Over the past 10 years, the bright, yellow blooms covered up to 3,000 hectares of agricultural land across northern New South Wales, and Queensland. The trend spread to the irrigation areas of southern NSW and Victoria, and to the west, particularly in the Ord River catchment area of Western Australia. However, the ongoing challenges of drought and the closure of the largest sunflower oil processing facility have seen many growers drop sunflowers from their crop rotation. Only a handful of large-scale producers remain – those with strong irrigation systems or farms located in areas where conditions have been favourable for rain-fed production. 

The biggest challenge, according to Australian Sunflower Association Chairman Dennis Ward, has been the lack of a bulk oilseed market for sunflowers, and competition for land compared to other summer crops – particularly sorghum and cotton. 

“Growers who include sunflowers in their rotation most years usually have established a strong relationship with a buyer or trader,” Dennis says, noting that seasonal conditions have not supported large plantings of the sunflower crop in the traditional growing areas for several years. 

Dennis stresses the importance for growers to establish a relationship with potential buyers and negotiate a contract if possible before planting en masse. Currently, there are around 20 companies in Australia who buy sunflower seed either for direct sale or processing into various other products.

Prior to the 1980s, the majority of Australia’s sunflower crops were comprised of polyunsaturated oil varieties. When the market experienced a shift, triggered by increasingly health-conscious consumers, domestic production largely moved to monounsaturated varieties.

The sunflower has myriad uses – oil for cooking, kernels for snacking, seed for stockfeed. Sunflowers are even used to develop some paints and industrial lubricants. From commercial operations to backyard hobby farms, opportunities abound for growers in the sunflower game. 

A healthy snack alternative

Rather than reaching for a handful of nuts, Australians might soon be curbing their cravings with a serving of sunflower seeds. The phrase ‘split and spit’ may not be the most eloquent way to describe the common method of consumption, but it’s really no different to cracking open a pistachio. The edible part of the seed 

the sunflower kernel – is high in vitamin E, selenium, phenolic acids and flavonoids which function as antioxidants to protect your body’s cells against free radical damage. Sunflower kernels are also commonly used in breakfast cereals, bread and snack bars. 

Edible sunflowers must be specially cultivated to ensure that a large enough seed is produced, and that it can easily be dehulled. While conventional sunflowers produce seeds maxing out at 14 millimetres long, edible sunflower seeds can grow up to 22 millimetres. Moisture stress during development can negatively impact the hull to kernel ratio, therefore edible sunflower seeds tend to grow best under irrigation. 

The market for sunflower kernels in Australia is hot, but domestic growers are currently missing out. “Sunflower seed kernels for human consumption are worth about USD $10 million but the bulk of this demand is currently met with imported products,” Dennis says.

Cooking up a storm

Of the approximately 5 million tonnes of oilseed grown in Australia each year, sunflower seed accounts for just 40,000 tonnes, while canola (4.2 million tonnes) and cottonseed (0.8 million tonnes) remain the heavy weights. However, there is a consistent demand for high oleic sunflower oil, the bulk of which is imported from overseas. 

“Since the main crushing facilities in Australia ceased processing sunflowers in 2014, there have only been very small amounts of domestic sunflower oil produced,” Dennis says.

Australia currently imports around $100 million of sunflower oil, a market opportunity that some of the smaller vegetable oil processors in regional Australia are keen to tap into.

Polyunsaturated sunflower oil is high in linoleic acid and is primarily used in margarine and bottled oils. Conversely, monounsaturated sunflower oil is low in linoleic acid and high in oleic acid, making it the favourable option in terms of its superior deep frying qualities. Australian sunflower hybrid varieties produce monounsaturated oil that far outranks the imported products when it comes to quality. 

While sunflower oil is enjoying consistent popularity, it is still competing with other oilseed crops such as palm oil, which remains cheaper across the board, and canola oil, which can be grown in cooler conditions over a longer season.  

Feeding the farm

Of all its end-uses, sunflower seed for pet birds, horses, poultry and dairy feed rations are the main uses for domestic crops. The demand has remained strong in the domestic market, and the Australian Sunflower Association is currently investigating the potential for export market development and opportunities as a feed for the burgeoning aquaculture industry.

