Nearly 40 growers and industry members swapped their paddocks for the waterfront in late March, gathering at Grunske’s by the River on the banks of the Burnett for Hooked on Hort – Casting for Cleaner Waters.

Throughout 2025, 130 horticulture growers across the Great Barrier Reef Catchment - from Gympie in the south to Tolga and Mareeba in the north - rolled up their sleeves for hands-on, peer-to-peer workshops focused on sharpening pest management practices.

Growers and industry stakeholders from the Wide Bay-Burnett and Central Queensland regions hit the road in October for the ‘Pest, Dirt & Fert’ Study Tour that provided insights not only on farming practices, but across the supply chain.

Protected cropping offers a controlled environment to nurture some of our most delicate and valuable horticulture crops, but it takes infrastructure, technical expertise, and can present challenges around pollination as well as input costs and intensity.

Growers recently came together in Goomboorian with a shared goal: building healthier soil for stronger, more resilient crops.

Over the last year, Hort360 GBR Officers Paula Ibell and Michelle Haase have been collaborating with growers in Far North Queensland and the Wide Bay-Burnett regions, respectively, to deliver events that respond to grower-reported needs for further knowledge and assistance.

When you think about the origin of your morning coffee, countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, or Peru come to mind. But what about the beans grown in our own backyard?

Australia produces around 5,000 tonnes of passionfruit annually from major growing regions in the Tweed Valley in northern New South Wales, and along the Queensland cost including the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay, Daintree, Cooktown and Mareeba.

Growcom’s Hort360 GBR facilitators have coordinated a series of grower-led learning opportunities across Far North Queensland and the Wide Bay-Burnett in recent months, tailored to the needs of each growing region.

The view from the Mount Inkerman Scenic Lookout puts into perspective how farming operates alongside waterways flowing into the Burdekin River and out to the Coral Sea

Australia’s vegetable industry is big business. In 2023 the nation’s vegetable industry was valued at $5.86 billion, with 3.6 million tonnes sold for domestic consumption and export supply.

Pests cost Australian primary producers approximately $5.3 billion annually in management and production losses. Managing pests absorbs precious time and effort with around 72% of the estimated cost being in the working hours devoted to managing pests (and weeds).

Dennis Howe, Managing Director of Howe Farming Enterprises is a certified legend. And no, that’s not hyperbole; Dennis was awarded the inaugural ABC Rural-Kondinin Group Farming Legend of the Year Award in 2016. 

When it comes to fence building, veteran of the industry Macka says “Make the first expense, your last.”

Queensland’s citrus industry has an important land stewardship role to play with 81% of the state’s crop grown within the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

It’s difficult to be anything other than impressed by the manicured rows of mango trees as you drive through the front gate at Golden Drop Winery in Biboohra, just north of Mareeba in Queensland’s far north.

Over 70 horticultural growers and agronomists recently came together in Childers and Mareeba to learn about carbohydrate monitoring and how the practice can lead to more informed infield decision making. A variety of crops were represented leading to positive interactions and learning among participants.

Jason Smith’s approach to running his greenhouses is nothing short of meticulous. Maybe it’s because he served in the Navy for nine years? Maybe it’s because he just really loves his plants? Either way, the Carter & Spencer greenhouses he’s in charge of turn out some beautiful eggplants.

There are multiple benefits for growers to use tools like carbohydrate sampling including improved nutrient budgeting and management practices.

Horticulture is playing a positive role in reducing the impact of farming management practices on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Growers’ commitment to participating in Growcom’s best management practice (BMP) program, Hort360, and becoming Reef Certified has been key to this achievement.

Taking home Piñata’s coveted Honey Gold Grower of the Year award for a second time wasn’t about luck for Benaraby mango growers Ian, Gloria, and Scott Pershouse. It was a case of old-fashioned hard work and a commitment to continuous improvement.

As the largest fresh produce company in Australia, Costa has a significant role to play in driving the sustainability of fresh food production as well as the protection of the environment in which it is grown.

The horticulture industry continues to face greater restrictions and scrutiny around access to and use of pesticides, especially near sensitive waterways and ecosystems.

Although primarily known for beef production, the Fitzroy region in Central Queensland boasts a growing and diverse horticulture industry.

Central Queensland horticultural growers with an interest in soil health are invited to attend the upcoming Dirt Work shed talks being run by Growcom in June.

North Queensland watermelon and vegetable growing enterprise, Black River Produce is a family-run business with patriarch Jon Caleo overseeing operations at the Black River property, north of Townsville while his son Anthony and wife Tomi oversee the Sellheim property located on the Burdekin River outside Charters Towers.

Horticultural growers in Reef catchments are set to benefit from a renewed collaboration between Growcom and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth, and the world’s most extensive coral reef ecosystem. It is recognised for its vital ecosystem functions and supporting extensive aquatic wildlife. No other World Heritage property contains such biodiversity.

Participation by the horticulture industry at a field day on soil health and farm resilience at The Caves, north of Rockhampton, last month demonstrate the industry’s enduring interest in soil health and a commitment to preventing loss of topsoil.

Growcom was pleased to host the Australian Organics Recycling Association’s (AORA) Compost in Agriculture workshops in Bowen on Friday March 25 and Walkamin on Monday March 28.