LuvaBerry owners say increasing costs of farming taking a toll

Adrian and Mandy Schultz have been farming for two decades on their property LuvaBerry near Wamuran, but said the increasing costs of farming was taking a toll.

"I don't think any form of horticultural crop is viable in a small farm status anymore," Ms Schultz said.

"You have to play the numbers game to fit the supply chain."

Rising costs of diesel, electricity, packaging, wages and compliancy rules have all played their part in increasing the cost of production for the Schultzs.

"Basically, the average cost of strawberries, we're getting the same price as what we got 20 years ago. That's if you averaged it across the season, it's still about 2 dollars a punnet," Mr Schultz said.

"The cost of production though, has gone from say, 90 cents a punnet to about $1.40 per punnet."

To counteract rising costs to farming, the Schultzs have diversified their business to include more than just strawberries.

"We've moved away from being one single crop, and we've diversified into finger limes," Mr Schultz said.

"And we've further diversified into growing a number of herbs."

The couple have also value-added to their produce, freeze-drying berries, made available at the farm gate and online.

Additional costs associated with compliancy is frustrating the couple, who said there is no benefit to farmers who are making every effort to do everything by the book.

"To do a Freshcare/HARPS audit cost us $3000 this year. We're on top of it... and now I'm still required to now go and sit HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) training, which is more money," Ms Schultz said.

Beyond adding new crops to the farm, the Schultz's also started experimenting with agri-tourism in 2016.

"We've just completed our third year with what we call the container kiosk and welcomed hundreds of people every weekend developing an experience called 'Peckish Picking' with free farm tours where they [customers] come for a picnic," Ms Schultz said.

But introducing agri-tourism brought a new round of challenges, seeing their insurance bill raise 300 per cent this year, after their first insurance company declined providing public liability insurance.

"I'm open for no more than 40 days an entire year," she said.

The rising challenges are frustrating the farmers, with both saying it's Australian consumers who will miss out as small business and family farms leave the industry.

"It's a lot of love and care [that consumers will miss out on]," Ms Schultz said.

The couple said there are no easy solutions to offer for the myriad of challenges facing small farmers in Australia, and they're not calling for handouts.

"It's difficult because in other parts of the world, farmers are subsidised," Mr Schultz said.

"Maybe just some bonus initiatives would help, there's just got to be a bit of balance to support smaller farms," Ms Schultz said.

"If I look back now, there has just been a lot of incremental that add up."

"On the brighter side, we've had a lot of fun running our business.... And we live in a beautiful place," Ms Schultz said.

"But economically, something needs to be done to make it more continually viable."

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