One of Australia’s most successful carrot growing businesses Rocky Lamattina & Sons has been named AusVeg Victoria’s vegetable farm of the year.
The enterprise, based in Wemen, washes, grades and packs between 900 to 1000 tonnes of carrots a week, sourced from three of the family’s farming properties.
Director Angelo Lamattina said they’ve been in the business for 33 years, and are in a low-risk and sustainable production position.
“We use each property at different times of the year to minimise our risk with weather events,” Mr Lamattina said.
“We’ve got about 100 hundred-odd staff between all the properties.”
He said his father Rocky felt growing produce in the Melbourne area was too restrictive, and had come to north-west Victoria seeking more efficiency.
“He wanted to try and get in an area where he could technically grow vegetables more like a broadacre-type situation,” Mr Lamattina said.
“Your equipment could be bigger and everything could be bigger and that gives you some efficiencies.
“Growing carrots with the soil type, weather and water supply in Wemen originally when we’d come here ticked all the boxes to allow us to achieve that.”
Alongside the 5550 acre block in Wemen, they purchased a 6000 acre block in Kaniva in 2005, and then a smaller block in St George, Queensland, in 2017 to supplement their Victorian supplies.
“That gives us a good mix of product that we need for the whole year,” he said.
AUSVEG Victoria executive officer Zaine Watson said Angelo, Phil and John Lamattina exemplified leadership in the horticultural sector.
“Across three generations, their involvement ensures a comprehensive understanding of the business,” Mr Watson said.
“Their blend of traditional expertise and modern innovation yields consistent, high-quality products while embracing sustainability.”
