Our Processes

Sustainability

Ceres Farm is committed to sustainable farming practices and offering the highest level of quality. Our produce continually meets our customer needs and requirements and that is largely due to our successful and sustainable farming processes.

Ceres Farm adopts the surface irrigation watering system technique which maintains sustainability and efficiency on the farm.

This technique involves crops being watered via the surface, where the water is run through the furrows before flowing back into the river. Water used is monitored and tested before and after use to ensure standards are met.

Watermelons and pumpkins are grown direct from seed without the use of mulch or pressure tape and are rotated with grain crops after harvest. This allows the farm a continual supply of produce for our markets. At Ceres Farm, we make a point of rotating our crops on a three-four year rotation, as this is very beneficial for soil fertility and optimal production of our crops.

Following the end of season harvest comes the annual review of Ceres Farm. The team at Ceres Farm analyses each product line for the season and determines well in advance the plan for the next season given prior outcomes. A constant finger on the pulse at Ceres Farm means produce is of a high standard, and procedures and protocols hold us accountable - bringing with it some of the best produce grown in Australia. Detailed inspections of all machinery and wide-scale repairs on machinery and equipment and preparing the land with fertiliser for the next seasons crops conclude our extensive operational review.

“The expansion of the Ord Stage One into Ord Stage Two has been great for the region. The upgrade has increased supply of produce in the region and has been economically beneficial for both Ord Stage One and Two local growers.”
– Melanie Gray

Quality Assurance

Ceres Farm is Freshcare accredited, which means our produce is sustainably grown and is benchmarked to the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). We have strict biosecurity and quality assurance systems in place, with all our produce being 100% tracible. This ensures we’re accountable and reliable in providing some of the best quality produce worldwide.

In 2012 Horticulture Australia Ltd initiated a project – Harmonised Australian Retailer Produce Scheme (HARPS) – to standardise food safety certification requirements for major retailers in Australia. HARPS is a retailer-led scheme designed to assist with compliance to food safety, legal and trade legislation for suppliers to the major grocery retailers in Australia.Ceres Farm is proud to hold HARPS certification as we continue to produce quality and safe food for our Australia and overseas market.

Ceres farm is a member of the Australian Melon Association which is the peak industry body for the melon industry in Australia.

Ceres farm is a member of Ausveg, the prescribed peak industry body (PIB) for the Australian vegetable industry. Their role includes agripolitical advocacy and representation on behalf of growers, research and development services, and high-quality service provision.

Ceres Farm is also a member of the Ord River District Co-operative Ltd (ORDCO), which is an independent agricultural co-operative based in the Ord River Irrigation Area in Kununurra. They establish relationships with suppliers and key industry organisations to provide up-to-date product data and information to the farming community.

In 1996, the Ord Irrigation Cooperative (OIC) was formed to operate and manage the business of providing water and drainage services to farms in Kununurra. Ceres Farms access to the Ord Irrigation provides water efficiency within an environmentally sustainable manner.