JERROD NICHOLS has stumbled upon a windfall.
But even he admits the demand for his two-year old rhubarb crop far exceeds what he thought possible.
“The buyers can’t get enough”, Mr Nichols says.
“I could be sending out triple the amount.”
Grown on the fertile Scottsdale hills of north east Tasmania, the Nichols soon to be 40 ha rhubarb crop is set to be the largest in Australia.
The current average rhubarb farm is around 6ha.
Because of the Tasmanian cool climate the Scottsdale rhubarb’s shelf life is double its mainland competitors, and Woolworths supermarkets anticipate the Nichols crop could soon be its sole supplier.
“The supermarkets want continuity of supply, and we saw the opportunity to corner the market and went for it.”
This year three harvests were taken from the perennial herb crop, and four tonnes carted out each week to supply Tasmanian Woolworths supermarkets.
Next year the plan is a harvest every 10-12 weeks pushing weekly volumes out to 10 tonnes.
“It has its challenges but once we got on top of disease constraints we have achieved a hearty crop.”
Having grown potatoes, beans, onions and carrots Mr Nichols said the price fluctuations of the rhubarb market were no different to other vegetable markets.
But it is the ability to take control of supply in the down sized winter market which has made his enterprise worthwhile.
Because of the sensitivity of the rhubarb stem the herb is pulled out by hand and then cut. There is no mechanized system and to meet next year’s volume commitment Mr Nichols will employ around 12-15 full time pickers.
The Nichols waste no part of the rhubarb plant.
The secondary lines are sold locally as a condiment under the Johnos premium sauce label and a Rhu brew drink is in the pipe line.
Used extensively in Chinese traditional medicine the health qualities of rhubarb are well known amongst eastern cultures.
Botanically known as Rheum officinale or Rheum palmatum, rhubarb is a member of the Polygonaceae family of plants.
The constituents vary depending on the country where it is grown, but rhubarb generally is found to be high in chrysophanic acid, aloe-emodin, rhein and physcion volatile oil, rutin, fatty acid and calcium oxalate.
Trading as Razz Rhubarb, Mr Nichols said the success of his venture has taken him by surprise.
And as for his best eating tip, go past the stewed option and try it in a condiment.
