Leeton

What’s the best part about being a grower?
Seeing all the hours and hard work come to fruition in a quality product is the most rewarding part of growing for me. 

Why do you grow citrus?
It’s just what I do but mainly I do it for my family. I work hard to support my family and give them the best chance at whatever they want to achieve – that is my biggest motivator. 

Are you hoping to pass on the farm to your kids or grandkids?
Yes, I would love to pass the farm on if the kids want to go down that path. I’d make sure though, that they see a future in it as this industry is not without its challenges, in fact, they’d need to be very resilient going into the growing industry. So, as long as they really are genuine about this career, know what’s ahead of them and have assessed the longevity of this path, then yes, I’d love to see this family business passed on. 

What has been your proudest achievement in your farming career?
For me it’s having developed the business to meet the needs of the Australian fresh juice and fresh produce demands. Whilst this is a passion, it’s also a business, so I can appreciate the importance of producing something the public wants. That’s important to me, to be able to keep up to date with changing consumer demands. So by keeping up with the changing market landscape, we’re also always keeping our fingers on the pulse with the new varieties and technology. For that reason we have really lasted a lot longer than most farmers in the area. 

People often think all fruits are created the same, but in reality, quality is hard to produce. Can you tell us the hard work that goes behind the cultivation?
Quality comes from spending money on nutrition, pest management, pruning, water systems and working 7 days a week all hours of the day. But most importantly it’s about having the right attitude and mentality – it’s about learning to work yourself to the bone and sometimes not feeling like the end benefit is the way you pictured it to be. But that’s ok, you just have to keep going.