THE SOUTHERN
Part of the Farmer Group Rural Newspapers Covering Victoria Published since 1986
JULY, 2018
HYDROPONICS AND GREENHOUSES
www.farmernews.com.au
SHEEP AND WOOL SHOW PAGE 9
MACHINERY AND FARM VEHICLES
PAGES 13-16
PAGES 21-23
THINKING BIG: Ian and Marilyn Lanyon like to think big when it comes to farming – having gone from being the biggest tomato producers in the Loddon Shire, the pair are now pulling in tourism awards for their farm-stay business.
From tomatoes to tourists
IAN and Marilyn Lanyon epitomise successful farming. Unlike many, they have embraced change at every opportunity – chosen to diversify, to grow and to adapt. Like the famous poem - if there was a road less travelled, that was the one the Lanyons chose to walk. Back in the early 1970s, Ian and Marilyn were looking to do more with their land. Having purchased a farm outside of Boort, the pair knew the key to financial stability meant producing more than just lamb and cereal crops. At the time, the local shire was
Trust only Bondioli & Pavesi and Bima for
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The Lanyon family have made variety key to their success BY RHYLL McCORMACK rmccormack@ nemedia.com.au
in crisis – employment was on the decline, population numbers were shrinking and the town was staring down the barrel of economic disaster. Enter Italian Mario Brunelli – he recognised potential for intensive horticulture and saw Boort as the Shepparton of the 21st century.
Planting 200 acres of irrigated tomatoes, Mario shared a fence line with the Lanyons. “We owe him a debt of gratitude – not just us, but all of Boort really – he brought a whole new industry to the Loddon Shire,” Marilyn said. In 1980, the Lanyons bought the Italian’s property - and took over the associated contract with Heinz. “200 acres was a lot of tomatoes then, it’s not now – now, Boort is known as one of the best areas in Australia for tomato production, but back then it was just furrows
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“The complete agricultural driveline solution”
with flood irrigation,” Marilyn said. In partnership with Ian’s brother, the tomato farm doubled in size – initially harvesting 16 tonnes an acre, the Lanyons would eventually produce 30 tonnes an acre and employ 40 people. “Knowledge, technology, drip irrigation – these things all made a difference in the production,” Marilyn said. At the same time, the Lanyons continued to run their fat lamb operation, planting cereal crops seasonally.
In 2002, because - tongue in cheek - Marilyn says she wasn’t busy enough, they launched another business; Simply Tomatoes. “It was really taking it to the next level; growing, harvesting, manufacturing, packaging and marketing products right from seed to supermarket shelf,” Marilyn said. At the same time as Simply Tomatoes was taking off, the Lanyons decided to scale back on commercial tomato production. After 30 years, they opted out of contract growing for the big processing companies.
Continued page 3
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