Sixth generation farmer at Wombat Forest Organics
More than 20 years ago, Wombat Forest potatoes looked so perfect, few believed they were organic. These days, the markets know a good thing when they see it and George, Anne and Adam Bremner do little to market their crop, such is the respect they have garnered for producing quality root vegetables.
“We are known for our sweet, juicy carrots. We do barely any marketing; our product sells itself,” says Anne.
“When we started, we said we would strive to make a product that is second to none and that puts the consumer’s health and the environment at a premium. That’s still our policy.”
The Bremners have been growing organically for two decades. The potato market was in the doldrums in the late 1980s and they disliked using the chemicals that conventional potato growing dictated.
“One of the local greengrocers got us to start by growing a few organic potatoes for him, so we just moved in slowly. Back then organics had a hippy image and if produce was covered in dots and spots, all the better.
“As experienced, professional farmers, we thought there was no
Wombat Forest Organics are among the largest organic farms in Australia producing
root vegetables
reason that organic produce couldn’t be as good as, if not better, than conventional,” says Anne.
“The transition took more than simply replacing chemical inputs with biological ones”, says Adam.
“Organics and conventional farming are two different systems. You can’t farm in the same way.
“If nutrients aren’t replaced in a balanced manner, you start getting diseases and fungal issues, because the nutrient profiles aren’t right.
“You have to take a totally different approach to organics. Otherwise it becomes very unprofitable, very quickly,” he says.
Wombat Forest Organics is on 380 acres (154 hectares) of red volcanic soils at Lyonville and Bullarto, 11km south east of Daylesford in Victoria.
Another forty acres (16 hectares) of certified organic land is leased.
Small by conventional standards,
the Bremners are among the largest organic farms in Australia producing carrots, potatoes, parsnips and beetroot. “We have a three-year rotation, so we need a lot of land. It’s not all suitable for carrots - carrot ground is fairly special and precious,” says Anne. “Deep, friable soils, a 40 inch (1,000 mm) annual rainfall and the cool climate all suit root vegetables,” she says.
“Volcanic soil grows a better tasting organic carrot than sand does. We are lucky to have land in one of the richest soil areas in Australia.
“We are about 800 metres above sea level and don’t get fungal diseases because there is no humidity. Insects are also less of a problem, because of our cool climate.”
The Bremners grow 16 varieties of potatoes on about 60 acres (24 hectares) of the farm. Each of their markets requires a specific type of potato, Anne explains.
“For processing we grow Atlantics, Pikes and Sonics.
“Golden Delights are an all-rounder, grown for the packing market.
“We try and put in early maturing red and white potatoes for the wholesalers, as well as yellow-fleshed potatoes like Dutch Creams.”
Other potatoes grown for the wholesale markets include Desiree, Kennebec, Otway Reds, Sebago, Valour, Royal Blue, Umatilla and Nicola.
“We’ve got one variety of potato called Teardrop, which we are thinking of making our own variety; it’s a good little gourmet potato,” Anne says.
Planted in
November,
the
early season potatoes will take three or four months to mature and the rest up to six months.
The Bremners have produced seed potatoes in the past and also developed some of their own lines, through tissue culture and breeding.
Carrots and parsnips are grown in dedicated paddocks, chosen for their weed-free status and friable soil.
Around 15 acres (7 hectares) of carrots and 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of parsnips are sown.
Carrots are sown in late September through to December and mature from late February.
Parsnips are slower to germinate and grow; their harvest begins in May.
“The parsnips are a consuming thing to grow. They take a long time to germinate - a couple of weeks, or more.
“In the beginning they used to frighten us; we didn’t think they were ever coming up,” Anne says.
Parsnips must also be hand harvested. Their leafy tops die back as the season progresses, which prevents mechanical harvesting.
Beetroot are a new crop and
the