More than 95 percent of Australia’s asparagus is grown in a small Victorian area called Koo Wee Rup. It’s a big statistic that becomes clearer when you dig a little deeper and learn this former swamp has the ingredients for success: great soil and secure groundwater. And Con Raffa’s family were among the first settlers to pioneer asparagus and become Australia’s largest producer.
The Raffa’s journey started when Con’s dad, Luigi, migrated from Sicily in 1951 and worked as a farm labourer in nearby Koo Wee Rup. Located just 63 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, Luigi saw the region’s potential, worked hard and saved enough to start his own farm in the early 1960s. He tapped into the region’s plentiful groundwater and grew lots of different vegetables before Con joined the Raffa Fields business in 1983.
Con introduced asparagus on the farm because he said it could be grown and harvested when the other crops were being planted. Early success then catalysed a pivot to focusing solely on asparagus.
“The rich, peaty soils and afternoon sea breezes that come in from Western Port provide the right conditions to grow asparagus,” he said.
Raffa Fields farms around 1000 acres and produces around 2000 tonnes of asparagus across the whole enterprise in an average year. The crop is grown over two seasons from September to mid-December (spring), then mid-December to April (summer).
“During spring we don’t need to do a lot of watering because the soils naturally hold a lot of water. However, come summer, we do need to irrigate to keep the soils moist,” he said.
The farm gets its water from two sources: surface water run-off that’s collected during the wetter months in drains and groundwater bores that are activated during summer and pumped into a farm dam.
Asparagus do not like dry conditions and Con said they use soil moisture probes to monitor moisture levels so they can apply the optimal amount of water.
“We pay close attention to soil moisture because it’s so important for plant growth as it provides access to nutrients, supports photosynthesis and encourages root development.
“And we use lateral irrigation because it’s a very effective way of getting water evenly spread across the crop,” he said.
Groundwater is crucial for Con’s farm and others in the area, and it comes from several aquifers in an area known as the Westernport Basin.
We licence and regulate the use of this groundwater in line with the Water Act 1989 and the Koo Wee Rup Water Supply Protection Area Groundwater Management Plan. The plan sets out how we manage the resource in an equitable and sustainable way.
While intense agricultural development and drought challenged the aquifer in the past, the latest groundwater report showed minor changes in the condition of the resource and confirmed that as a whole it is being managed sustainably.
For Con, he’s cautiously optimistic about the road ahead and has taken steps to prepare for a hotter, drier future.
“We’re only four feet above sea-level here at our Tooradin property so we’re vulnerable, particularly if sea-level rises,” he said.
“We know the climate is changing and it’s one of the reasons why we purchased a farm in South Australia to help us spread our risk.
“If we need to look at other places with secure water, then we will. We keep an ear to the ground because we are a multi-generational family business in it for the long-run and need to protect ourselves,” he said.
Con and Lou, Con’s brother, run Raffa Fields with their wives and sons Christian, Adrian, Vince and Paul and their partners. The commitment and passion are palpable and there isn’t a day when one or all of them aren’t on the tools problem solving or finding new ways to do things better.
“It’s inspiring to work with the younger generation because they have such diverse skills, energy and business smarts that add so much. It gives me a lot of hope for the future,” Con said.
In high season, it’s all go and Raffa Fields employs 150 harvesters and 130 asparagus packers working with state-of-the-art optical graders that measure each individual spear for diameter and colour to ensure consistency. These then get bunched up, packed and sent to shelves around Australia and the world.
Asparagus is a delicious, versatile vegetable packed with nutrients like essential B group vitamins like folate along with vitamin C. Con says while you can cook it, he prefers it raw straight from the paddock.
“I know I’m biased but I could eat asparagus 24-7. When it’s raw it tastes a bit like fresh peas, and it has the loveliest firm and crunchy texture. It’s great for throwing in summer salads,” he said.
So, wherever you are in Australia, next time you see asparagus on your plate you can thank Con because chances are you’re eating produce grown on his farms with the groundwater we supply in Koo Wee Rup. You’re welcome.