be a maximum of 2,500 litres per week, with the ability to increase that to 7,500 in Stage 3 of the development. There will be a cellar door for people to buy the product.

The café/restaurant will initially seat 50 people, but it can increase that to 100. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be available.

As for the farm experience, it may include farm tours, horse riding, school groups, fruit picking, cattle husbandry and crop management.

The site is located just south of the Lismore to Bentley section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT).

From the Bungabee Road car park, cyclists can follow Bungabee Road south and access the site via an existing gravel farm track, which is about 2.5km.

Based on data from the Tweed section of the NRRT, it is anticipated that around 50% of its customers will be rail trail users. There will be facilities for cyclists on-site, including a bike repair station, limited spare parts, tools, a charging facility and an air pump.

The facility is expected to be open seven days a week from 8am to 6pm with the restaurant open Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm to midnight, with a maximum of six weddings/functions per year in Stage 1.

The hours will increase and the number of weddings/functions will increase as it moves into Stage 2 and Stage 3.