Published since 1986
OCTOBER, 2021
www.farmernews.com.au
MILKING YARD FARM BRUCE Burton can trace his lineage back about six or seven generations of cattle farmers, however, Bruce farms chickens on his 50 acre farm just outside of Trentham. And they’re not any old chickens, these birds are a very special breed of bird called the Sommerlad. An Australian-bred chicken destined for the table market, Bruce pasture raises the chickens using sustainable farming practices with the farm certified for its animal welfare standards. But this is not the only aspect of the venture for which he is recognised. The chicken has repeatedly been acknowledged in national awards for its incredible flavour and texture. Read about Milking Yard Farm on page two and three. Pictured are Bruce and Roz Burton with their working dogs, who purportedly run the show.
Labour shortages loom large over start of season FOR many Victorian farmers who are experiencing one of the best years on recent record, the lack of an available workforce has many concerned they will be ploughing produce back into the ground. “Growing conditions have been favourable for many growing regions, resulting
BY EMMA OLIVER eoliver@ nemedia.com.au
in an optimistic outlook for many growers,” said AUSVEG Victoria president and Victorian vegetable grower Paul Gazzola. “That said - along with increasing labour shortages
- growers are also facing rising input costs, increased lead times for machinery parts and that’s not taking into account the usual stresses of farming. “However, our industry is resilient, and we will continue to work hard to supply high quality vegetables for Victorian, Australian and international customers.”
At the moment this commitment is proving to be somewhat of a challenge. Labour shortages impacted the sector significantly last season, with AUSVEG Victoria hearing reports of producers losing a significant number of crops, with labour-intensive produce like broccoli, cauliflower and leafy vegetable particularly
hard hit by the shortage of harvest workers. Paul Gazzola is a third generation vegetable grower, owning and operating Mornington Peninsula’s Gazzola Farms alongside family members. Gazzola Farms grow broccoli, Asian vegetables, lettuce and celery - all labour intensive crops.
He knows first-hand the impact that workforce shortages can have on a business. “While we don’t have exact figures, we have some smaller farms reporting losses of between $150,000 and $200,000 for crops they couldn’t harvest or pick,” said Mr Gazzola. ■ Continued page 9
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