Soil health has been a focus for far-north Queensland vegetable grower Jamie Jurgens and his family since they established Jurgens Produce in Bowen in 1975.

According to Jamie, to be sustainable and keep businesses financially viable in the long term, growers have to be smart when it comes to what they are putting in the ground. By getting involved in the project Soil condition management – Extension and capacity building (VG13076), a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, Jamie has been able to quantify the biological improvement in the soil health of his crops.

The Soil Wealth project works with vegetable growers nationally to provide R&D extension services, products and communication on improved soil management. When taking part in the project, Jamie hosted on-farm demonstrations and was able to use biological strategies to strengthen soil structure, increase quality and yield, and expand production.

For all the details on how this strategic levy investment by Hort Innovation delivered on-farm benefits for Jurgens Produce, check out the latest edition of AUSVEG’s Grower Success Stories: Real results from the vegetable R&D levy. For more information on the Soil Wealth project, see its website or watch the Soil Wealth episode of InfoVeg TV.