Houston's Farm, TAS
Rosie Houston
From humble beginnings as egg farmers in the 70s, to the flourishing salad growers we see today, Houston's Farm has always been a dedicated, family operated business. Starting with just 6 cartons of whole head Icebergs supplied to a local grocer in the early 1990s, Houston's Farm has expanded over the last 15 years into a profitable, pre packed baby leaf business. This expansion was thanks to inspired and practical feedback from customers. The Houston family has always been open to improvement and this openness has determined the success of the business.
Their range of produce includes different varieties of lettuce, spinach, beet and brassica leafy vegetables in ready‐to‐eat mixes. More recently Houston's Farm have also branched into more convenient meal solutions by adding other salad vegetables (such as tomato) into the mix through collaborations with other growers.
While considered by many as a 'soft' dish, producing salad is anything but. It's the challenges of growing that appeal to Rosie. The weather can change in an instant, insects can wreak havoc on the crops, or the plants grow too fast or too slow. But far from deterring Rosie, she thrives on these daily obstacles.
"I simply love being out in the elements, walking through the crops, and not stuck in an office all day. I also love the satisfaction of a good quality crop being harvested." ‐ Rosie Houston.
And the satisfaction is well deserved. A lot goes into ensuring crops are consistently of the highest possible standard. Good soil preparation, correct planting techniques and effective irrigation are all important for uniformity and quality. Once planted it is imperative crops are watched for pests, diseases, weeds and nutrient deficiencies. And harvesting at the optimum growth stage is vital to ensure highest possible quality. Then finally, correct washing, drying and packaging techniques seal the quality deal. Depending on store location it can take up to 3 days for the leaves to reach the shelf.
Says Rosie, "All of our baby product is grown using the Integrated Pest Management Approach. This involves controlling pests by integrating different cultural, biological, and chemical methods. Using this approach we have been able to significantly reduce the amount of chemicals used and focus on controlling our pests by using nature to our advantage, and cultural practices. For example; we allow the good bugs (such as ladybirds and lacewings) to build up by not using harsh chemicals, which results in these good bugs naturally controlling our pests."
Woolworths and Houston's Farm have enjoyed a profitable relationship for over forty years. The 70s saw Houston's Farm supplying eggs to Woolworths, before switching to salad in the late 80s. As the biggest customer, Woolworths keeps the farm on its toes producing more and more quality salad products each year. Currently Houston's Farm supplies 70% of their own produce, topped up with 30% utilised from other growers across the year as seasons demand. This also helps to supply the Queensland based operation that Houston's Farm run. Annually, 2.6 million cartons are supplied to Woolworths, which totals about 2.96 million kg of product. It's safe to say Houston's Farm is a large, well‐oiled machine.
An avid skier and born‐to‐be farmer with a soft spot for strawberries and raspberries, Rosie is every bit a Houston. Almost from her days in diapers Rosie knew she wanted to be a farmer. When her Primary School took her class on a field trip to her family's farm, she realised that Houston's Farm was a successful business. She used to stroll around the farm at Cambridge clad in gumboots and flannel, feeling right at home and not shy of getting into a bit of bother either.
"I remember in my mid‐teens, a friend of mine came out to our farm with her little red Mini. Whilst our fathers were catching up on the good old times we took the Mini for a drive around our farm. We had a fantastic time driving over the irrigation pipes and doing laps in a grass paddock. The grass was grown for hay and was taller than the Mini and so we couldn't see a thing, driving around and around in circles! After crashing into a creek, we decided to make our way back home, only to discover Dad fuming that we had flattened all of the grass and could no longer cut it for hay. I still haven't told Dad today that we were also the cause of a few split irrigation pipes..." ‐ Rosie Houston.
