Anthony De Ieso is a 4th generation farmer, growing bunchline vegetables near Adelaide in South Australia. His great grandfather started growing veg back in 1945 on the family farm, Anthony's father then bought another property in 1994, which is where the family business, Thorndon Park Produce is now based.
The main vegetables grown are spring onion, radish, parsley, spinach, silver beet, beetroot and kale.
The farming industry has changed a lot since Anthony's great-grandfather started out. "There are many more larger producers now than there used to be, and you see in the wholesale market that produce comes from many different states, not just South Australia. This can lead to oversupply and low prices when there is an influx of certain products. There is much more competition nowadays, and we are not seeing the returns that we used to see."
To combat the dropping returns, Anthony is looking at expanding the range of herbs, which he sees as a high-value crop; he hopes to be able to also supply these to other states. Thorndon Park is certified to supply retail as well as wholesale but doesn't supply them directly. Instead, they use a middleman.
The company's produce is grown on around 80 acres, and they have enjoyed a good growing season so far; it was a bit of a wet winter, which has meant a few gaps in supply, but according to Anthony, this is seen as collateral damage.
"Two years ago, we had hail, and a tornado went across our farm. This year, we are suffering a bit from the high temperatures; by this time of the year, it should have cooled down a bit, but we are still seeing highs of 30-40+ degrees daily. Normally, the heatwaves would be over in January. It is not a simple case of just irrigating more to compensate; we employ over 50 people, and we have to look after them. Earlier in the year, the days were longer, so we could start early, but now it doesn't get light until 7 am. It is not possible to harvest some products when it is too hot; leafy veg can't be picked when it's over 30 degrees, and this can lead to shortages. We have to make the best of our short windows for harvesting."
For more information:
Anthony De Ieso
Thorndon Park Produce
Tel.: +61 8280 9722
anthony@thorndonpark.com.au
www.thorndonparkproduce.com.au