NSW microgreens farm supplying Coles now seeks new owner

A northern NSW farm with a ready-made income derived from increasingly popular microgreens, herbs and bush food is now on the market.

Pocket Herbs and Produce’s 2.27ha-site in Burringbar, 30km north of Byron Bay, comprises 4000sqm of hydroponic greenhouses producing over 70 plant varieties all year round.

The family-run property also features a three-bedroom residence expected to be completed by April 2022.  Training is available for a new owner.

About 85%-90% the property’s suppliers are wholesale agents and provedores from across Australia.

Coles supermarkets, who approached the business in 2020, also now sells three different Pocket Herbs microgreens in more than 300 stores throughout NSW and Queensland.

Meanwhile, Currie Country, a local Indigenous training and education business, launched a bush foods range with Pocket Herbs in 2019.

Back to food basics

A steadily growing interest in food provenance from consumers has seen Pocket Herb’s popularity grow since its establishment in 2008 and throughout COVID.

The farm features 4000sqm of environmentally controlled, hydroponic greenhouses. Picture: realcommercial.com.au/for-sale

Currie Country’s Arabella Douglas described bush foods as an unexplored area.

“We’re being asked by a number of large companies to develop products for their market,” she said.

“Through COVID, people are also realising that they can be quite satisfied with local and regional food and they can be fed from their own environment.”

The appeal of paddock to plate products is one of the reasons why the value of the agriculture industry has grown steadily in the past decade, experiencing few of the ebbs and flows of other trades, according to Agricultural Appointments’ David Compton.

“From Rockhampton to St. George to Wagga Wagga, agricultural land in general has boomed in value in the last eight years and is now in line with Sydney real estate,” he said.

Mr Compton added that a larger, wealthier middle class of people were more socially aware about, and sensitive to, what they ate.

“This interest has provided businesses like Pocket Herbs with the opportunity to attract or target premium markets with a stronger demand,” Mr Compton said.

Raine & Horne Ocean Shores/Brunswick Heads sales agent, Jason Dittmar, also pointed to Pocket Herbs’ ability to consolidate people’s return to two basic values: food and a roof over their head.

Quality infrastructure attracts interest

Pocket Herbs has attracted interest from southeast Asia, particularly China and Hong Kong, as well as local and interstate buyers.

People are returning to healthier food products and increasingly socially aware of their benefits. Picture: realcommercial.com.au/for-sale

The opportunity for investors to set and forget with a good farm manager and staff is an added bonus, according to Mr Dittmar.

“Being a business and residence together, this is obviously a different type of property and presents a very good lifestyle opportunity,” he said.

“The house being built on the property is going to be finished very well too and is a prestige build.”

Mr Dittmar added that potential buyers were impressed with the property’s infrastructure and with owner Iain Reynolds’ management plan.

“With the staff Iain already has, the next owner doesn’t have to be completely versed in hydroponics,” Mr Dittmar said.

“Obviously, some knowledge would be beneficial but Iain is happy to pass on the plans he’s already got in place to the new owner, which is fantastic.”

Strong financial future

With Coles already on board with Pocket Herbs, Mr Dittmar said the property is almost guaranteed to financially succeed.

“Ten years ago, no one knew what microgreens were, but Coles now obviously sees a growth for such products in the market,” he said.

“It’s similar to when McDonald’s moves to a town – they do their market research first before they invest.

“In the same way, offering Pocket Herbs products across so many of its stores means Coles believes there’s a great future for this type of food.”

Mr Reynolds concurred explaining that while Pocket Herbs struggled through some of COVID, it nevertheless enjoyed a record six months between January and June this year and had been going “gangbusters” since September.

“Last month was our best month ever in terms of sales,” he said.

The property is in an RU2 rural landscape zone and includes rechargeable electric machinery and PV solar panels. The business is HACCP, HARP and Freshcare accredited.

Pocket Herbs and Produce is for sale via expressions of interest with an open end date.