Fully laden trucks rumble in from the vast irrigated paddocks of Sunraysia and into the belly of the mammoth farm shed. The harvest is in full swing. Forklifts bearing great sacks of produce whiz past. Workers stand along conveyor belts, trimming stalks and checking for quality. Others sit at fold-out tables, logging the bounty on laptops.
Nick Diamantopoulos makes his way through the choreographed mayhem, picking up bulbs and peeling them and, as if examining a gemstone, peers intently through spectacles balanced on the point of his nose. After decades of researching and growing this one species, he’s still fascinated by it. He talks about it with a wondrous, child-like enthusiasm. Silver-bearded and stout, he resembles Santa Claus in a safety vest. The shed is alive with the buzz of the harvest, and Diamantopoulos is in his happy place.
