Demand for quality vegetable seedlings is on the rise in Australia, as more and more people look to take responsibility for their health and reduce their grocery bills.
Thankfully, growers looking to serve organic consumers are well catered for by Boomaroo Nurseries, a world-class wholesale provider of vegetable seedlings who added certified organic options to their product range in 2020. Boomaroo Nurseries operate from facilities in Lara, Victoria, with a state-of-the-art site also opened in Southbrook, Queensland, three years ago.
Organic certification was a significant journey for the Boomaroo enterprise, with everything from growing and infrastructure through to input sourcing and quality assurance needing to comply with the National Standard.
When it comes to product varieties, all of the same (conventionally grown) core crop categories are also offered as certified organic. This includes iceberg lettuce, coloured lettuce, cos lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, silverbeet, leeks, celery, tomatoes and onions, with the Boomaroo team actively looking to expand their offering and open to enquiries about additional crops. Boomaroo’s Organic Management Plan is strictly adhered to prevent any cross-contamination, with the business investing significantly in resources to build reliability and transparency for their product range.
The Growing Process
Advanced technology is integral to the growing process at Boomaroo – with certified organic seedlings being no exception – enabling the business to produce premium quality seedlings on a large scale to meet grower demand.
Boomaroo differs from other seedling producers through their investment in automated production systems.
The entirely ‘no-touch’ process begins at the automated sowing line from which seeded trays are transported on rolling benches to climate-controlled germination chambers which not only accelerate the seeds’ germination but also ensure a high level of uniformity and consistency.
Germinated trays are then transported autonomously, again on rolling benches, to the covered growing area and then the outdoor growing area for acclimatization and hardening prior to dispatch. Precision irrigation and fertigation systems apply all the required inputs with maximum efficiency, minimizing energy, water and input consumption.
Finally, the developed seedlings are then moved to dispatch for delivery to Boomaroo’s growers, fully coordinated to meet their planting program requirements.
Boomaroo is committed to the long-term relationships it fosters with growers. Knowledgeable and experienced team members provide support in variety selection and organic treatment programs as well as collaborating with growers to find solutions for challenges faced on-farm.
You can find out more about the organisation values and community work of Boomaroo Nurseries here. Those looking to reach out to the Boomaroo Organics team directly can email organics@boomaroo.com for more information.
