Summit Organics wins national producer of the year

TYALGUM’S Summit Organics has taken out the Producer of the Year category at the Australian Organic Annual Industry Awards.

The national award honours dedication to organic principles, longevity, innovation and education.

A regular favourite at the weekly Murwillumbah Farmers Market, the family property was established by Rod Bruin’s father in 1978 and has been organic for 36 years.

Bruin and his wife Tania now run the farm alongside their sons, aged 25 and 27.

Bruin said the award was a reflection of the entire Summit Organics ecosystem, not just his own family.

“We rely upon a great crew who work in all kinds of weather, and it’s not always easy work. Without them, we wouldn’t have got this far,” he said.

“And our customer support base — the award is as much for them because they keep us going.

“It’s also for my mentors and people who taught me.”

Bruin has mixed feelings about the pace of growth in the organic produce industry.

“It’s been massive. When we started, I said to my wife, we’d have to get cracking, because we’d get maybe a three to five year run out of this, so, it hasn’t been as quick as I thought, but it’s come a very long way over a long period of time,” he said.

“Overall, though, there are a lot of conventional agriculture producers that are trying to do more sustainable things now because of what the organic industry has brought.

“That’s why I’ve been so passionate about teaching and giving back and helping. We have guys who have worked for us over the years, now running their own organic farms and are still involved in the organic industry.

“I think that’s the way forward, to create change. We’ve had a great run, and my wife and I are keen to give back.”

For information and local market locations, visit summitorganics.com.au