vegetables

44
Invention borne of necessity;
Innovation in practice
HOUSTON’S FARM IS A STALWART FOR INNOVATION, BEST PRACTICE TECHNIQUES
AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN TASMANIA. AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 25TH
YEAR, QUALITY ASSURANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MANAGER PETRA
DOUST SPOKE WITH AUSVEG ENVIRONMENT COORDINATOR ANDREW SHAW ABOUT
DEVELOPMENTS IN HER DYNAMIC WORKPLACE.
Houston’s Farm was founded
on innovation. In a video
on the company’s website,
Anthony Houston recalls its
first foray into the production of
loose lettuce products. As the
supply chain challenged the
business, advancement followed
and Houston’s Farm now
supplies a range of loose leaf
and salad value added products
across Australia.
The business has come a
long way since then, employing
over 150 people including
Quality Assurance (QA),
Technology and Innovation
Manager Petra Doust, who
describes smart refinements to
the company’s focus during her
five years at Houston’s Farm.
“When I joined, my role was
as an Agronomist/Research
officer. We recognised that
as a growing business we
needed dedicated resources,
and there are now managers
assigned in the area of research
and development as well as
production. My role has since
expanded into the QA side of
the farm, which includes both
environmental assurance and
food safety,” she says.
Petra’s role evolved so that
the QA measures performed
on the production side of the
business could translate into
on-farm processes. The
required follow-ups and
internal audits are organised so
that there is no gap between
production and on-farm
food safety, and ensures that
best practice techniques are
developed and maintained.
Petra also manages the
farm’s research program.
“Our key research focus
areas for the near future include
minimising foreign object risk,
increasing soil health and
sustainability, minimising waste
and loss and understanding
pre-harvest factors which
affect shelf life,” she says.
“There is an all-round
focus into how we can become
more efficient.”
While Petra is focused on her
specific area, it is important
that she can see the bigger
picture. The challenges she
deals with will ultimately
impact all other aspects of the
growing operation, especially
regarding QA issues.
“A healthy environment
leads to increased food safety
assurance. The tidier our farms
are, the less chance for habitat
for pests,” Petra explains.
The obvious passion that
Petra displays for her workplace
is epitomised by ongoing
improvements and the sheer
quantity of best practice
programs she has championed,
including the vegetable
industry’s specific scheme,
EnviroVeg Platinum.
“We genuinely care about
the environment and try
to use methods that are
environmentally friendly,”
she says.
“We have an active
Integrated Pest Management
program which aims to use
multiple control methods to
control pests. In some respect
we let nature do some of the
work for us. We think about
safety of people, the health of
the land, our neighbours’ land
and food safety.”
The techniques employed
throughout the farm include
developed farm biosecurity
procedures, controlled
traffic farming, monitoring
soil and crop removal figures
to determine inputs and a
range of measures that
exceed expectations.