Grower bounces back

As Salvatore Sacca (pictured) watched hailstones shatter his business’ glasshouses last October, he started planning how to bounce back from what many growers would consider financial disaster.

The storms caused an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars of damage across the state and impacted growers throughout the Northern Adelaide Plains. Salvatore’s 36 glasshouses were destroyed, resulting in $100,000 of damage and wiping out plants expected to yield up to two tonnes of cucumbers per week.

During a month-long clean up, Salvatore realised he had to act quickly to save his business.

“I couldn’t wait until poly plastic roofing arrived from overseas to repair the infrastructure, so I switched to crops that could grow in an uncovered environment,” Salvatore, 19, said. “These included melons, zucchinis, lettuces and herbs. I believe this hasn’t been done hydroponically on a commercial level before. The new process has kept my business in operation.”

Salvatore planned to study engineering at university before becoming hooked on the growing industry while helping out his family on their farm.

In 2020, he set up his own business, Da’Salvatore Farms. Like hundreds of other growers, he turned to the City of Playford’s Virginia Horticulture Centre for support when the storms struck.

Centre staff teamed up with the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) to organise free financial counselling, coordinate waste recovery and alert growers to State and Federal government recovery grants. “I’ve secured a grant, benefited from advice on removing glass and am rebuilding the business,” Salvatore said. “I’m distributing locally and interstate. The future’s looking bright.”

Virginia Horticulture Centre is managed by City of Playford to support the horticultural industry.

More information on the Virginia Horticulture Centre is available at: northernadelaideplains.com.au