IT has been a big year for Kudla grower Damien Manno.
Quality Harvest was founded by Mr Manno eight years ago, but fast forward to 2022 and he is the talk of the industry having been crowned Young Grower of the Year at national and state level.
In the space of five years, the horticulture business has expanded significantly to become the award-winning operation it is today.
The business started off from humble beginnings, with the brothers operating out of a 300sqm set up.
Mr Manno said his foray into horticulture was a way to make best use of the land.
“Because of where we are, it is such small blocks,” he said.
We looked at ways we could make a living and basically what would generate a profit.”
Mr Manno grew up in a winemaking family on the Adelaide Plains but saw an opportunity to branch out and do something different.
Now it spans about 10 acres and produces thousands of bunches of basil, coriander and Asian vegetables, like bok choy, per week.
Quality Harvest produces the Herbalicious brand, which can be found at your local green grocer.
Seedlings are brought in from New South Wales and planted in a climate- and irrigation-controlled setting for about six weeks.
The produce is cut and packed on the same day, ensuring it’s at its freshest for the consumer, and is 100 per cent free of herbicides, pesticides and insecticides.
And there’s no sign of slowing down any time soon.
Or moving away from the area for that matter.
While Kudla is starting to move away from being primarily an agricultural area, Mr Manno said it was the ideal place for Quality Harvest.
“It shows that it can be done, it’s just implementing the right thing for the area,” he said.
“There is always things that you can do. I really like the area because it has got the natural gas for the heating, it has got good roads – it’s only half an hour to the market.
A lot of people say to us ‘why are you out there?’. It’s a nice spot.”
Quality Harvest also grows native herbs in conjunction with Native Co Australia.
The company was established about three years ago by Mr Manno and former Port Adelaide and North Melbourne forward Daniel Motlop.
They grow about 20 different types of native herbs and fruits sourced from across the country.
This includes warrigal greens, sea parsley, saltbush and native mint and thyme.
Mr Motlop said there were slightly different variations for their products, which are grown in a greenhouse setting.
“We can impart different characteristics that are not found in the wild,” he said.
Quality Harvest is one of the first in the country to be certified to the highest level for food security on any native herb or green.
Products from The Native Co. are supplied to some of South Australia’s best restaurants but are also available for the home cook at the Adelaide Central Market stall Something Wild and Tony and Mark’s direct wholesalers.