This market requires consistent seed weight and size – something growers must consider when spacing out rows. Different markets have a preference between black or grey stripe types depending on the end use but on the whole, seeds are required to achieve a test weight of 38kg/hL or more. Sunflower seed is generally included in its whole form in the ration, providing energy, protein and fibre for livestock. Sunflower meal is a valuable by-product of the oilseed crushing process and an excellent feed for intensive livestock feeding.

Floristry and agritourism

A big bunch of sunflowers are bound to brighten anyone’s day, and while the retail market for freshly harvested sunflowers makes up a miniscule part of the country’s overall production, it is still a valuable crop for the floristry sector. Ornamental varieties of sunflowers are specifically grown for use in the floristry industry, as are the seeds found at your local nursery or garden centre. Over the last 18 months, florists have been in high demand as consumers opt to send flowers to their loved ones in lieu of visiting in person. The market is expected to stabilise as lockdowns ease, but new opportunities for agritourism will ultimately arise. 

The ‘pick your own’’ phenomenon has been felt across various food production sectors as consumers express a desire to learn more about where their produce comes from. Yarramalong Turf Supplies on the NSW Central Coast provides the perfect example. What started as a single post on their Facebook page has blossomed into a highly-sought after tourist activity, drawing visitors from all over the region. Prior to Greater Sydney’s most recent lockdown, the business hosted several Central Coast Sunflower Harvest events, inviting visitors to explore the sunflower fields and pay only for what they picked. The photos that were posted on social media after the first event spread like wildfire and every subsequent event led to sold out events, stripped-bare sunflower fields and very happy customers. 

Beyond the crop’s end-uses, sunflowers also bring with them a range of benefits for growers. The sunflower adds much-needed diversity to aid in pest, disease and weed management. Compared to other summer crops such as sorghum and maize, the sunflower’s deep taproot can also help to break up compacted layers of soil up to three metres below the surface, leaving the soil softer and more receptive to moisture. A new herbicide tolerant variety has also been released recently, strengthening the role of sunflowers in summer weed management. 

Sunflowers are also being recognised as a valuable plant to include in mixed species cover crop plantings to improve soil structure and water infiltration deep into the soil profile. Such cover crops may be grazed before they are terminated as a green or brown manure to build organic matter in the soil and improve cycle nutrients.

With ongoing research into export potential, crop optimisation and alternative uses for the commodity, farmers shouldn’t dismiss the potential for this bright, versatile bloom.

if you enjoyed this feature on sunflowers, you might like our story on the lettuce industry.

The post Sunny side up – NSW’s sunflower industry appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

These days, he leaves the professional show jumping to his successors – children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – who each carry on the Otton tradition, immortalised in everything from gold medals to Pony Club ribbons. But you’ll still see him galloping through the fields of his family’s Bega property on one of his “old faithfuls” – who he reckons could enter a show any day of the week and still do “pretty bloody good”.

The first generation of Ottons from Bega

Paddy represents the fifth generation of Ottons in Australia. The original head of the family, John Otton, came here in the 1800s, under rather scandalous circumstances. He was a skilled horse husbandman, employed by an English lord on a Devonshire farm just north of Exeter. This particular lord – Alexander Berry – took a trip to Australia and set his sights on establishing a European settlement on what we now know to be the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast. 

“In those days, the best way to get folks over to Australia to work for you was to set them up with a crime and have them shipped out as convicts,” Paddy says. Apparently John Otton was at the top of Lord Berry’s list, and so a plot to have him framed for stealing a horse unfurled. In November 1829, he was convicted of a crime he did not commit and given an ultimatum: face the gallows or go to Australia. The seven generations of Ottons that followed provide something of a spoiler to that story. 

Clearly the first John Otton made an impression on his employer, who showed great remorse for his deceitful ploy and arranged to have Otton’s family – a wife and five children – brought out to Australia aboard the Layton shortly after. 

“From what I know, he always had a shilling in his pocket and became a well-recognised man,” Paddy says. 

John Otton established himself as a superior master plowman and shearer, and began amassing great parcels of land around the South Coast region. By 1839 he had leased some 5,000 acres of land between Berry and Bargo, in Southern NSW.

The fourth generation

Over the decades, the generations of Ottons that followed held onto much of the plentiful land across the South Coast hinterland. However, when Paddy’s father Murray passed away in 1963, just two years after Paddy and his wife Roslyn married, the government acquired half the land in death duties. 

