History of Mara Seeds Pty Ltd
Stuart Larsson for Vitasoy Brand Video 2017.
Mara Seeds is a family owned and operated business. The Larsson family has a strong history of farming in the northern NSW region.
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The Larsson family ran a successful dairy herd in 1948, it was in 1967 that the family decided to invest in their first beef herd. With ongoing herd improvements and the transition to organic farming they now have a high quality EU accredited organic beef herd that is finished on organic pasture and silage. Their beef brand Mara Organic Beef www.maraorganicbeef.com.au was developed and their beef is sold predominantly to a premium export market and emerging local markets.
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Mara Seeds Pty Ltd was established in 1967 by the Larsson family. Stuart Larsson (founder) has been a visionary pioneer in the organic, sustainable and regenerative farming movements. As the second farming operation to ever grow soybean on the Far North Coast, they now consistently produce organic soybeans for Vitasoy and are a provider of the byproduct for stockfeed.
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In addition to their soybean industry links the business has developed a strong position for subtropical grass seeds and cereal crops in domestic and export markets. Since 2012 Mara Seeds has been trialling and growing low THC Food Grade Hemp. Our objective is to select plants to increase our yields for production in the field.
In 2012, Stuart Larsson established SOFT Agriculture Pty Ltd as a marketing and processing company for parent company Mara Seeds Pty Ltd. With the vision to offer farmers "carbon smart" products that deliver superior animal and soil health and productivity.
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Now, Mara Seeds produces and markets a range of organic products from beef and oilseeds to grass seeds which are value added for specific markets.
Organic Farming
It was in the mid-1900's that management identified the diminishing returns on artificial fertiliser, chemical systems and increased costs, both financially and health related.
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In 1996 Mara Seeds Pty Ltd gained certification with the biological Farmers Association (BFA) and changed its approach to an organic farming system. This allowed for the development of niche specialised products and catered for the growing organic culinary soybean and beef markets in Australia, with the view to expand overseas as the market developed.
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In 1997 the company saw an opportunity to develop a composting facility to produce organic compost and biological tea products for use on-site as well as for commercial sales. The compost and biological tea to date have yielded tremendous results in several vegetable and cropping programs.
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Mara Seeds continues to build and develop organic products for domestic and export markets with the view of promoting the Australian Organic Industry.