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Foot-and-mouth disease
Winners of the Biosecurity Farmer of the Year (plant category), Sandra and Peter Young of the Birdwood Nursery, are similarly proactive in biosecurity.
Birdwood helped pioneer a nursery industry accreditation scheme and in 2006 became one of the first nurseries to achieve EcoHort certification.
Producing more than 150,000 trees annually, the Youngs say biosecurity has been at the forefront of all production processes in the business.
“A sound on-farm biosecurity program becomes part of your brand and helps to maintain market access and open new opportunities in the future,” said Peter Young.
The Youngs started producing avocado stock over thirty years ago, but today the Birdwood Nursery range of plants reads more like a fruit salad recipe. They also provide home gardeners and hobby farmers with Gourmet Lovers and Fruit Lovers collections.
Birdwood helped pioneer a nursery industry accreditation scheme and in 2006 became one of the first nurseries to achieve EcoHort certification.
Birdwood grow all of their tree stock under the Avocado Nursery Voluntary Accreditation Scheme (ANVAS) guidelines. To prevent pests and diseases, all plants are grown in containers on benches in a steam-pasteurised growing mix and watered with disinfected (chlorinated) water. Samples of plant root and soil are regularly tested for diseases.
Sound record keeping at critical points in the plant production allows plants to be traced from entry to the nursery all the way to despatch.
Mr Young said: “Farm biosecurity has always been at the forefront of the production processes across Birdwood Nursery operations to supply good quality, healthy fruit trees to clients.”
Earlier this year, Birdwood was proud to become the first fruit tree nursery in Australia to be accredited for BioSecure HACCP, designed by industry for Australian production nurseries. Winning the award for biosecurity has given the Youngs another badge of honour within the industry.
Mr Young views his business as providing a service to the fruit industry. He is very much aware that the livelihood of growers depends on the quality of the stock that he provides.
“A sound on-farm biosecurity program becomes part of your brand and helps to maintain market access and open new opportunities in the future,” said Mr Young.
The Youngs’ clear passion for their business and the pride they take in being industry advocates for biosecurity was clearly evident.