Murray had a great affinity with horses, having been involved in camp drafting and rodeos most of his life. He was also a proud supporter and a trustee for the Bega Show – a position Paddy took over after his passing. 

“Dad always had a couple of sturdy stock horses that I managed to turn into jumping horses,” Paddy says. “That’s really where it all began; going along to shows with my dad.”

When Paddy’s father took over the homestead it was the third house to be built on the original slab, which was first poured back in the 1800s. Today, Paddy and Roslyn live in the gorgeous, five-bedroom farmhouse that has seen a handful of renovations over the years.

“It’s a wonderful old home,” Paddy says. “Roslyn and I did it up when we got married. My mum lived with us for a while before shifting to a nursing home. She always had wild stories to tell.”

The fifth generation

The Ottons are equestrian royalty in the Bega district, though Paddy is far too humble to admit such a thing. 

“I’ve always been involved with horses right from a very young age,” he says. “If Bega Show goes on next year, I’ll have 78 years under my belt.”

Throughout the years, Paddy and his family travelled as much as they could, competing in shows across NSW  and Victoria. 

“We’d head off with five or six horses in the cattle truck with a tarpaulin thrown over the top,” Paddy says. “We did Parkes Show for 17 years running, which is something of a record, so I’m told.

“I always loved jumping hurdles. It was called Olympic jumping back in those days. They were solid hurdles and not particularly forgiving if you missed a step.”

Paddy lists off dozens of locations around the state where he either competed himself or took his successors to ride. “Young, Cowra, Grenfell – there’s a hell of a good run of shows out there,” he says. 

“Back in the day, we’d do two shows per week and hope to sell a couple of horses along the way to cover our travel costs. 

“The best part about doing the show jumping circuit was always having a whisky or a cup of tea after the shows and having a yarn with the other jumpers.”

In 1997 Paddy competed at the Masters Games in Canberra, where he cleaned up in all but two events. “I oiled myself up a bit around the property, doing some fair dinkum jumping in the lead-up,” Paddy says. It must’ve paid off as he came home with a stack of gold, silver and bronze medals. “That was my last time being a competitor.”

In the early 1960s, Paddy and his friend Charlie Smith founded a show jumping club in Bega to support the up-and-comers, which grew to become one of the strongest clubs on the scene. 

“We held the first show jumping championships in Tathra in the Christmas holidays, and I won on a black horse called Kuala – a thoroughbred mare, who I held onto and bred a few foals from.”

The Ottons are still heavily involved in the club today – Paddy’s youngest son Jeffrey was club president and his grandchildren continue to carry the family name over the highest hurdles and into the history books. 

The sixth generation

Paddy and Roslyn had four children: Sue, Murray, Jane and Jeffrey. Three of their kids live on the farm with families of their own, spread out in cottages across the property.

“All four of our kids were involved in horses in some way, but it was Poss who really took off with it,” Paddy says, referring to his youngest son, Jeffrey.

“Way back, he got a call from a friend who got smashed up competing at a show in Queensland, and they asked him to fly up and take over the team. They went on to Cairns and took out a couple of titles up there.”

The Queensland run took roughly three months but Poss couldn’t get enough. He took his own horses back up and continued to compete for five years, taking out titles and breaking records all over the state. But the World Cup show jumper now lends a lot of his time to another breed altogether. 

The Ottons run cattle on their property, and Paddy admits Poss does a lot of the grunt work these days. 

“We’ve had a fair bit of success with cattle. We won a beef breeders competition a few years back with some great Herefords, which was a nice feather in our cap,” Paddy says. 

Poss travels a lot as a private buyer for an abattoir and a few feedlots around the state, but he also looks after the 500-odd black cattle and Friesian steers on the property. 

“He’s got a pretty good name now,” Paddy says proudly. “He can look at a cow, guess the weight and be spot on.

“He works directly with buyers, and everything is done via telephone and a virtual handshake. Not long ago, four black cows snatched $2,000 a head, which was pretty good at the time.”

More recently, Poss has found unique ways to manage the property. With fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) ravaging the entire region and putting the cattle at risk, he brought in sheep – who love the stuff – to keep it at bay. 

