Family farming is no longer a leisurely turnover of following the way it has been done previously if you want to thrive
Along with the rest of the business community, farmers face a range of challenges not seen for several years.
Coming off some record-breaking income seasons has brought with it rising input costs, labour shortages and general climate volatility. And the list doesn’t end there.
Farmers are now at the forefront of taking up the latest technology to replace manual labour and to meet that challenge head-on, Marto Farms introduced robotics to implement autonomous technologies for produce packing, grading and plant nursing.
Andrew Martens runs family-owned Marto Farms with the help of his brother Paul, and their parents, Keith and Karen have learnt that pragmatism and practicality are key in keeping a farm operation prosperous.
Located in Bundaberg in the sweat-inducing heat of tropical Queensland, Marto Farms is a vast, horticultural operation, stretching across 810ha (2000-acres) of ground and produces a variety of crops including seedless watermelons, zucchinis, macadamia nuts, and pumpkins.
“It’s an interesting mix of produce that’s for sure, but we take pride in delivering quality, top-notch products,” Andrew explains, “At the end of the day, it’s our name on the box so we work hard to do the best we can.”
Juicy, sweet and a hero of the summertime, watermelons are the flagship product grown at Marto Farms.
“Dad planted our first watermelons decades ago, we’re very proud of the longevity and success we’ve had with the crop,” Andrew reflected.
“It’s what we’re best known for around these parts, and I think that has something to do with the climate. There’s nothing like a delicious slice of watermelon when the weather is stifling and hot.”
“We get our fair share of those days up here.”
The need to adapt
In early 2011, devastating torrential rain and flooding in Queensland saw the entire watermelon crop at Marto wiped out. Andrew needed a solution to keep their workers employed and the farm from going under.
“The sheer volume of rain sat us back on our heels, we knew we just had to dig deep and work hard,” Andrew recollects.
Pivoting, Andrew brought in the zucchini crop to recover.
“After the watermelon crop failed, we knew we needed something to keep the farm going. Here in the sub-tropics, zucchinis make an excellent winter crop, so we got planting,” he recalled.
The move was such a success that Marto Farms now includes as part of its growing program, 240ha (600-acres) of zucchini each year.
Seeing the value in diversification, Andrew decided to make another swap. With the value of sugar cane dropping drastically, the team at Marto decided to switch out their sugar cane for a Macadamia orchard.
“Macadamias are a native tree across Queensland, they grow fantastically up here in Bundaberg, so the change just made sense,” Andrew explains.
“We’ve always believed that in farming, you’ve got to be sensible, pragmatic and not afraid of diversification.”
Thanks to continued demand, Marto’s macadamias are a success.
“I’m a farmer first. I’m not an expert across all crops or even running a business. But I’ll have a crack at a lot of different things to get through the testing times. That’s what we do,” Andrew adds.
Challenges haven’t made Andrew overly cautious, in fact, the opposite. He continues to innovate and experiment with technologies to help improve his farming, packing and distribution operations.
In a bid to remain on the cutting edge, Andrew invited robotics experts on farm to implement autonomous technologies that aid in produce packing, grading and plant nursing.
“It’s an impressive piece of machinery that can grade our crops by size. It also registers the density of produce to detect if its ripe. We still have a packaging team on the line, but it helps with the sorting process and is a time saver.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m an innovation and technology driver but I’m open to explore ideas when it comes to making life a little bit easier on my team,” said Andrew, “Not every new invention or innovation is going to dramatically change our on-farm operation, but if it makes someone’s day a little easier – I’m on board.”
Building an on-farm brand
Andrew also understands the role that working with technology plays in establishing the Marto Farms brand.
In late 2019, Andrew partnered with traceability and consumer technology company FreshChain Systems to roll out a program helping consumers learn more about where their food comes from.
Using blockchain technology, the FreshChain system tracked Marto Farms’ watermelons, allowing customers to follow the journey from paddock to plate and allow consumers to learn more about the farms their food came from.
“I think consumers want to know where their food comes from. Technology projects like these help buyers think local and support homegrown,” Andrew speculated.
While technological advances are changing the face of modern farming, the basic goal of nurturing produce remains the same. This is Andrew’s passion, as far as he’s concerned, everything else is secondary.
“No matter what whiz bang contraptions are invented, I’m a farmer through and through. So, what matters to me is growing and processing quality produce.”
“But you’re going to get challenges from every angle, and you have to learn to evolve or get left behind,” Andrew adds.
Recognising the importance of equipment and technology that delivers on-farm efficiencies, Andrew needs machinery he can rely on. That is why he made the switch to Kubota.
In his twenty years working on the property, Andrew had never stuck to one brand but today the vast majority of his fleet is bright orange.
“Growing so many different crops at such a large scale, I need machinery that is reliable and versatile,” Andew explained.
“Funnily enough, when we bought our first farm, there was an old Kubota tractor that came with it.
Since then, I’ve sold off all the old equipment, but I’ve kept the Kubota, it hasn’t broken down once in 20-odd years.”
Andrew is practical when it comes to his machinery; more than anything, Andrew chose Kubota due to their reputation for reliability.
“With so much going on, I want a machine that can constantly deliver. No gimmicks, no nonsense. Just a good hardworking piece of equipment,” said Andrew. “After seeing some of the newer model tractors on display it made sense to go with Kubota.”
“I’m so thankful for the team at Formatt Machinery, they’ve helped make the transition to Kubota as easy and seamless as possible. They know what we need out here at Marto, and they constantly deliver,” Andrew concluded.
Andrew Martens is a farmer first, and a practically minded one at that. He and the team at Marto Farms will always honour tradition in their farm practices but won’t shy away from ways to evolve and tackle the ever-changing nature of farming in tropical Queensland.
Summary of Marto Farms operation
- Marto Farms is a vast, horticultural operation, stretching across 810ha (2000-acres) of property and produces a variety of crops including seedless watermelons, zucchinis, macadamia nuts, and pumpkins.
- Marto Farms is a family-owned and operated business run by Andrew with the help of his brother Paul, and their parents, Keith and Karen.
- In a bid to remain on the cutting edge, Andrew invited robotics experts on farm to implement autonomous technologies that aid in produce packing, grading and plant nursing.
- A program developed with FreshChain Systems allows Australians to track their produce from paddock to plate, and learn more about the people involved in growing, processing, and selling.
- Andrew has been working with local dealer Formatt Machinery to bring more Kubota equipment to his property, better preparing it for future challenges.
