Opportunity for Tripod Farmers Group lies in "doing what we currently do" — only better. For Tripod's General Manager Joseph Ruffo, growth in cos lettuce is less about looking for new markets to expand into and more about sharpening scale, efficiency, and customer alignment.
"We expand on what we currently do. It gives us a competitive edge," Ruffo says. "But we're also very mindful that we don't sacrifice quality for scale, because at the end of the day, we feel the only thing that does differentiate us from some growers is our quality of produce."
© Tripod Farmers Group
Headquartered in Bacchus Marsh, the vertically integrated producer grows cos lettuce 12 months of the year, alongside salad mix, baby spinach, and wild rocket. Cos remains one of its three main lines. "We're 100 per cent field-grown," Ruffo says. "Business has been good. We've had a kind growing season, so we're fairly happy."
Demand, he says, is steady. "We're very consistent. We have a strong clientele who stick with us. We have multi-generational customers who bought produce from my grandfather and still buy produce from us today. We're the third generation in the business."
The company's performance was recognised when it was named Coles Farmer of the Year in the horticulture category. While Ruffo is pragmatic about accolades, the award reflects the innovation and quality focus that drive the business.
He sees further opportunity in convenience. "There's a trend towards convenience where lettuce is already chopped, ready to go. You don't have any waste. Whatever you purchase, you consume," he says. "I think that's a big part of the future." For a product traditionally sold whole, that shift offers incremental growth without abandoning core lines.
© Tripod Farmers Group
Cost pressure, however, has reshaped the way Tripod operates. "Costs have definitely risen," Ruffo says. In response, the company has invested in laser weeding technology. "It's reduced the amount of labour involved, the amount of herbicide that we need to put into a crop. Apart from the input costs, it also improves our soil health. It combats a couple of issues we face."
Automation through the processing facility has further reduced staffing and energy demands, while a large-scale solar installation offsets around 85 per cent of peak power usage. The broader strategy is underpinned by full vertical integration. Ruffo says, "We do it all." That model reduces transport, limits handling, and keeps quality control in-house.
"To be competitive and sustainable in the future, we didn't have a choice. We had to do it to maintain our position in the market," he says.
Looking across the sector, Ruffo expects consolidation. "For small producers, the only way to stay viable is niche, high-value, labour-intensive crops," he says. "For mainstream lines, it will be a battle of the biggest. Scale will win."
Even so, he is cautious about competing against local supply in other states. "It doesn't make sense for them to send produce to Melbourne, and we send produce to Brisbane," he says. "We're big fans of supporting local producers as well."
Ruffo also believes the industry must close the gap between grower and consumer. "Anything that brings the end consumer back in touch with the grower makes that connection," he says. Tripod has introduced QR codes on its branded lines, allowing shoppers to trace produce back to specific areas of the farm, view production processes, and access recipes. "A lot of consumers don't understand what's involved to get that produce on the shelf."
For Tripod, the formula is clear: scale where necessary, innovate where possible, educate where valuable — and above all, protect quality while doing more of what it already does well.
For more information:
Joseph Ruffo
Tripod Farmers Group
Tel: + 61 3 5367 4861
Email: [email protected]
www.tripodfarmers.com.au