“Poss has got two mobs of sheep that he shifts about. The good old ewes will eat the fireweed like a camel – they’ll munch it right up.”

As an added bonus, the sheep fetch a decent price for their fleece, too. Paddy reckons that last season, the wool from their 150-or-so sheep brought in around $7,000. 

The seventh generation

Paddy’s eight grandchildren have all inherited his love of the land, and some remain entrenched in the show jumping world. 

“A few of them used to be great hack riders at the top of their field,” Paddy says proudly. 

One of his grandsons, Todd, has been the Chef d’Equipe for various champion show jumping teams over the years. He was appointed the High Performance Jumping Manager for the Australian Olympic team that competed at the recent Tokyo games. He continues to work with the Australian Olympic Committee, keeping a close eye on the top performers in Australia and overseas. 

Paddy tells me how proud he is that some of his successors have taken up the sport, but doesn’t hold it against the others who have gone down a different path. 

“Our daughter, Jane, married Neal Bates – a champion rally car driver for Toyota,” Paddy says. “Their two boys – my grandkids – Harry and Lewis are both making their way up the ranks too. Horses or cars: it doesn’t matter. I’m chuffed either way”

The eighth generation of Ottons from Bega

With his family close by, Paddy spends plenty of time with his four great-granddaughters and one grandson – two of whom live on the property. 

“We’ve got a couple of hellish ponies that keep them holding those reins tight,” Paddy says with a chuckle. “They go to Pony Club, and they’ve come back with a few ribbons, but it’s not about that for me. I just love to see them giving it a good crack.” 

If you enjoyed this story on the Ottons from Bega, you might like our feature on the Cupitts from Mollymook.

The post Eight generations of Ottons from Bega appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Along with a plentiful organic kitchen garden and a newly refurbished cellar door and restaurant – which enjoys unspoilt views of Burrill Lake and the Budawang Mountains – the Cupitts have transformed this patch of Shoalhaven countryside into a thriving hospitality and agritourism business.

The property’s history dates back to the 1800s when it operated as a dairy farm. An old stone building served as both a creamery and living quarters for the Tuckerman family – one of the earliest settling families in the area. William Tuckerman’s daughter fell in love with the boy next door and the two sprawling properties became one under the name of Washburton. 

In a nod of respect to its heritage, the Cupitts tenderly restored the dwelling when they purchased the property in 2003, remodelling it as a bright and modern cellar door, where its original casuarina shingles remain intact beneath a new steel roof.

Today, Rosie and Griff lead a team of 80 employees who look after a winery, cellar door and restaurant, microbrewery, fromagerie, organic farm and a boutique accommodation offering. Joining them at the helm are their two sons – Tom and Wally – and Tom’s wife Libby, who each bring their own expertise to the family business. 

The Farm Manager

Having grown up on the family farm in Mittagong, a profound respect for the land runs in Griff Cupitt’s blood. His ancestors had lived in the NSW Southern Highlands since the 1830s and became the largest cattle producers in the Wingecarribee area. 

“My family owned a lot of farming land in lower Mittagong from the mid 1800s and they started the very first butchery in the area. My grandfather and father used to breed and fatten the cattle for the butcher shops and were regarded as some of the best cattle judges in the district.”

Griff Cupitt, Founder and Farm Manager of Cupitt’s Estate

Griff sold the family farm in 1983 with the intention of moving further west, but his ancestral ties kept him in the Southern Highlands. In 1992, he bought the beloved Bowral Hotel which planted the seed for Cupitt’s Estate – not that he knew it at the time.

When the idea of retirement loomed, the location choice was a no-brainer. The couple have owned a holiday home in Narrawallee, just north of Mollymook, since the 1980s. Originally purchasing an acre of land where a two bail dairy once stood next to the old house, Griff and Rosie returned as often as possible until it became clear that the coast felt more like home than the country. 

Shortly after the sale of their Bowral property, the Cupitts saw an ad for Washburton’s sale in Ulladulla, attended the auction on a whim and walked away with the winning bid. 

“Going into retirement, the plan was to buy a property near our beach house and run some cattle and grow some grapes, which Rosie would use to make wine,” Griff says.

