Coles Nurture Fund: Round 1 recipients
Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs
Clyde, Victoria
Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs, based on the outskirts of Melbourne was able to build a state-of-the-art greenhouse funded by a $430,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant, as part of its new model of urban farming. The greenhouse uses cloud technology to tell employees when and what herbs to pick and has increased yields by about 75 per cent. This means Coles customers can enjoy locally-grown herbs all year round. Representing the criteria of the Coles Nurture Fund, the Victorian business is dedicated to innovation, best-in-class sustainable practices and providing Aussies with great produce.
Berry Yummy
Queensland and Myponga, South Australia
In a first for the strawberry industry, Berry Yummy has implemented cutting edge heat-seal technology to enhance food safety and quality through the support of the Coles Nurture Fund. A $500,000 interest-free loan meant Berry Yummy could install innovative heat-seal technology to help ensure a consistent quality supply of the popular fruit to customers. Pioneering the practice in Australia, the technology has helped to reduce packaging and food waste and speed up the time it takes for strawberries to get from paddock to plate.
Harvey Citrus
Harvey, Western Australia
With a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant, Harvey Citrus planted 9,000 new trees to bring customers more locally-grown limes and mandarins. Supplying Coles with top quality citrus for more than 30 years, Pina and Steve Pergoliti also used the support from the Nurture Fund to expand into new citrus varieties, including introducing a new line of seedless lemons. Bringing Western Australian locally-grown citrus to Coles customers is a top priority for the Pergolitis and that’s why Coles is proud to support them.
Manbulloo Mangoes
Katherine, Northern Territory and Townsville, Queensland
Since receiving a $500,000 interest-free loan from the Coles Nurture Fund, Manbulloo Mangoes in Queensland and the Northern Territory have sold an additional 4.5 million mangoes each season through Coles. The support from the Nurture Fund enabled Marie Piccone to embark on a major expansion project, planting nearly 22,000 new mangoes trees on 130 hectares at her Katherine farm, so that Aussies can enjoy more delicious and locally-grown mangoes all summer long. The expansion also supports regional employment with an 60 additional people needed during peak harvest season.
Moonrocks
St George, Queensland
A $400,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant saw fifth generation farmers Andrew and David Moon purchase a controlled temperature storage facility, new machinery and equipment to size and pack garlic for their growing operation. Dedicated to reducing imports of garlic into Australia, the grant has allowed Moonrocks to provide more locally-grown garlic to Queensland customers. The project has been a great success, replacing garlic imports at Coles from September to December, and also supporting local community employment.
Three Farmers
Narrogin, Western Australia
Western Australian grain growers, Three Farmers, received a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant to help build mainland Australia’s first-ever quinoa processing plant, enabling the farming families to supply Coles with more than 800,000 packets of the super-grain each year. This Western Australian grown quinoa has replaced imported South American white quinoa, providing Aussies with access to locally-grown grains and cutting import costs.
Westerway Raspberry Farm
Derwent Valley, Tasmania
A $260,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant allowed Westerway Raspberry Farm in Tasmania to install new freezing technology, allowing them to freeze individual berries. As the first grower in Australia to adopt the Liquid Nitrogen berry freezer tunnel, the Clark family have been able to supply locally-grown frozen berries to customers on a large scale. This has also encouraged them to access exciting new markets.