Blush Tomatoes
Ray Nutt ‐ Crop Manager
Ray Nutt loves a challenge, as Crop Manager for Blush, Ray now puts his dedication into everything he does.
"I grew up on a dairy farm where I learnt the importance of dedication to the job and the satisfaction of getting through difficulties." ‐ Ray Nutt
The opportunity to grow tomatoes presented itself in Ray's local area and he was keen to try farming something new. "Tomatoes were the right way for me to go, since starting this journey I haven't looked back and now I work hard to be one of the best growers in the country."
Blush supplies over five million kilograms of truss tomatoes each year, which is no easy feat. The variables of water supply and weather can make it difficult, but that's part of the job that Ray most enjoys.
"No matter how bad things look, if you work with the things you can change, you can improve in the long term." ‐ Ray Nutt
Ray has always been impressed by the commitment shown by everyone at Blush and the scientific basis that is used for growing the tomatoes.
Truss tomatoes are grown hydroponically under carefully controlled conditions in custom built glasshouses, which means they can ensure the environment for growing and ripening is just right. That involves managing the challenges of water supply from rainfall and other weather variables.
Each plant is tended to daily, and at every stage of their development growers monitor their health. Water and nutrients are added to the plants in exact quantities to optimise the growing conditions and ensure the fruit is perfect, and every tomato is allowed to reach plump maturity before being hand‐picked. The vine ripening process allows tomatoes to develop a fuller flavour, and since they remain fully connected to a section of the vine once picked, they continue to draw moisture and nutrients long after they've left the glasshouse. These little things make a big difference to the quality ‐ a difference you can taste.
Blush's growing methods are extremely water efficient with glasshouse tomatoes using up to 90% less water than field grown gourmet tomatoes. With less water and less carbon emissions, the Blush glasshouses are designed to be environmentally sustainable.
Of course, Blush tomatoes are not only good for the environment, they're good for us, too. They're a good source of vitamin C, which contributes to normal growth and development in kids, helps reduce tiredness and fatigue and is good for your immune system.
When it comes to choosing truss tomatoes, according to Ray "you should look for rich colour tomatoes that are firm to touch."
Ray recommends storing your truss tomatoes at room temperature, not in the fridge. This ensures the tomatoes retain optimum flavour, and ripen naturally.