Our History

The origins of passion for fresh produce sprouts from strong family roots in Horticulture. From the pre-war era when Jack Farmer helped on his father's Woodville dairy, to growing celery on his own property in Flinders Park. The Farmer family have been dedicated to providing fresh quality produce for many generations.

 

Current endeavours trace back to Jack's settlement in Virginia, where since 1956, the family has been growing potatoes for the consumer market. Since its origins, the company has also maintained a vast Almond Orchard located in the Adelaide Plains producing a boutique blonde crop.

 

In the mid 1980's and on the brink of the potato board collapse, Barry Farmer saw an opportunity to cement his position in the industry by building a packing facility. The packing facility is still located on the original grounds in Virginia, albeit a more modernised version.

 

Building on the family legacy, Barry has grown the land holding from 40 acres to an impressive 85,000 acres. The agricultural land is spread between the fertile Adelaide Plains and the rich soils of the South East of South Australia.

 

With the notable purchase of Kangaringa in 2003, Barry has diversified the business to also include, Onions, Black Angus Cattle and Merino Sheep whilst growing the plantings since 2003 from 141 ha to over 1600 ha.

 

With third generation Matthew Farmer at the helm, the business is looking further into the automated world. Matthew's ambition to grow further has seen the Kangaringa Brand recognised internationally for its quality and sold in supermarkets in Taiwan, Malaysia and Dubai.

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Luca Farmer, the fourth generation to enter into the family business, is embarking on his formal training in Agricultural Business Management at University. Luca is a respected part of the operation; with each season, under the tutorage of senior staff his repertoire of skills continues to grow.