Samwell family finds Brussels Sprout niche in Adelaide Hills

An intergenerational family business growing brussels sprouts in the Adelaide Hills is continuing to thrive 60 years on.

A mechanical harvester at the Samwell family’s South Australian enterprise, Eastbrook Vegetable Farms, has significantly increased yields and reduced labour costs. Picture: Supplied

If your memories of eating brussels sprouts date back to when you were a kid being forced to eat them tasting “bitter and gross”, you wouldn’t be alone.

Grower Luke Samwell says he’s heard that story a thousand times over and suggests giving your tastebuds another try.

“A lot of varieties used today are very different to 30 years ago when they boiled the heck out of them,” Luke said.

“We plant about 15 different varieties each year of varying colours and taste, and we trial new sorts each year as well.”

Luke is part of third generation family business Eastbrook Vegetable Farms at Mount Barker, South Australia, which has been growing brussels sprouts for over 60 years and is now the biggest producer in Australia, harvesting about 1650 tonnes annually.

PERFECTING SUPPLY

Brothers Kent Samwell, 76, and Leigh, 70, own the business and still help on the farms every day but the operation is now predominantly managed by Kent’s sons Luke and Scott, and Leigh’s son Jaime.

There are 40 employees from field and shed staff to contractors and management, including the fourth generation of Samwells that have begun returning to the fold.

Technical director Luke is in charge of maintenance, engineering, fabrication, irrigation and electrical, while Scott oversees growing and quality assurance, and Jaime runs the packing shed and logistics.

They produce more than one million sprouts a day, or up to 80 tonnes a week, across their aggregation of properties, including three in the Adelaide Hills at Mount Barker, Hay Valley and Nairne, and another at Langhorne Creek, overlooking Lake Alexandria.

Over the past 15 years, Eastbrook has focused specifically on the brussels sprout market supplying supermarkets and wholesale markets Australia-wide as well as international markets including South-East Asia.

The Samwells are one of only three main growers in Australia.

“It is a niche market which helps with pricing and marketing,” Luke said.

“They are hard to grow and people either love them or hate them – and even if they do love them they don’t always confess that they do.

“The supply and demand has always been fairly consistent overall. A lot of other growers have tried at times but they can’t keep them clean and because it’s hard to do they give up fairly quickly.”

NICHE MARKET WIN

Focusing on brussels sprouts has allowed the Samwell family to cement their place in the industry and to be known for consistent supply and quality.

It has also allowed for innovation as they have experimented and trialled many different varieties which has helped improve quality and supply across the industry over the years.

Brussels sprouts make up 90 per cent of their production, while Red Darling sprouts and Kalettes make up the remainder.

Kalettes are a relatively new non-GMO vegetable variety developed in Britain using traditional hybridisation techniques, and combines the flavours of brussels sprouts and kale. It can be eaten raw or cooked.

Eastbrook is owned by brothers Kent Samwell, 76, and Leigh, 70, and now it is managed by Kent’s sons Luke and Scott, and Leigh’s son Jaime. Picture: Supplied

ROTATE AND REST

The operation totals 503 hectares with the largest property at Mount Barker home to the main packing shed.

The four farms are climatically spread and designed to capitalise on ideal growing conditions and water availability for crops.

“The Langhorne Creek property is about 40 minutes away from Mount Barker and positioned down on the flats near Lake Alexandria with a very different climate so at certain times of year we can grow crops there when we can’t here (Mount Barker),” Luke said.

Each year they plant about 100 hectares of vegetables and paddocks are spelled for a minimum of two years following each crop.

“Sprouts take massive amounts of nutrients and nitrogen out of the ground because it is such a heavy, thick crop, so to stop the nematodes and lack of organic matter, we rotate fields, which is proven to work over the lifespan of the business,” Luke said.

“The rotation is non-negotiable. We won’t plant in a field more than once every three years. We don’t drive on it either. It rests completely other than when cutting hay.”

DOWN TO BUSINESS

The Sprout season has little down time throughout the year, running for 10 months.

