I N N O VAT I O N
In late August, this year’s strawberry glut reached such a level that agents were calling their growers to advise that only the large berries would receive any kind of return from the market and to “not bother” with medium or small fruit. One of Mandy’s films, taken in her packing shed late one Friday night, and shared through her social channels, shows the depth of the problem. Her story was picked up widely by the media in Queensland at least, sparking outrage from consumers on social media, all wanting a solution to be magically found for a problem that will strike nearly every horticultural industry at one time or another. Which brings us back to the question of sustainability. For a farm such as Adrian and Mandy’s to survive, they have needed to find ways to differentiate their berry outputs from the next farmer who may be twenty times the size and more able to ride the cash flow wave. Deriving value from all aspects of your farm output requires you to innovate and frankly, to differentiate. Innovation isn’t all about the next big invention that changes the world. Innovation comes from getting out of bed and choosing to put on a different mindset. It means stepping back from challenges and asking how half of ton of perfectly good fruit that would otherwise go to waste or animal food can be turned into a unique selling proposition that your business can own and become known for – something that differentiates you from the next farm.
INDUSTRY
Diversification into other high value crops like finger limes is another strategy used in the Schultz playbook. Diversification reduces risk overall and can sometimes provide a portfolio of products that work well sold in combination, often giving you the edge in premium sales channels for instance. At the end of the day, as the market for berries in Australia evolves and more volume enters the market, those who have chosen to differentiate strongly and build a business that does not rely solely on sales into the traditional wholesale channels are those who will triumph.
THE SCHULTZ FAMILY
Botrytis Problems? Shane Singh & Liz Singh AgriHort Solutions Australia
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There probably isn’t a blueberry farm in Australia that doesn’t have some problem with Botrytis! Dry Botrytis-free conditions would be great for production, however given the wet, humid or foggy growing environments for Australian blueberries; Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea) presents a significant economic pressure.
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t is commonly first seen in the field at flowering on the highly susceptible corolla tissue (Figure 1). Secondly it is seen during postharvest storage and unfortunately sometimes by the consumer (Figure 2). Our work in blueberry fields has identified a potential Botrytis infection point that has not been addressed in the blueberry industry. “Latent” infection of berries at flowering, causing soft berries at harvest and the grey mould during storage or at the shop front could be an easy fix. Given the limited chemistry available for Botrytis prevention in the Australian blueberry industry and the permit nature of chemical use; now is a good time to update your knowledge of Botrytis. Target key factors that influence infection and learn from another industry that has significantly reduced its Botrytis problems.
At last count the LuvaBerry War on Waste Facebook group had 5440 members. When Mandy announces a venue for her next swap-meet she is swamped with demand. Now this is not going to replace her main sales channel in the short term – sending fruit to an agent in the central markets. But from little things, often big things can grow. She is exploring other ways of returning value from her crop with freeze drying into powder form already underway. With her background as a nutritionist, it’s a natural leap across into this market and I understand that its not an option for everyone. The key is to have a mindset that welcomes changes, is willing to try sales tactics and channels that are not the norm. MANDY SCHULTZ MEETS A WAR ON WASTE MEMBER TO DELIVER FROZEN BERRIES
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Australian Berry Grower
FIGURE 1
Australian Berry Grower
FIGURE 2
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