“We planned to open a small dining room in the beautiful old Creamery for a few people on the weekends, but from the moment we opened in 2007, it has been an uphill progression with the evolution of the business.

It is the input from Tom, Libby and Wally that has accelerated the growth, Griff says.

“Rosie and I have taken a back seat as far as the day-to-day operation goes, but I still enjoy running the farm and the cattle, which is my passion.

“Although it’s only a small cattle operation, it’s a good way to keep an eye on the game. I’m still pretty good with the estimates of the cattle weight and what they’ll make on the day which is very satisfying.”

Besides cattle, Griff oversees a bevy of other animals including sheep to manage the grass in the vineyard, as well as chickens and ducks for fresh eggs. It’s the substantial kitchen garden, however, that best demonstrates his passion for farming. 

Sustainability is woven into the fabric of every operation at Cupitt’s Estate. Guided by the seasons, the chefs craft their menus based on what’s growing well in the garden. Anything that can’t be grown on site is purchased from local farms and suppliers. 

The Cupitts run their property on a closed-loop system with waste from their food, wine, beer and cheese production. Worm farms, chickens and ducks help to break down organic waste which can then be used as fertiliser; packaging material is reused and recycled throughout the property; dry compost material is used to improve soil structure in the garden and vineyard; leftover whey from the cheesemaking operation is whipped up into tasty recipes by the chefs; and the cows enjoy snacking on the spent beer grain.

“We’ve also developed a method of making activated charcoal from the grape vines to help improve the water and nutrient retention in the soil, as the Incas did hundreds of years ago. We then use that charcoal to make our ash cheese. It’s all connected.”

The Cheesemaker

Sustainability is close to Rosie’s heart, too. Inspired by her travels through Europe while learning the art of wine and cheesemaking, she dreamt of offering unique food and wine experiences at home on the South Coast. 

“I respect so much about the food systems in countries such as France and Italy. I am a solid advocate of slow food, having started the Slow Food movement here in the Shoalhaven. I wanted to connect our visitors to all the producers on the South Coast and tried to focus on doing that in our restaurant.”

Rosie Cupitt, Founder and Cheesemaker at Cupitt’s Estate

Travelling to France in 1998, Rosie met her winemaking mentor Alphonse Mellot in Sancerre who connected her with some of the country’s most prolific vinters, and in 2002, she joined Richard Smart to lead a technical tour of Southern France – a journey that included stops at 28 wineries from the Northern Rhône to Bordeaux. 

Rosie’s approach to winemaking is deeply rooted in tradition, influenced by her time studying with the masters. 

“We have a non-interventional attitude to winemaking. We want our wine to express the true character of the grapes and only influence the flavour and style with the use of good oak when it is needed,” she says.

Rosie’s ongoing research and dedication has resulted in numerous awards over the years, but she has since passed the torch down to her son so she can pursue another of her greatest pleasures – cheese. 

“Winemaking is quite a manual job, so it was perfect for Wally to take over and for me to start the fromagerie,” Rosie says.

“It was an easy progression from winemaking to cheesemaking as they are both fermentation processes and involve an understanding of microbiology, chemistry and physics, and need a practical approach in creating the product.”

The Cupitts’ fromagerie was established in 2015 and continues to produce some of the finest artisan cheeses in the country. A further nod to her European studies, Rosie and her team employ traditional French and Italian techniques to produce everything from the gold medal-winning Narrawilly to the fudgy Flor Azul. 

The Winemaker

Another Cupitt with a penchant for French tradition is Griff and Rosie’s youngest son and head winemaker, Wally. He brings a relaxed yet strategic approach to the operation:

“Tradition is vital for our guiding winemaking principles. However, we are lucky to use science to help us make more informed decisions at various stages, which allows us to maintain quality.”

Wally Cupitt, Winemaker at Cupitt’s Estate

Under Wally’s keen eye, Cupitt’s Estate produces 22 different varieties of wine, from refreshing whites with great natural acidity to elegant, medium-bodied reds with mature flavour profiles. While he seems like a natural in the role, this wasn’t the path he thought he would follow. 

“I was initially interested in brewing beer when I first joined my parents in this business,” Wally admits.

“I was helping Mum out in the winery, but I would be home brewing on the weekends as a hobby and going to Four Pines Brewery for work experience every week.”

