Qualipac
Troy Qualischefski - Grower & Managing Director
The Qualischefski family has been farming in the Lockyer Valley, Qld, since the 1940s. The business is now run by Russell Qualischefski and his two sons, and specialises in growing and supplying broccoli, baby broccoli, onions and pumpkins. Produce is grown in several South East Queensland locations, including the Lockyer Valley and Eastern Darling Downs, with a packing facility and head office located 90 kilometres west of Brisbane in Gatton, Queensland.
As a third generation famer, Troy loves nothing more than waking up to a new challenge each day and producing a high quality crop. As the weather is a constant concern, they grow in different regions to spread the risk across different climates and soil types. The Lockyer Valley boasts loamy soil and is located near the Warrego Highway in South East Queensland. The Easter Darling Downs has rich black soil, with both regions having fairly consistent rainfall and temperatures. To handle hot and dry weather, both farms have invested in the latest irrigation systems.
The growing process varies between vegetables. For broccoli, the ground is prepared before seeds are planted using a vacuum planter. The entire growing process takes approximately 12 weeks, and is hand harvested to ensure it's at just the right stage of maturity. After harvesting, they extract the field heat out of the broccoli using hydro cooling, before being moved to cold rooms and packed on ice ready to be dispatched to Woolworths stores around the country within 48 hours.
The process for onions takes roughly twice as long (approximately 24 weeks). Once harvested by hand, they are dried and cured in a temperature-controlled room before being graded, packed and sent to stores. Onions are available from September to February, pumpkins from December to July and broccoli is in stores all year round. Qualipac has been supplying Woolworths for many years, and has been a direct supplier for the past three.
The weather can often become challenging, in 2011, and 2013 both properties were flooded. But as Troy rightly points out, "If you give up during the bad times you miss out on the good times." When offering advice to younger farmers, Troy reckons hard work has its advantages:
"You get out what you put in. Working on a farm is definitely not a 9-5 Monday to Friday job. It involves long days and weekend work. If you are prepared to work hard and smart you will be rewarded." - Troy Qualischefski
Broccoli is one of the healthiest green vegetables. It's highly nutritious and contains a source of folate, biotin (vitamin B7) and fibre. It's also a great source of vitamin C, and antioxidants which earns its title 'superfood'. Onions are also high in vitamin C and contain some antioxidants. Pumpkin contains vitamins A, C, B3 and is a source of dietary fibre.
When buying broccoli, Troy says you should choose bright green and firm heads with tight florets. Onions should be dry, firm and free from blemishes. Broccoli should be put in the fridge straight away while onions and pumpkins should be kept in a cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated place. Just keep them away from other fruit and vegetables as they can absorb odours or draw moisture, which can result in a reduced shelf life.
As he enjoys cooking in his spare time, Troy has a few tips. For example, don't discard the stem of broccoli, as they are highly nutritious and full of flavour. With pumpkin, don't throw away the seeds - roast them for a delicious and healthy snack.
And as for his favourite recipe, he thinks you can't beat caramelised onions! When it comes to getting his kids to eat more vegetables, his advice is simple:
"Talk to kids about where their fruit and vegetables come from and get creative when cooking. Steamed broccoli may not appeal to kids but add a bit of parmesan cheese and olive oil and blend it to a tasty pesto for pasta and kids are more likely to tuck in." - Troy Qualischefski