Meet your advisory committee members
Over the coming weeks, we will be profiling each of our advisory committee members for you to get to know a little more about them.
This week we spoke to Nicholas Patsuris, from the Growers Advisory Committee.
 Your role at the Market:
Along with my dad Paul, together we run Patsuris Premium Produce. It’s a family-owned and operated market garden based in Werribee South and has been farming on the same site since the late 1930s. I’m the fourth generation to join the business. Day-to-day, I take care of all facets of the business from harvesting, planting, ground preparation and other areas relating to the farm. I also look after everything involved with the marketing side of things, sales, order packing, and forklift operating.
What are you most passionate about regarding the fresh produce industry?
Growing up living on the family farm, it gets in your blood, it’s hard work with long hours, but I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I love the fact I’m part of a business that prides itself on quality and service and striving to maintain that reputation keeps me motivated. Also knowing that Melbourne and Victoria’s best fruiterers and restaurants stock/serve produce from our farm is something I’m very proud of.
What do you think are the most important issues for the Market and Industry?
Keeping the Market relevant, viable and attractive to all sectors of the industry is the most important issue we face as stakeholders. Each sector of the market relies on one another day-to-day, and keeping a healthy balance between this is key. Also attracting new people and businesses is something that needs looking at, whether this requires an operational hours change or something else, but it is definitely an issue.
Why did you want to become a member of the advisory committee?
I became a committee member because I wanted to have more of a say in things concerning us. Being in my early 30’s my future is here, and I hope to make that as bright and promising as possible for ourselves and our families. I was also encouraged to apply by previous committee members and other Market users that I respect, and so I applied.
What’s something people wouldn’t know about you?
Something people may not know about me is my love of cars, more specifically Fords. I was lucky enough to snap up one of the last GT Falcons produced by Ford, the GT-F. My two girls love going for drives on weekends in “daddy’s wace-car”, which I love too! |
Get ready for plenty of ‘smashed avo’ with Australian avocado growers expected to produce a record harvest of the Hass variety this year.