Planting starts in June-July and continues through until February to ensure a consistent supply from November through to September.

The last two years have been challenging with wetter than average summers, increasing weed burdens and causing difficulties with cultivation.

“September was really dry and then we had a lot of summer rain which meant we couldn’t get out on the ground to work it. We then got behind with planting as well,” Luke said.

“We can also have 38C one day and 22C the next, northerlies blowing down huge heat and then a cold wind change so we have quite extreme temperatures at times.

“We do irrigate to grow vegies which gives some control but the weather still affects anything to do with growing.”

SAMPLES FOR SUCCESS

To prepare the ground, weeds are removed first before fields are ripped and rotary hoed.

A four-row planter on the back of a tractor is then used to transplant seedlings – purchased from nurseries in Victoria and South Australia – into furrows in the ground.

“We get about 2.5 million plants each year which creates about 1.5kg (of sprouts) per bush,” Luke said.

Throughout the growing period, petiole samples are taken to see if the plants are in need of any additional nutrients or disease prevention and management.

“We do a lot of soil sampling before we plant,” Luke said.

“Scott goes out into the field every week and does close inspections to see what bugs and moths are around that might cause issues.

“Because they are in the ground for so long, keeping them clean from fungus, snails, hail damage and sunburn and anything else that tarnishes them can be difficult.”

Granular fertiliser and fertigation is used where necessary during the growing phase and Integrated Pest Management has also been used with success.

“We grow flower beds around some of our fields to help keep the beneficial bugs alive so they are there for the following growing season and they are very effective,” Luke said.

The growing phase is slower over winter taking six months and crops are also planted further apart during this time as crops require more sunlight.

The Samwell family of Eastbrook Vegetable Farms in SA grow brussels sprouts. Picture: Supplied

HARVESTING REWARDS

Picking was all completed by hand up until 1998 when the Samwells bought their first harvester – they now have three.

When hand picking was conducted, it was undertaken in stages, whereas the introduction of new varieties and machines has meant the bush is now cut at ground level on the first take.

“This is the first season we’ve never had hand pickers,” Luke said.

“We used to have 40 pickers but now we have six people harvesting and the yield is astronomically more. We used to get 30 bins with the hand pickers and with six people we can now get 60-plus bins a day.

“If we still had to hand pick, we probably wouldn’t be in business. It was becoming unsustainable and not cost effective because it was costing more to pick than we could get for the sprouts.”

FRESH IS BEST

Harvesting is conducted five days a week, starting in late November with one machine and by January, all three harvesters are in use.

The produce is immediately taken to the cool room before being sized and packed depending on its destination. Sprouts are sold fresh daily as they don’t store like apples or potatoes – the butts turn brown.

“We do bags, styrofoam and pre-packs that go to outlets all over Australia including Coles, Aldi, Costco, Woollies, fresh wholesale markets, IGAs – pretty much anywhere and everywhere,” Luke said.

“We have cartons and trays to export to Asia.”

The Samwells are currently researching biodegradable and compostable packaging – one of their key areas of concern in the business.

“Packaging is one of the biggest forms of waste globally and it’s an area we don’t like but it is tricky to supply the big supermarkets without it,” Luke said.

Excess produce waste is something that isn’t an issue on the farm – it is all fed to cattle as part of the Samwell’s livestock operation.

“Our excess green waste – defected or unsaleable – goes to our cattle and they absolutely love it,” Luke said.

They run 80 to 140 head of Angus and Murray Grey cattle and the high quality nutrients in the vegetable waste fattens the stock well.

“They have green feed all year round and we often get right up there with meat prices,” Luke said.

PEAK PRODUCTION

The Samwells are running at capacity in terms of production but are always aiming to increase efficiencies where possible.

“We are at a point where if we wanted to do more, which we could as far as the market goes, the packing shed would have to go into split shifts – morning and afternoon,” Luke said.

“We would have to get another harvester and a lot would have to change and be upgraded to push it to the next level.

“At the moment we are just focusing on improving efficiencies and growing techniques and adopting innovations and new varieties to continue producing the best possible vegies we can.”