Winter greens: How growers are handling tough economic times

Vince Doria’s family has farmed at Devon Meadows for four generations. He says the current economic crisis is one of the industry’s toughest challenges yet.

Vince Doria’s family has grown vegetables at his Devons Meadows business partnership for four generations. Picture: Zoe Phillips

For four generations, Vince Doria’s family has grown vegetables year-round at his Devon Meadows business partnership, Freni and Doria.

And while he has optimism for the future of horticulture, he said rising input pressures and consumers selecting cheaper, imported produce at stores could drive the next generation away from farming.

“I can’t see a next generation coming through. It’s getting harder and harder, and the same with dairy and cattle,” Mr Doria said.

“We should get some sort of support from the government. If we keep losing canneries, or any sort of produce, it’s only going to affect down the line and there won’t be any farmers left and it’s too late.”

Mr Doria farms alongside his son, Paul, growing lines of silverbeet, kale, spring onions, and radishes year-round to sell into wholesale markets, including the Melbourne Market.

With a cool, dry start to winter, frost has been a concern for the Doria family, but irrigated water applied at the right time helps mitigate frost burn and protect the crop.

“We don’t stop, we grow in stages so we don’t run out, we do triple plantings so it carrier right through. The growing conditions are slower in winter … we mostly are 12-months fully-grown,” Mr Doria said.

“It’s been a very cold start, and pretty dry. Growing conditions have been a little bit hard, but we get by. We have years of experience and we know what we’ve got to do.”

Demand from greengrocers has softened, Mr Doria said, with stores often “only buying what they really need”.

“The cost of running our farms today, everything has gone up, seeds, spray, labour, you name it, everything has gradually crept up,” he said.

“By the time the retailer has put their price on it, the consumer has a look, and buys what they need. Instead of buying two bunches they might just buy one bunch.

“It is pretty tough out there.”