Adam Bremner - Wombat Forest Organics
In the central highlands of Victoria, Wombat Forest Organics is taking advantage of the cool climate, high rainfall and rich volcanic soils to grow organic potatoes and carrots for Woolworths customers. Owner Adam Bremner is proud of the produce he delivers. Despite the challenges that organic farming raises the end result is vegetables that are full of nutrition and incredible flavor. This more than outweighs the hard work involved.
"On our farm, occasionally we still have to dig in the snow by hand. It's hard but can be nice to be doing things in such a primal way." - Adam Bremner
Adam is the sixth generation farmer in his family, but is glad that the fifth generation, his Dad George and Mum Anne are still involved in the operation in Lyonville near Daylesford. Together they've been farming certified organically for more than 20 years. It can be hard graft and Adam believes that eternal optimism is a necessity for a career in farming. These days with the cost of production increasing they have to be quicker on their feet adopting new technology to improve efficiency. Adam was once told by another farmer that if you need things to change you have to start it. Never stop innovating and finding ways to do things better.
"The thing I love most about growing is where you do it, in the beautiful countryside." - Adam Bremner
For 23 years the farm has been growing Organic Dutch Cream and Sebago potatoes and Organic Tear Drop, Petite and Standard Carrots. Today they supply Woolworths with 425 tonnes of potatoes and 300 tonnes of carrots every year.
On the farm the soil has to be organically certified before any actual growing can begin. Organic farmers have to approach challenges in farming more creatively. To combat nematodes, the soil has to have an abundance of organic material that they can feed on to reduce their impact on the crop. To stop ants from carrying seed away, the soil has to be very fine and friable.
For both crops the growing time from seed to a saleable vegetable is about four to five months. In store, Adam recommends that shoppers always look for the certified organic logo, on carrots you should check the produce is clean with no major cuts and has a good vibrant orange colour. Carrots contain a great source of beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body. They also have a good supply of dietary fibre and vitamin C. Adam advises shoppers to keep them sealed in a bag in the drawer of the fridge, and to enjoy raw baked boiled or steamed. He loves them in a good old fashioned carrot cake.
When it comes to organic potatoes, Adam says you should look for clean unbroken skin with no sign of greening. They should be kept in a cool, dark, dry area away from light and heat. Potatoes are good sources of carbohydrates in the form of starch. Some of this is resistant to digestion by enzymes and acts like fibre. Potatoes are also a source of vitamin C. The Wombat Forest Organic potatoes are great baked, boiled, steamed or deep fried, and like the carrot crop, are in season from June to December.
Adam himself has a secret passion for cooking, and he is thinking of expanding the farm's offering to garlic if only to supplement his own experiments. He reckons you can get kids to eat more vegetables by incorporating them into their snacking routine. Small ones like Petite carrots are ideal for these occasions. Certainly, for somebody who is used to constantly innovating, getting kids to eat healthily is just another frontier to push back.