Meet Our Growers
It all starts here. Paddock to Plate.
Our story starts with canola seeds and the growers who plant and nurture those seeds through all the growth stages – from tiny plants through to the gorgeous yellow carpet of canola flowers and pod development, onto windrowing and harvest and finally delivery to our Manildra plant. Our growers are an integral part of our story – as without them, there’d be no auzure.
Since 1991, we’ve forged vital relationships and built trust with more than 1000 growers who tirelessly work, methodically enrich, carefully cultivate and sow pristine fertile farming land in New South Wales. We work hand in hand with these talented farmers to produce beautiful auzure Canola Oil. Our farmers pride themselves on their fertile soils, their rich pastures, their dedication to agriculture and sustainability, clean trusted food production and of course their passion about producing the best canola possible.
Terry Cotton
On his superb property on the outskirts of Manildra, Terry Cotton lovingly tends to his fertile soils and burgeoning crops. He’s grown canola here for the last 27 years. Canola plays an integral role in crop rotation and creates large yield benefits to subsequent cereal crops. Terry was born and bred in Manildra and to this day is one of the region’s largest canola growers.
Terry is passionate about non-GM farming on his pristine farm. He prides himself on growing and delivering only the best canola seed to be pressed into auzure. The fourth generation of Cotton farmers live nearby, so Terry is already sharing his love of, and knowledge about, canola with his grandchildren.
Sean Quigley
Farmer Sean Quigley lives and farms picturesque rich country a stone’s throw from our Manildra operation. As far as food miles are concerned, Sean’s canola seeds travel minimal miles from paddock to press, then onto your plate. Sean is passionate about the paddock to plate, farm to fork, concepts. He enjoys dealing with local farmers – the owners of our presses in Manildra – as well as strolling through local supermarkets and corner stores that stock auzure canola, as he knows and trusts where the canola was grown, how it was tended, harvested and pressed. Sean has grown canola for us for the last eight years and says canola is the perfect crop for the Manildra district soils and conditions. This year, he and his farming partnership planted 400 hectares of canola varieties. 400 hectares of flat paddocks and rolling hills carefully dotted with stunning rows of golden yellow canola ready to be pressed into auzure.
Charlie Balcomb
The Balcomb family is renowned within the Cudal and Cargo districts of Central Western New South Wales. Charlie Balcomb’s great grandparents settled in this magnificent part of the world more than a century ago, paving the way for a successful family business that’s been handed down through the generations. Charlie and his twin brother Murray currently run the 2,400 hectare properties at Cudal and Cargo with their father. Charlie knows the region and what flourishes here. He should. He’s done it all his life, apart from a stint at Ag College in Queensland and a job on a cotton farm. Growing canola, wheat, barley and grazing oats is what Charlie and his family do best. Charlie says it’s so handy that the presses are literally “down the road” so seed delivery is easy and hassle free. It means the food miles are minimal. It’s only a matter of time before Charlie’s two sons start negotiating canola seed contracts with us!
Guy O’Brien
Third generation Wellington district farmer Guy O’Brien has agriculture in his blood. His father grew up on a property just down the road from where Guy and his wife now proudly grow their canola and wheat crops alongside breeding prime lambs. Guy prides himself on being a steward of the land so he can pass it onto the next generation. His two sons are already showing strong signs of continuing the proud O’Brien farming tradition.
Guy says while the vivid golden canola growing alongside the healthy green wheat makes for a visual treat each Spring in Australia, he also grows canola for its rotation and agronomic benefits for the land. Benefits which will ensure the Wellington district property can grow top quality, clean, trusted canola seeds for auzure for many future generations.