Wonderful watermelons: The highs and lows of watermelon farming

Emmanuel Azzopardi is an irrigated hay and vegetable farmer who runs "Durmore" near Forbes, along with his wife Catherine and son Benjamin. Emmanuel is a third-generation farmer, with his family's farming origins starting with his grandparents and parents near Blacktown and Richmond, continuing through to his first major operation in Cowra in 2002, and now to his current property near Forbes.

In this episode, Emmanuel dives into his experiences with planning farm infrastructure projects, starting from scratch, and managing labour shortages and market factors. He also discusses how industry changes have required him to adjust his enterprise mix from horticulture dominated to a more broadacre farming focus in recent years. Plus, Emmanuel shares his passion for watermelon farming and explains the waiting game involved in growing this unique crop.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor, Rohan Leach sat down with Emmanuel on a windy day at “Durmore” for this chat about veggie farming.

 

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The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.