But it's not all fun and broken pipes. Houston's Farm sponsors a few farms in Africa through World Vision and Rosie loves the charitable side of the business. Indeed if she weren't a farmer she would work for Aid projects in Africa. On a family holiday she visited two of the sponsored farms in Kenya and Tanzania. This was an eye opener for Rosie, who saw the real difference her family was making to these farmers. Thanks to aid organisations farmers are able to become more independent and the 'hands on' approach to helping people appeals to Rosie.
Being 'hands on' explains why Rosie is such a perfect fit for salad farming. There are tough years and sometimes long hours, but giving up is not something Rosie is fond of. She studied Agriculture at the University of Tasmania, which is when she became really interested in vegetables and her family business, but learnt the majority of her skills on the farm, working with the Senior Agronomist Ricky Munnings. The best piece of advice she has ever been given was to always communicate, ask questions, make suggestions, listen to others and find ways to make her job more efficient. This advice enabled Rosie to strive to do the best she could in her work.
Her advice for parents struggling to get their kids to eat fruit and veg is to turn them into a snack. A platter of raw fruits and vegetables cut up into little pieces (like carrot sticks) makes healthy food seem fun and also gives kids a choice of what to snack on. They love it.
In the late 80s, Rosie's father had an old friend, Denis, who used to grow lettuce for Woolworths. He was always on at them about switching to lettuce. Rosie's dad's only excuse was a limited access to water. But when the Government put an irrigation scheme in place, with a pipeline running straight through their farm, Rosie's dad was out of excuses. A little plot of land in the middle of a sheep paddock was fenced off, some lettuce was planted and watered, and the family watched it grow. From that small plot 6 cartons of lettuce were cut and taken to David Shenk (Woolworths Buyer) who said if they can grow more lettuce of this standard, they'd take the lot. Houston's salad Farm was in business.
Houston's Farm is situated in three locations in Tasmania: Cambridge, Richmond and Campania. In Cambridge the farm is set in idyllic Coal River Valley, which is the ideal location for lettuce growing. The climate is cool and temperate, and the weather sustains year round growing, unlike the rest of Australia. The soil is fertile and they have access to high quality mountain water. All these factors ensure consistent, good quality crops ‐ practically perfect. It's not too bad on the eyes either with an incredible view of the Pitt Water and the neighbouring oyster farm.
The farm in Richmond is nestled in‐between beautiful bushland and a tranquil historic town. It's a small slice of heaven.
To Rosie, producing leaves is more than just a way to bring home the bacon. It's about the experience and pleasure of eating. More than just processors, they are farmers, and as such think very carefully about the raw materials grown and how the consumer will enjoy them.
"In everything we do, we think about how we can improve the quality and eating experience of our products because if we enjoy them then we hope other consumers will too. For us, it is not about putting leaves into a bag, it is about taking our passion for growing and creating a product which is enjoyed every time." ‐ Rosie Houston.
Everyone knows you should eat your greens, but why exactly? Most leafy green vegetables contain vitamins and antioxidants which cleanse the blood and nourish the body. Kale, for example, has the highest antioxidant capacity, as well as a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibres, glucosinolates, carotenoids, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Kale is also rich in beta‐carotene, which is great for improving skin tone. Who would've thought a little leaf could provide so much?
Rosie shares some insights into the world of eating leaves. "For a lot of consumers, choosing a bag of salad can be about the eating occasion. We grow our baby leaf so that the best varieties are available to use across the year. In winter, products like baby kale, baby spinach and baby rocket are probably the most popular and are terrific with heartier meals or as a salad on their own. Any one of our salads should be good to use across the year, just match it with your favourite salad vegetables and other condiments."
The key to storing your salad leaves is simple ‐ keep it cool. The pre packed baby leaves can be kept in the fridge, and if you open a packet without eating it all, simply reseal the bag and pop it back in the fridge. Houston's Farm products are available all year round and are great for cooking or in salads. The baby spinach is very versatile. Use it in pasta dishes, quiches and pies, or simply steam until softly wilted and eat with your meat and three veg. Delicious.