Value is a term that means something different to everyone, but common to all is that achieving value secures the long-term sustainability of their business. Boomaroo is well attuned to the importance of providing this value to our customers to meet their varying needs, as Director Nick Jacometti explains.

As the starting block for vegetable crops in the paddock, the quality, consistency and health of the seedlings planted are crucial to getting the crop off to the best possible start.

At Boomaroo we understand the value in providing reliability to growers through the experience of our team and our investment in innovation and automated facilities to produce strong and healthy plants that ensure ease of planting in the paddock and contribute to high yields at harvest.

“The seedling phase is one of the most input sensitive of the plants’ development. Boomaroo’s ability to produce plants in a highly controlled growing environment helps to manage risk at this important stage and frees up land on farm for growers,” Nick explains.

The business of farming by its very nature can be unpredictable. Whether it be from the impacts of normal weather patterns, more extreme weather events such as the recent floods – or non-weather-related issues such as labour shortages – growers need to know that solutions can be put into place quickly and with a degree of flexibility.

Boomaroo’s team of territory managers and dispatch coordinators are focused on working with growers to ensure that when these events inevitably occur, we can respond in a manner that suits the grower as well as best looking after the plants.

“We’ve built our business and reputation on demonstrating flexibility and working through challenges affecting our customers,” Nick explains.

“Whether that’s working with growers to hold, re-allocate or reschedule seedling programs where necessary, finding extra plants to take advantage of opportunities, or anything in between, these efforts help alleviate the pressure on our customers allowing them to respond to the immediate challenges at hand.”

Close collaboration
Boomaroo’s ongoing relationships with seed companies and involvement in nursery and field trials ensures that we can offer growers the most recent advances in crop genetics to best meet their agronomic, harvest or consumer needs.

The benefits of these developments are wide-ranging. Improved varieties offer benefits such as better mildew resistance, reduced pinking in lettuce, slower bolting properties or tolerance to cold or tip burn.

Other developments include smaller varieties to reduce household waste or more flexible growing timeslots. These initiatives respond not only to the challenges in the field, but the changing trends and expectations of consumers and supermarkets.

“Furthermore, our treatment programs assist in building resilience, disease resistance and improved nutrient uptake, thus improving plant performance and yield in challenging agronomic conditions,” Nick says.

One of the biggest changes Boomaroo has seen in the industry in the last decade is the increased focus on sustainability.

“This has been driven both by changing consumer expectations as well as industry responding to the more volatile environmental conditions we have been experiencing,” Nick adds.

A green approach
Environmental sustainability underpins all decisions we make at Boomaroo – both within our nursery operations as well as supporting sustainability initiatives in the paddock.

Internally we have had a strong focus on water, input and energy reductions, and the adoption of softer chemicals and biological treatment programs. We have recently invested heavily in upgrading our water recycling, treatment and storage facilities, guaranteeing the availability of high-quality water to meet over 70 per cent our facilities’ peak water requirements.

The benefits of these new reverse-osmosis, microfiltration systems in reducing our water consumption are enhanced by highly efficient irrigation and treatment delivery systems throughout our two facilities, in Lara, Victoria and Southbrook, Queensland.

Beyond the nursery gates, we have had a similar focus on supporting more holistic and sustainable farming practices on farm.

Boomaroo’s beneficial host plant offering is one example of this, presenting growers with a range of flowering varieties, such as Alyssum, Marigold and flowering herbs to plant alongside their crops to support beneficial predatory insects on farm, which is a more sustainable approach to pest control.

“Our Certified Organic offering is yet another example of Boomaroo responding to consumers’ increasing focus on sustainability, health and wellbeing, and to minimise environmental impacts and our footprint,” Nick says.

To find out more about the value Boomaroo can add to your business, please visit boomaroo.com or contact your local Boomaroo Territory Manager.