If you’ve been on the land for four generations already, you want to make sure you keep it going for the next one. In southern Victoria, Blowhard potato farmer Gary Crick is making sure he’s using the most sustainable practices so his farm can stay competitive, and to leave a strong legacy for his son, writes Alex Ford in this article published in The Transcontinental.
A McCain supplier, he grows certified seed potatoes, and runs Angus beef and other crops – a McCain media release notes “(c)ertified seed is grown under an Australian national standard which sees the seed, soil and plant material be tested to produce quality and minimise diseases in seed potatoes”.
“The biggest commitment is all the trials, that takes time and money, and a lot of the trial work is a waste of both, but you keep the bits that work for you and build on the success with trial and error.
“It’s a big delay in gratification, and your soil health and wealth is not just from one season into the next, it takes many years to build up what you’re looking for in the soil to grow a clean and healthy product that we supply to our markets.”
Mr Crick has also added a solar energy system to his supply sheds this year, another element to making his farm more sustainable.
