GENERAL
DO YOU IMPORT PRODUCE FROM OVERSEAS?
It might sound crazy but it’s actually cheaper to import! We choose to support local, so 100% of our berries are grown and packed in Australia. We can guarantee freshness and quality this way, especially by only working with farmers who adhere to our standards of MINIMAL INTERVENTION GROWING. Our family grows berries in the Moreton Bay and Granite Belt, and our ever-expanding network of Australian growers ranges from Bundaberg to Byron Bay and beyond (Tasmania even)! This means our supply is basically year-round, and protects us from pesky weather adversities hindering our entire supply.
ARE YOU ORGANIC?
No, we are not. Let us tell you why. Of all the fruits grown here in Australia, berries have notoriously been highly sprayed. Why? Because pests simply love them. They’re delicious! This is why lots of people associate sprays with berries.
The team at My Berries are committed to working with farmers that grow as naturally as possible and avoid unnecessary use of sprays. So, while we are not certified organic we love that our growers are so passionate about the constant care they provide to their crops. Preparing soils naturally, maintaining healthy populations of good bugs and bees, and remedying fungal and pest issues as they arise is more our style. Similar to the wine industry, we refer to this farming approach as ‘minimal intervention’.
DO YOU USE SPRAYS?
We don't claim to be pesticide free — we work with growers who only intervene on their crops when they really need to. We empower our growers to take charge of what they know best: growing. Adversities in weather, pests and diseases can strike at any time and it is up to them to protect their crops and their livelihoods as they see fit.
Having said that, we require our growers to submit the results of regular and unannounced chemical residue testing to satisfy us that they are committed to our minimal intervention policies. We hope you place trust in us to offer you a safe and delicious product that is true to our commitment to minimal intervention. Want to know about specific techniques we apply to growing? Read more about OUR GROWING METHODS.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BUYING FROZEN?
Berries are fussy little fellas that don’t last long once picked, so buying frozen is a great way to have quality Australian berries on hand at all times. Not to mention the warm fuzzies of buying Australian: supporting local farmers and reducing the carbon emissions associated with international imports.
ARE AUSTRALIAN BERRIES SAFE TO EAT?
We took a lot from that Hepatitis A scare back in 2015,16 and 17 that affected imported frozen berries. It reinforced what we already knew: that Australian growers really are going above and beyond to create the highest quality & safest berries possible. We learned that the general public do value that, which was reflected by a demand for trustworthy Australian-grown produce. It helped inform our honest (literally transparent!) packaging too; showcasing our healthy, ripe and lovingly handled berries! We are also HACCP certified.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. This is a preventative food safety system in which every step in the manufacture, storage and distribution of a food product is scientifically analysed for microbiological, physical and chemical hazards.
POLYTUNNELS
Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are best grown in warm little spaces called Polytunnels. This helps the plants to flush quickly with fruit while protecting them from sunburn, windburn, rain damage and hungry birdies.
BEES
Bees are the unsung heroes of our family! Our raspberries and strawberries (particularly raspberries) are all pollinated by bees, and berries grown naturally require the presence of good bugs to create stress to make the plant fruit. So aside from being the cutest little bumblers outside of our little boy (Luther), it’s in our best interests to keep them healthy and happy!
PREDATOR MITES
We simply release good bugs to kill the bad ones. This helps nature to solve our problems for us wherever possible (thanks to the services of wonderful companies such as Bugs for Bugs!)
ORGANIC SPRAYS
Sprays aren’t necessarily always harmful to the fruit or us. A good example of our preventative measures is one organic spray that is commonly utilised for managing caterpillars: an appetite suppressant that helps the ravenous creeper stop wanting to eat our raspberries.
PRECAUTIONARY SPRAYS
We don’t work with growers that blanket spray, killing everything (good and bad) prior to planting. Even organic farmers are allowed to utilise this technique, but we steer clear of it. We choose farmers who react to environmental conditions instead.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
We require all of our growers to maintain Freshcare certification to demonstrate an additional layer of quality management. This credible certification is another assurance that their practices are safe and sustainable for us humans and our environment.
TESTING
Freshcare certification requires growers to regularly test and submit results of microbe and chemical residues. At My Berries we also undertake random testing as an added safety precaution. We always have a copy of our growers’ certification on hand to assure ourselves and our customers that our berries are healthy, produced in a way that is friendly to the environment and safe to eat.
More info about Integrated Pest and Disease Management is available courtesy of the Department Of Primary Industry