FROM GENERATION Vegetable heritage keeps growing with Lamattina family

FROM GENERATION

Vegetable heritage keeps growing with Lamattina family

The Lamattina family are uncompromisingly connected to the land and to each other. Propagating produce is in the blood of this Italian family, who since landing on Australian soil more than 7o years ago have continued to expand, thrive and grow the Australian vegetable market.

Life was simple for Angelo and Giuseppina Lamattina growing up in post-war Italy. Born in a small village in Calabria, right in the ‘toe’ of the country’s boot where summers were short, hot and dry, Angelo was the eldest of six children and Giuseppina was the eldest of eight. They were married in 1946.

Village life by the sea was full of neighbourly connection, bartering and eating fresh produce. Olive trees were plentiful and olive oil was in abundance. Villagers worked in orchards and had their own cottage industries growing delectable vegetables. The small patches of land from which they were pulled may have been rented, but what was cultivated was savoured and sold.

Angelo began his foray into subsistence farming at 14 when his father passed away and he became the provider for the family. Here the passion for the land began as he grew staple foods such as potatoes, beans, corn and olives, which were enjoyed as main meals with all leftover vegetables preserved and stored. Each morning, the family’s donkey would pull a cart of fresh produce to the farmers’ market with Angelo by its side. Travel forward to modern-day A&G Lamattina & Sons’ vegetable cultivation and you will see these beginnings plainly. This Boneo-based paddock-to-plate-growing family clearly focus their production on ‘standard’ vegetables that are family-friendly staples, delicious and wholesome.

Angelo Lamattina didn’t bring much to Melbourne in 1950 other than his determination to make a better future for the small family he left behind in Italy. With a job lined up through friends, he found work in a concrete plant and sent every penny back to Guiseppina and their two small children, who finally came to Australia in 1952. He continued to do other work but his passion for farming remained. At the end of each day you could find him planting beans, potatoes, zucchini and corn with a horse and plough on a small parcel of land. In 1955 he finally purchased just under 1ha in Oakleigh, then more land in Clyde and Cranbourne. In 1987 he and his three sons decided to purchase just over 400ha in Boneo on the Mornington Peninsula. His youngest son Russell, with his wife Tina, continue to farm and manage the land along with their six children. was first purchased it was used for agistment for sheep and cattle, and clearing it, which took three years, was a mammoth task. There were lots of undulating hills. We first grew carrots, potatoes, parsnips, lettuce, celery, cabbage and silver beet on the Peninsula, but now the family concentrates on four major lines, which include celery, lettuce, broccoli and cabbage. Theses lines are still grown today. Life growing up on the farm in Boneo was great and all of us kids have a passion for the land. We would come home from school, rush through the door and throw our bags in the corner of the room and make our way to the giant backyard to ride our bikes and play in the dirt. On hot days we would run through the sprinklers. We would often wake up to kangaroos in the backyard and peacocks on the roof. And we thought that was common in all families. Our grandparents, Angelo and Giuseppina, would tell us stories of past generations and so would our parents. These stories were instrumental in teaching and mentoring us to appreciate what the land can provide.”

Angelo, Dominic, Josephine, Russell Jr and twins Robert and Anthony all play a role in the Lamattina family business now, heading up different departments. Josephine continues: “It was never assumed we would follow in the footsteps of our grandparents and parents, but it just seemed the natural thing to do. After our tertiary education, we all found our roles and began working together. I can’t say we don’t have animated discussions over various things from time to time, but one thing is crystal clear: we have the same goals within the business.”

This multi-generational vegetable-growing family are tight-knit and each day is fast-paced. Everyone comes together each morning to discuss all aspects of the business, from ground preparation, planting, harvesting, quality and production to orders and logistics. Robert and Anthony consult with the harvesting crews. Russell Sr and Jr drive around the farm to check the quality of the plants and discuss harvesting orders with Angelo. Josephine and the quality crew examine the first load of produce before it is washed, cooled and transported. Dominic and Tina head the administration team. No two days are ever the same.

Josephine concludes: “We consider ourselves fortunate to be given the opportunity to work in such an exciting industry. It’s a challenge and is not the romanticised notion of a simple life, but our passion for the sustainability of the land and the business is what drives the family into the future for generations to come.”

A&G Lamattina & Sons may be eons away from that small plot of land in Italy all those years ago where a donkey and its owner wandered into town to sell vegetables, but the commitment to loving the land remains the same. LIZ ROGERS