Recently, Jessica Volker from Lower Don Organics bought her third EnviroTec Structure. After her success with two of our Classic Tunnelhouses, she expanded her space to grow premium, organic capsicums with a Multispan Greenhouse. We asked her about her experience with our structures and, more importantly, her results.
Can you tell me a little about your business?
Lower Don Organics is a family-owned and operated business in the beautiful Whitsundays. We are certified organic growers and grow various vegetables, such as cherry and round tomatoes, green beans, eggplants, and capsicums. Most of our produce grows in the field as normal.
What challenge made you look at greenhouses or shadehouses for a solution?
We tried growing red capsicums a few years ago, but growing them in the field was challenging. The Wallabies just ate them, they got a virus from the pest called thrip, and there was a lot of damage from rainfall and sunburn. Red capsicums are in high demand, but growing them outdoors and making money is challenging, so it made sense to try and grow them in a structure. At that time, there was a government funding round, so that prompted us to move on it.
Why are red capsicums so challenging to grow outdoors?
Red capsicums are pretty sensitive compared to the other crops we grow, including green capsicums. They are prone to damage by insects, rain, and sunburn. Especially here in Northern Queensland, the sun burns spots on them in the summer. This isn’t easy to deal with and affects the quality and quantity of your yield.
And what are the results so far?
This is our first summer growing in the structure, but the results have been really good so far. My team is actually down there taking out our first crop, which we’ve grown from February until now (August), and we have had very minimal fruit damage.
There were barely any moths. We did have some aphids in the structure, but they are so small! We use ladybugs to help control them.
Even though we only have 30% shadecloth on the tunnel, we’ve had less rain and sun damage.
How does that reflect in your production?
Firstly, we have a lot less waste. Our kilogram of fruit is so much higher than that of people who grow organically outdoors. We’ve had so much less viral damage, and even though they are small enough to get in, the physical barrier reduces them. It reduces the contact with water as it just runs off the cloth, and there is no sunburn.
Secondly, we got two harvests out of our plants. When we grow in the field, we get four or five fruits of the plants, slash them, and start again. In the current cycle, because they’re in the shadehouse, we had them strung up, and they reflowered and fruited again. So we’re getting more yield out of fewer seedlings.
Thirdly, in the field, you might get one premium capsicum off your plant. But at the moment, 90% of my fruit is premium. And my agent in Sydney is stoked about the quality of my capsicums.
That’s great! You’re a believer now.
I am. I am a small grower, but I know you do larger structures. So I have people coming to see them, making it more of a norm. We have cyclones up here in Bowen, and people feel putting a greenhouse or shadehouse up is risky. But it is also a risk not to. You can get more premium products and get a lot more money for what you’re doing.
How was your process in purchasing the structure?
I was searching on Google and came to your website. It was very easy to get a quote from you guys. All my questions were handled, and it helped that you guys organised the freight. It was so good that I even remember that Rose helped me with the quotes. I also talked to Terry and Zac from Fernland, who helped me order the pots and determine how many pots could fit in the structures. So yeah, it was a really good experience.
The structures were also easy to put up. I don’t remember how long it took my husband and one of our staff members, as they were building it in summer, but it was pretty easy. We only had to hire a trench digger for about half a day.
And now you are expanding with a new structure. Will this one also be for capsicums?
Yes, we have about 2,000 plants now and can barely fill the orders we’re getting. Capsicums are in high demand and have high value, so we’ll continue to focus on them with the new structure. The shadehouse is increasing the price point, so I can’t wait to see the results with the new structure with a plastic roof to keep the monsoon rain out.
Are you curious how a shadehouse or greenhouse can improve your productivity and quality? Contact us today for a advice and a quote.
