Organic switch pays off for North Qld producers

This is branded content for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

A CURIOUS mix of looking to the past with a firm grip on the technology of today is driving progress for organic vegetable producers, Jamie and Melita Jurgens, Vee Jay's Kalfresh, Bowen.

"You look back and 80 years ago, farmers didn't use half the chemistry and half the fertiliser they use now. How did they do it?" Mr Jurgens said.

With that in mind, the Jurgens began a path to organic production in 2007, achieving full Certified Organic status in 2018.

The sustainable farming model encompasses every aspect of the production chain, starting from seed selection and extending to soil management, water usage, labour, packaging and delivery to markets.

"We believe that long-term sustainability provides profitability as well. If we can hold our yields and hold our quality, and nothing is depleting and it's just as productive when we hand it on, that's our goal," he said.

Now in its fifth generation with daughter Jessica and son Jacob, the family has been in the Bowen region since 1915.

Vee Jay's Kalfresh is a joint venture between the Jurgens family and Kalfresh Vegetables, based at Kalbar, southwest of Brisbane.

The business includes 1200 hectares under cropping in the Bowen region, growing winter tomatoes, capsicums, pumpkin and beans.

SOIL makes up the building blocks of any farm. High soil carbon improves soil fertility, retains nutrients and water, enhances soil structure, and supports diverse microorganisms.

In Bowen, the average soil organic carbon sits anywhere between 0.7 and 0.8 per cent.

Through sustainable farming methods, Vee Jay's Kalfresh's properties now boast areas at 1.8 - 2pc.

This lift is even more remarkable considering the hot, humid summers which take a toll on the land.

According to the Jurgens, long fallows and crop rotations also help maintain soil sustainability. A grass cover crop is grown for a two-year fallow.

The bulk of this is mulched, which helps maintain positive soil microbiology.

Vee Jay's Kalfresh has embraced the use of compost, producing its own from farm green waste to heighten soil structure and in turn, feed the microbes.

The Jurgens have adopted many improved practices, including controlled traffic with GPS-equipped machinery, minimising compaction and improving fuel efficiency.

Permanent roadways are distinguished from growing areas, which in turn provides more arable, moisture-enriched and productive soil.

Permanent irrigation systems help minimise water losses. Vee Jay's Kalfresh is also a Reef Guardian farmer (the first in North Queensland in fact), therefore farm runoff is of critical importance.

Water is caught in silt traps before leaving the property and recycled.

This reduces the amount of sediment and agricultural run-off entering sensitive waterways. The business is constantly improving the way it does things to ensure it has minimal impact on the local environment.

"There is nothing that we don't evaluate and if it needs changing then we change it," Mr Jurgens said.

The business has engaged with several Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) projects over the years to investigate better water retention and improved farming methods.

Mr Jurgens said the state government's Reef Rescue package helped with customising controlled traffic equipment for horticulture.

Biodiversity is of stand-out importance to the family as well.

The business has gone to extra lengths to increase natural flora and fauna, plus boosting soil microbes.

The approach incorporates an integrated pest management (IPM) system.

Having both studied some entomology at university as part of their horticulture degrees, the couple built their own insectary to breed predatory insects.

"That really completed our farming system. It wasn't a big step to understand the science behind it all," he said.

NOT content to sit still, the Jurgens continue to look for ways to do more with less.

They have embraced technology as part of this, utilising various farm management software systems for such things as water and nutrient management and crop growth forecasting.

"The tech part of this industry has really started to get some traction," Mr Jurgens said.

"There have been these tools out there for a number of years but a lot of it was focussed on broadacre because it was easy and it was low hanging fruit whereas horticulture was a lot more customised and individualised so a lot of these companies are now seeing the value in horticulture and saying it's worth investing in this."

Vee Jay's Kalfresh uses drones for monitoring plant chlorophyll via infrared images, while also using them to release predatory insects and for some chemical application.

Remote probes feed information back on moisture status to help calculate plant health and yield.

It is also in the midst of testing a field robot for sowing sweetcorn and bean seed, and cultivating interrows for weed control.

Mr Jurgens said any automation which could reduce labour costs would be welcomed. Embracing the new tools presents another hurdle though.

"The next challenge is, how do we attract the good, qualified people who can operate these machines to horticulture?" Mr Jurgens said.

THE Certified Organic produce is sold under The Passionate Farmer brand.

"It tells a story in one little phrase. We share that passion with the family. Our partners all share that passion," Mr Jurgens said.

Its retail proprietary brands include Certified Organic green beans, sweetcorn, pumpkin, baby capsicums, snacking tomatoes and mini melons.

Transitioning to organic hasn't come without its critics.

"One of the biggest challenges is changing people's mindsets. We've been fortunate my wife and my family and the people who work for us also share the same passion for longevity and farming," Mr Jurgens said.

He said hitting brick walls of thinking can be a big hurdle when people don't understand the system, which can hurt the implementation of processes.

Those looking to explore organic and sustainable production need to do their homework, Mr Jurgens said.

"Believe in it first; study it and understand it. Don't let anyone around you skew your thought process," he said.

Having confidence to succeed was half the battle, according to Mr Jurgens.

"Understand it before you jump in. Really look at the changes you will need to make, then you will see the results," he said.

This is branded content for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.