Fourth Generation Lettuce Grower: Access to Innovation Matters
Growers appreciate partnerships that bring tried-and-tested innovations they can use in the real world. That’s what stands out for Australian grower Angela Candeloro of Tripod Farmers. Angela works with Syngenta through our valued long-term wholesale partner Fairbanks Seeds, who coordinated the opportunity for Tripod Farms to visit Syngenta Future of Veg Field Days in the USA.
“I feel like we’re in sync,” said Angela, attending Syngenta’s 2025 Future of Veg with Fairbanks. “Syngenta listens and works really well with their growers, and Fairbanks share innovations with us very promptly.”
The partnership helps keep Tripod Farmers ahead.
Tripod is a fourth-generation family-owned business with 1,000 acres on multiple sites in Victoria, Australia, specializing in fresh, premium quality salads and vegetables for food retailers. Angela, who runs the business with sister Carmel, prizes relationships and a strong commitment to creating opportunities for women in agriculture.
Fairbanks is a leading seed company in Australia and New Zealand and Syngenta’s partner for 10-plus years. They regularly travel to field events in the USA and Europe, looking out for innovations to test for local suitability.
Unique innovations in leafy vegetables
Tripod and Fairbanks work with our experts to explore Syngenta’s latest unique innovations. “It brings new ideas and new varieties to our business,” said Angela.
Peter McEvoy, Fairbanks’ Head of Product Development at Fairbanks, said: “You get the opportunity to look at the whole portfolio, under one condition and one environment. You really start to see the nuances and the differences – those small differences can be really important for growers,”
The right varieties for local conditions
The right “fit” matters - seeing how varieties perform side by side helps clarify which ones are best suited to local conditions.
“The most important part of our job is understanding what’s going to work for Australia and New Zealand,” Peter said. “It’s about selecting the best-performing varieties, not just what’s new, but what genuinely fits.”
Partnerships are two-way – growers and wholesalers get access to innovations, and they act as eyes and ears for Syngenta, feeding back about their challenges and results.
Hunger for innovation
Growers in Australia and New Zealand are hungry for innovations, according to Ged Sippel, Commercial Unit Lead at Syngenta. “That’s why events like Future of Veg are so important.”
For Syngenta, close collaboration is how we work. Growers feel listened to, they get early access to new innovations, and they’re supported by partners with both global and local expertise.
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