“It wasn’t until I had a fantastic opportunity to travel to France and do vintage with Mum’s winemaking mentor Alphonse that I really developed a passion for wine,”
he says. 

The Sauvignon Blanc vineyard directly in front of the restaurant provides the fruit for the Cupitt’s signature wine, aptly named ‘Alphonse’, but this is just a small part of the 150 tonne production, Wally explains. 

“The new vineyards are on the other side of the property on the crest of a hill that has excellent sunlight exposure and the interesting brown volcanic, monzonite soils that Milton is known for. As the crow flies, we are situated three kilometres from the ocean, so the summer sea breeze is a major influence on our terroir.”

The Cupitts source the majority of their grapes from the cool climate regions of Orange, Tumbarumba, Hilltops, the Yarra and Canberra District. Their star varietals range from a dangerously drinkable Pinot Noir to the complex and rich Roussanne, but the 2018 Cupitt ‘Provenance’ Chardonnay is Wally’s favourite. 

“It’s made from fruit picked in Wamboin near Canberra, grown at 900 metres in a very light, shaley sandstone country; it has fantastic concentration and minerality.”

The Operations Manager

From a single vineyard to an elaborate hospitality business, Cupitt’s Estate requires a steady hand to guide the ship through its many day-to-day operations. A former Civil Engineer may not be your first pick for the job of Operations Manager, but it’s Tom Cupitt’s wealth of experience in project management that allows the enterprise to glide along seamlessly. 

Tom and his partner Libby spent five years living in London before moving back to the South Coast to tie the knot. 

“We loved the London lifestyle, but we were also keen to get back to Australia to be closer to our families and start one for ourselves. Mum and Dad were also up to their eyeballs running Cupitt’s, so we were keen to come back and get involved with the business.”

Tom Cupitt, Operations Manager at Cupitt’s Estate

The estate has a lot of moving pieces, and when it comes to making them all run together, Tom says it’s all about working with people, finding unique solutions to problems and continuously analysing things to improve on. 

When asked about the transformation of the property and ongoing business growth, Tom says it all just happened naturally. 

“From the very beginning, the business has been expanding. I think Mum and Dad underestimated how popular the place would be,” Tom says. “They certainly have an entrepreneurial spirit, so things tend to happen without a thorough business plan. We are now more measured in how we plan for the future.”

The last 18 months has certainly presented its challenges, Tom shares, referring to blown-out project deadlines and adapting to constant changes in rules and customer expectations, but as a whole, he feels lucky to have rolled with the pandemic punches. 

“We’ve been forced to think outside of the box and have made some changes to our operations that we will continue post-COVID.”

Tom’s focus is now on improving their infrastructure to cope with the growing number of visitors, as well as exploring the potential for new growth opportunities. 

“We’re looking at ways to expand into new markets like online and wholesale where we don’t need to rely so much on people being here physically,” Tom says.

“We want to see steady growth so we can continue to provide good employment opportunities for our local community.”

The Customer Experience Manager

In many ways, Libby Cupitt is the face of the operation. A true jack-of-all-trades, she has shifted between managing the restaurant, executing the marketing strategy, running HR and taking care of guest relations. Whichever aspect of the business she finds herself in, her greatest focus is always on the customer. 

“I love connecting with our customers, getting to know them and doing what we can to give them a great experience. We have been operating for over 14 years now and have many loyal customers who have been here since the beginning.”

Libby Cupitt, Customer Experience Manager

Libby admits their move to the South Coast wasn’t meant to be permanent, but now, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

“Tom and I had plans to move to Melbourne and work in our careers – me as a Town Planner and him as a Civil Engineer,” Libby says.

“The restaurant was a beast and had growing pains. Rosie and Griff worked massive hours, but they were still desperate to grow the business, and Wally had started helping Rosie with winemaking, so we thought we should pitch in at least until they got on top of things.

“I don’t know if it was the unlimited access to wine and restaurant-quality food, but we fell in love with working in hospitality,” she says. “But now we couldn’t see ourselves doing anything else. We wanted to see the business reach its full potential, and we knew it needed the commitment of the family to get there.”

The Cupitt’s are one of the family multi-generation farming families across New South Wales who are marrying tradition with innovation. If you’re keen to read more, check out the story of The Bartletts or The Bakes.

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