Meet Rob Sadler. He is a third generation farmer and one of the most regarded producers of premium lilies in Australia. His farm is situated on the pristine coastline of north west Tasmania.
Rob has a very innovative approach to farming. When taking over the family farm 15 years ago, Rob had a vision and strong desire to be one of the best, which meant he had to implement some major changes. He constructed a 2ha state of the art glasshouse approximately 7 years ago which has had a major production boost for the farm. This was the beginning of being able to consistently grow exceptional quality cut flowers and supply the market all year round.
The climate controlled glasshouse is heated using a boiler, fuelled by wood waste from the Tasmanian timber industry. To enhance this system even further, he implemented a hydroponic growing system, which helped boost overall quality and production. Growing hydroponically has given Rob much greater control over the nutrition of flower crops and reduced the issues with soil-borne diseases. This is achieved by steaming the used trays, cocoa peat, compost, and the used bulbs. All of which are mulched together and reused as the growing medium to start the growing cycle once again.
This has allowed the farm to bring to market some of the best sustainably grown flowers Australia has to offer.
