As issues around sustainable production and the human impact on the environment continue to shape modern farming – and have a heavy influence on consumer habits – it’s important for the Australian vegetable industry to adopt new processes and keep up with best practices for environmentally friendly growing.

AUSVEG Environment Coordinator Andy Shaw, who coordinates the levy-funded EnviroVeg program, recently visited growers in south-east Queensland to talk about the EnviroVeg Pilot Program helping Australian growers achieve Freshcare Environmental certification and supporting them in sustainable resource use.

During his visit, Andy met with vegetable growers who are looking to take part in the pilot program, including Mulgowie Farming Company, Bare Essentials and Sutton Farms. These growing operations have a focus on producing vegetables in a way that’s sustainable – not just for the land, but for their people and their business as well.

These vegetable farms are doing great work by incorporating environmentally friendly practices into their production, like looking for alternative sources of energy (such as solar and other renewables), managing resource use in a sustainable way, and capitalising on the benefits that native vegetation offers for maintaining soil health and harbouring beneficial insects.

This responsible stewardship of the land and its resources is a great illustration of how the Australian vegetable industry has received such a great reputation, both domestically and internationally, for clean and green vegetable production. It also helps ensure Australia’s food security as a changing climate affects growing conditions and means growers have to adapt to changing access to vital resources.

While he was in Queensland, Andy also worked with AUSVEG State Member Growcom on how EnviroVeg can tie into the Hort360 platform to maximise the benefits for growers from both systems. We’ll have more updates for you on that as the process continues.

Get involved with EnviroVeg!

EnviroVeg is an industry-led environmental best practice management program for vegetable production businesses, funded through a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund. It provides resources for sustainable growing techniques and represents vegetable businesses as responsible stewards of land, water and biodiversity.

The EnviroVeg Pilot Program is a funded pathway through EnviroVeg that will help growers reach Freshcare Environmental certification and attain the benefits from production methods that follow environmental best practice and focus on sustainable vegetable growing. Importantly, it’s also a great way of demonstrating to the community and retail partners that you’re actively engaged in environmentally responsible vegetable production.

If you’re interested in getting involved in the program, you can download the application form here.

Meet Andy at Hort Connections 2018

AUSVEG Environment Coordinator Andy Shaw will be at Hort Connections 2018, to be held in Brisbane from 18-20 June, and is eager to meet and talk with growers about the EnviroVeg program and everything to do with sustainable vegetable production. If you’re coming along to the event and want to meet Andy, use this form to organise a time to chat with him at the AUSVEG booth.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 20 March 2018.