How two veterans of Melbourne's wholesale fruit and veg market created Australia's largest greenhouse

Under a vast expanse of glass panels, tomato vines up to 15 meters high, laden with ripe fruit, meander upwards. A freshly ripened bunch is picked weekly from each plant.
"We use about 20% of the water you would need per kilo for tomato production, for example, in the fields, and we do not degrade the soil", company said general manager Mike Nichol.
It's because there is no land. The plants are grown hydroponically.
They thrive on a nutrient-rich solution that is circulated through miles of irrigation tubing that reuses 95% of the system's water.
Australia's largest greenhouse
Protected from the weather, these pampered houseplants are kept at an optimum temperature to bear fruit almost all year round. Air from the heating and cooling system is also recycled.
The company had a simple goal... to grow tastier tomatoes "the way they used to taste". (ABC Landline: Tim Lee)
This is industrial scale food production, making it the largest greenhouse operation in Australia and one of the most efficient.
The facility in Warragul, east of Melbourne, can produce 80 kilograms of fruit per square meter.
It all started with a quest to grow a tastier tomato.
Flavorite, the company behind it, was founded in 1993 by Mark Millis and Warren Nichol, two veterans of the wholesale fruit and vegetable market from Melbourne.
Mark Millis grew field tomatoes as a sideline.
He was unimpressed with the quality of commercially grown tomatoes and was determined to produce tastier fruit.< /p>
"The guys in the field were focusing on yield rather than taste, so he said I'm going to make a difference in that area and produce something that tastes good said Chris, the son of Mark Millis, now the company's chief operating officer. -media" aria-labelledby="101583946" data-component="Figure" data-uri="coremedia://imageproxy/101583946">The company is still family owned and run by Chris Millis, Mike Nichol and Tom Millis.(ABC Landline: Tim Lee)
"One of our slogans on our packaging is 'the taste of tomatoes', and we think taste is very important," said Mr. Nichol during Landline's first visit. in 2003.
At the time, greenhouse-grown produce was a very small segment of the market. It was more expensive to grow than conventional field crops, and hydroponics, which was still in its infancy, had a high failure rate.
Bunch tomatoes that ripen on the vine to make them sweeter were almost unheard of.
But Mark had the skills to grow them, and Warren had the expertise to market them.
Producing all the 'year
The pair could see the future; higher quality fruit that could be produced indoors for most of the year, although an early barrier developed enough to supply major retailers.

Agrotech Oct 29, 2022 0 65 Add to Reading List

How two veterans of Melbourne's wholesale fruit and veg market created Australia's largest greenhouse

Under a vast expanse of glass panels, tomato vines up to 15 meters high, laden with ripe fruit, meander upwards. A freshly ripened bunch is picked weekly from each plant.

"We use about 20% of the water you would need per kilo for tomato production, for example, in the fields, and we do not degrade the soil", company said general manager Mike Nichol.

It's because there is no land. The plants are grown hydroponically.

They thrive on a nutrient-rich solution that is circulated through miles of irrigation tubing that reuses 95% of the system's water.

Australia's largest greenhouse

Protected from the weather, these pampered houseplants are kept at an optimum temperature to bear fruit almost all year round. Air from the heating and cooling system is also recycled.

A close up of several miniature tomatoes growing on a plant.

This is industrial scale food production, making it the largest greenhouse operation in Australia and one of the most efficient.

The facility in Warragul, east of Melbourne, can produce 80 kilograms of fruit per square meter.

It all started with a quest to grow a tastier tomato.

Flavorite, the company behind it, was founded in 1993 by Mark Millis and Warren Nichol, two veterans of the wholesale fruit and vegetable market from Melbourne.

Mark Millis grew field tomatoes as a sideline.

He was unimpressed with the quality of commercially grown tomatoes and was determined to produce tastier fruit.< /p>

"The guys in the field were focusing on yield rather than taste, so he said I'm going to make a difference in that area and produce something that tastes good said Chris, the son of Mark Millis, now the company's chief operating officer. -media" aria-labelledby="101583946" data-component="Figure" data-uri="coremedia://imageproxy/101583946"> Photo of three men walking between tomato bushes. The company is still family owned and run by Chris Millis, Mike Nichol and Tom Millis.(ABC Landline: Tim Lee)

"One of our slogans on our packaging is 'the taste of tomatoes', and we think taste is very important," said Mr. Nichol during Landline's first visit. in 2003.

At the time, greenhouse-grown produce was a very small segment of the market. It was more expensive to grow than conventional field crops, and hydroponics, which was still in its infancy, had a high failure rate.

Bunch tomatoes that ripen on the vine to make them sweeter were almost unheard of.

But Mark had the skills to grow them, and Warren had the expertise to market them.

Producing all the 'year

The pair could see the future; higher quality fruit that could be produced indoors for most of the year, although an early barrier developed enough to supply major retailers.