Farmer in Focus – Armanini Produce

With autumn now well underway, the stalls at the Capital Region Farmers Market are telling a new seasonal story. For Armanini Produce, who travel from Griffith in country NSW, the rhythm of the seasons isn’t just about what’s growing now, it’s about what’s coming next.

From Watermelons to Asparagus

The Armanini story began in 2005, first with only watermelons and pumpkins. After a few successful years, the family expanded their range to include okra, zucchini, capsicum, rockmelons, tomatoes, garlic and table grapes. Every seedling is grown in their own greenhouses before being planted on the farm, giving them complete control over quality from the very beginning.

It was in 2015 that the family took their biggest gamble yet: growing asparagus crowns.

Shane from Armanini Produce recalls the early decision to grow asparagus. “This was a vegetable we noticed that didn’t have much recognition in the community.” Three years of careful cultivation later, in 2018, they harvested their first asparagus crop and brought it to Canberra. That’s how they became part of the Capital Region Farmers Market family.

A True Family Affair

Armanini Produce is run entirely by family. The operation consists of the husband-and-wife team (Shane and Kristy), their three daughters, and a nephew. No outside workers. Everything is done by this tight-knit crew.

Behind every great harvest is a lot of hard work. For Shane, that reality is front of mind. “The most challenging aspect of our farming business is the labour-intensive picking we do, as this is all done by ourselves,” he explains. “To maintain our farm to a high standard, we are picking our vegetables seven days per week with very little down time during the spring and summer months.”

That’s right: seven days a week. Through spring and summer, there’s barely time to catch their breath.

The Joy of Direct Connection

So, what makes all that hard work worthwhile?

“What we love most is the joy we see in our regular customers’ faces when we return each season with our summer produce and our asparagus,” Shane says. “Knowing that we’re selling direct to customer is satisfying, and the saying ‘direct from our farm to your table’ rings so true for us.”

That direct connection means customers get vegetables picked fresh each week, not produce that’s been sitting on a shelf for long periods of time. It’s the kind of quality and freshness you simply can’t get anywhere else.

Turning the page on the season

With summer now behind them, Armanini Produce are already looking ahead to September and the return of asparagus season.

But they’re reflecting fondly on the warmer months, with table grapes and watermelon standing out as their favourite summer produce. Their advice for enjoying both at their best? “Eat them nice and cold, as it intensifies the sweetness of the fruit.” Shane tells us.

Visit Armanini Produce

Catch the last of summer’s bounty at Armanini Produce this Saturday at Capital Region Farmers Market. Load up on their table grapes and watermelons while you still can, and mark September in your calendar for the return of their much-loved asparagus.

This is what real farming looks like: a family working seven days a week to bring you the freshest produce, grown with care from seedling to harvest. Direct from their farm to your table.