The Borchers family have farmed in the Paddock and Plains area for many generations. They were predominantly Sugar Cane farmers, but found that there was not much work for the staff in winter, when the cane season slows down. As a result they ventured into field tomatoes. In 2000 father and son team, Rowan and Stuart, decided to move away from field tomatoes and concentrate on tomatoes under protection. Over the next few years they built and erected a number of 30m x 8m tunnels. The next step was to import a Richel structure from France. This structure enabled the introduction of sweet peppers. The latest development is a Veg Tec structure.
Tomatoes and coloured sweet peppers are grown on the farm and marketed to the local supermarkets. Yield in winter is not as great as in summer, due to the heat units, but production is all year round.
The benefit of growing Hydroponic tomatoes are numerous:
Hydroponic systems give the farmer control over the climate – temperature, humidity, light, the composition of the air as well as insect and fungus control. As a result our tomatoes are grown all year round regardless of the season. The fruit is grown in a favourable environment enabling maximum nutrient development within the fruit. Strict control is adhered to regarding the MRLs of the chemicals used – biological as well as conventional. The sprays used are superficial (as opposed to systemic) and nothing is used with a longer holding period of three days – that means that by the time the fruit reaches the Consumer the fruit is completely chemical free.
