Griffith

What’s the best part about being a grower?
Being a grower is certainly not a 9-5 job, the amount of work and time and commitment that goes into being a good grower makes it a way of life and I wouldn’t ask for a different lifestyle, it’s what I love. I like being my own boss! That my everyday work directly translates to cultivating great produce. Lastly, the best part about being a grower is the satisfaction and pride of growing produce for the country and the world.

Why do you grow oranges?
Simple, it’s what I grew up with and it’s what I enjoy doing. I know it, I love it, so I do it. 

Are you hoping to pass the farm onto your kids or grandkids?
Yes, I’m a father so as long as the children want to do it and they see a future for it, then it’d be nice to see it passed onto them. If they want to go into farming, if anyone, not just my children, want to go into farming, there has to be a genuine want to do it. At the end of the day, this is also a business, so they need to look at the viability of it, as you would with any other venture.  

What has been your proudest achievement in your farming career?
My two greatest achievements are my children and my business. I have a successful business and have been able to teach my children and share my farming experiences with them.  

People often think all fruits are created the same, but in reality, quality is hard to produce. Can you tell us the hard that goes behind the cultivation?
To sum it up, it’s about knowledge, passion and attitude. To grow quality fruits you need to know what you’re growing and you need to know your soils, it’s the only way to determine how to treat the tree. The passion is in how you show the plants the tender loving care it needs. Knowledge on its own is not enough if you really don’t care too much about the whole deal. Lastly, it’s your attitude. Being a grower means working at any hour and for long hours at a time. It means a lot of uncertainty and that can be challenging, so it’s important to know that you need to work when work has to be done, regardless.