If you love watermelon or pumpkin, chances are, you’ve eaten fresh produce grown on Matt and Melanie Gray’s Ceres Farm in Kununurra, northern Western Australia.

They’re among the horticulture and broadacre crops the second-generation farmers grow in the picturesque Kimberley region, renowned for its abundance of sunlight, water, and fertile soils.

“We have a distinct dry season with a reliable water source, so can grow good quality crops that aren’t affected by inconsistent weather patterns. It means we can supply summer fruit into a winter market domestically, eliminating the need to import that produce,” Matt says.

“We have black soil floodplain on the banks of the Ord River. Irrigation water is supplied from Lake Argyle, which is replenished every wet season.

“Irrigators use 7% of the river’s annual dry season flow, which has minimal impact on the amount of water in the Ord River system and environment. ”

Ceres Farm supplies domestic markets throughout Australia, with produce picked and packed on the same day, then distributed within 24 hours to ensure fresh fruit quality.

Melanie checks the markets daily and keeps a close eye on weather events to determine the best destination for their produce.

“We have trucks to every market so from one day to the next, depending on where that truck is going, we can get that product to market,” Melanie says.

“From a food miles point of view, we do try and service the closest markets first, such as Perth or Adelaide.”

Sustainability and diversity
Ceres Farm was originally established in 1994, and Matt and Melanie took over the farm in 2011.

Soil health is a key focus for Matt and Melanie, and their on-farm management practices include rotating crops to benefit the soil.

“Because we’re in this for the long-term we really want to make sure that soil health is there for the next generation – our three boys – so it’s really important to practice crop rotation and diversity,” Melanie says.

With the support of NAB, the Gray’s recently invested in a new farm, doubling the size of their operation to 700 hectares.

“That expansion has allowed us to grow more crops that complement each other as a rotation,” Matt says.

In addition to premium fruit and vegetables, the Gray’s also grow maize/corn, sorghum, sunflowers and have diversified into cotton.

“Cotton is one of the most water efficient crops we grow, and it is a fantastic rotation crop for horticulture. Cotton has a tap root which helps loosen the soil up, while corn adds organic matter,” Matt says.

“We grow cotton for two years, corn for one year, then watermelons or pumpkin for a year, so it’s a four-year rotation for each paddock.”

The Gray’s first started growing cotton in trials with the CSIRO in 2017.

This year will be their first significant cotton production year, coinciding with the opening of the new Kununurra Cotton Gin, which will be a game-changer for local growers.

“Up until this year, transport has been our biggest challenge, but with the opening of the new gin in Kununurra this year (processing facility), we have the confidence to increase our growing area and reduce our environmental footprint at the same time,” Melanie says.

“We previously trucked our cotton to Dalby in Queensland for ginning, and last year we trucked it to Katherine in the Northern Territory.

Export opportunities
The Federal Government’s decision in January to give Wyndham Port First Point of Entry (FPOE) status will also further open opportunities for the Gray’s and the local farming community.

“Wyndham is our closest port and is only 100 kilometres away from Kununurra,” Matt says.

“Traditionally we have only exported corn out of Wyndham. 80% of the maize we grow, has been exported as part of a grower cooperative to a customer in South Korea for corn grits which goes into making corn chips.

“Now we will be able to import and export containerised goods out of Wyndham Port as well. For cotton this means it will shorten the turnaround times, and make our cotton more competitive in international markets – particularly across Asia where demand is growing.”

Investing in the team
Like many other businesses in regional Australia, finding and securing staff has been a challenge for Ceres Farm. Investing heavily in their significant farm operations team is a key contributor to Ceres Farm’s success. The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme has helped address seasonal labour shortages.

“Most of our seasonal staff have been coming in from Timor Leste and Vanuatu as part of the PALM Scheme and we’ve got workers who have been with us since its establishment – 9 years ago,” Matt says.

“It has really changed our business by providing workforce continuation, and the benefits to the seasonal workers themselves are life-changing.

“We employ more than seven different nationalities on our farm this year and the farm is strengthened by diversity, community, and teamwork.”

Community is key
The remoteness of the Kimberley region means working together with other farmers is another key to success.

“Cooperating with other farms means having the ability to import bulk goods and work together to coordinate transportation both in and out,” Melanie says.

“Also being a member of the Ord River District Co-operative Ltd (ORDCO), the farmers’ cooperative, which has supported farmers for over 60 years, is important. ORDCO supplies farm inputs, exports and imports of farm product and supports us with agronomy, research and development of the region.

“Our products at times are competing at market, but with the respectful business relationships with each other, we manage the challenges of agricultural production in a remote location.”