BOOMAROO Nurseries has won The Weekly Times and Coles 2012 Farmer of the Year tonight.

Boomaroo Nurseries run by the Jacometti Family in Lara, Victoria, won the overall title tonight at an awards ceremony in Melbourne.

 The venture started when chef Michael Jacometti walked out of the kitchen and into the paddock to grow his own produce in 1978.

He and brother Eric ran a small farm growing vegetables at Werribee South for almost 20 years and then in 1985 they became aware of the demand for seedlings and changed tack to become nurserymen.

In 1987 they were joined by their eldest brother, Theo, and a year later moved Boomaroo Nurseries to 10ha in Lara.

The trio now employ 130 people full-time and last year supplied 300 million seedlings to growers across Australia.

The business has a state-of-the-art growing system which allows them to produce more than 170 varieties of vegetables, lettuce and potted flowers every week.

    Category awards winners:
  • Cropping Farmer of the Year – Trevethan Family from Howlong, NSW
  • Beef Farmer of the Year – Frank and Andis Sorraghan, Ladysmith, NSW
  • Sheep Farmer of the Year – Robert and Pam Mortimer, Tullamore, NSW
  • Dairy Farmer of the Year – Grant and Kim Archer, Mella, Tasmania
  • Horticulture Farmer of the Year – Boomaroo Nurseries, Jacometti Family, Lara, Victoria
  • Farm Magazine Outstanding Farmer of the Year – McIvor Farm Foods, Belinda and Jason Hagan, Tooborac, Victoria