From horticulture to hospitality to gardening and now organic farming, Neil Miles has come full circle in a 22-year career that has culminated in the creation of his specialist Manjimup-based business Planted Passion.
The two streams to the business are Planted Passion plant farm and produce, which is an organic seedling nursery and fruit and vegetable operation, and Planted Passion agriculture, which is a fertiliser importer, supplier and agronomy services business.
Planted Passion imports and distributes an extensive range of specialised synthetic and natural and organic-based fertilisers, such as premium macro/micro nutrients, plant growth promoters, micronised minerals, microbial stimulants, humates, fulvates and soil conditioners.
Coupled with agronomy services, Mr Miles aims to be a vital bridge between farmers and the specialist products they needed to grow their crops.
Raised on a dairy farm in Margaret River, the Miles family was one of the first to exit the dairy industry in the wake of deregulation and eventually their farm was sold.
Mr Miles spent some of his childhood on his extended family's beef, sheep and cropping property at Boyup Brook.
"From an early age, I was exposed to agriculture and our family's involvement in the industry was multi-generational," Mr Miles said.
"Despite the family warning me against pursuing a career in agriculture, I left school early and became qualified in horticulture.
"I then worked in Margaret River on nurseries, farms and vineyards."
At the age of 22, Mr Miles moved to Bunbury and worked in hospitality, rising from a kitchen hand to a manager and then becoming a chef in Perth.
"I love the food and wine sector and have a lot of respect for those people working in hospitality and commercial kitchens," he said.
With 10 years' experience in horticulture and hospitality behind him, Mr Miles started the Planted Passion business in January 2013.
Initially, Planted Passion provided gardening and landscaping services around Perth, and Mr Miles found himself often working 12-hour days.
As the business grew, he employed 18 employees at the peak of the business' activities.
Planted Passion expanded into agronomy services and distributing fertiliser for a Queensland-based fertiliser company in 2015 that specialised in synthetic, natural, mineral and organic fertiliser products.
Mr Miles said his philosophy with fertiliser was to take a multi-layered approach and a broad perspective to improving plant health, soil life and crop returns for Western Australian farmers.
"I see myself as a vital part of the agricultural community, serving up products for use in broadacre cropping, viticulture, horticulture and livestock farming," he said.
His first farm purchase was made in June 2019.
This was a four-hectare property that was originally a seedling nursery with extensive infrastructure.
It had 12 greenhouses, sheds and machinery.
"It was always my goal to get into agricultural production, as it was in my blood," Mr Miles said.
"I wasn't going to inherit a farm, so I had to start buying land from sheer hard work.
"I was also at a point with the fertiliser business where sales had built-up and customers were wanting more and more product, so I kept this going while I began the journey of developing my own property."
Fuelled by pure passion and aspirations of where the agriculture enterprises could scale to in the future, a second 40ha farm with a house, sheds and seven water sources was purchased in December 2020.
At the same time, Mr Miles knew his fertiliser portfolio had to adapt and evolve to keep growing.
In January 2021, after a large after a large amount of business research and development, WA Fertiliser Supply - the importing side of the business - was created.
Both investments were unintendedly made as COVID-19 hit Australia.
This provided its challenges, from dealing with staff on the farms, national and international logistics and increasing importing costs.
Mr Miles started with imports from Asia of granular guano (excrement from birds and bats), seaweed and humate flake and then specialised in calcium foliar products from Croatia.
From here, his fertiliser options scaled rapidly, with more than 50 different products being imported now.
The aim from the very beginning was to be able to provide farmers with tailored specialised synthetic, natural, mineral and organic fertiliser products and agronomic programs that would suit their individual needs.
To ensure value in money for farmers, the sales channels of only selling direct to farmers (no middlemen) was created.
"That has provided a steep learning curve on how to hold stock, do constant communication, understand farmers seasonal and industry needs, market opportunities and constant research and development," Mr Miles said.
"The ultimate objective is to place farmers first in the relationship.
"Typically, I start with a visit on farm or lengthy phone call to learn about the farmer's business and goals.
"Products are then matched to their needs and we ensure the fertiliser order arrives when they need it.
"I then continue to support them with any application questions or agronomy advice."
Planted Passion's fertiliser range now has many of its fertiliser products certified organic through the the licensing body Southern Cross Certified.
Mr Miles said he worked hard sourcing unique fertiliser products, raw ingredients, technology from different companies to develop highly successful systems and programs that aim to reduce chemical reliance, regenerate the soil, boost plant vitality and improve yields.
"With regenerative agricultural and carbon sequestration being important farming issues that we all face, Planted Passion has product options to help adapt current practices to those that are more sustainable and build soil health," he said.
"My organic and sustainable fertilisers are now sourced from four of the seven continents, ensuring that we have a wide range of products to meet every farmer's requirements," he said.
"I believe that sustainability is the key to the future of farming, and our products reflect this ethos."
Mr Miles imported 86 sea containers of fertiliser product in 2024 and is tracking well to hit his target of 100 containers this year.
He sells product throughout WA, from Northampton to Mukinbudin to Esperance, and across South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.
"As the years have passed, I am fortunate enough to have created the patience and capital needed to be correctly geared to organic production systems, on my own farms" he said.
"I did a lot of research into regenerative agriculture, and the key message was to feed the soil in turn to feed the plant."
Initially, Mr Miles tried chemical-free farming, but he quickly saw a gap in the WA market for certified organic produce.
He said at the time, 80-90 per cent of organic produce sold in WA came from the Eastern States.
"I thought this was a ridiculous situation, as this is the healthiest type of food and should be grown on our own doorstep," Mr Miles said.
He became an organic grower of tomatoes, capsicums, Lebanese cucumbers, and eggplants at his greenhouse property.
Mr Miles plans to supply year-round on the back of the installation of efficient heating, lighting and cooling systems in the greenhouses.
At his 40ha farm he will have a total 3.1ha of irrigated market garden installed, planted and harvested as the months progress.
The crops will include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, broccolini, celery, beetroot, kale, lettuce and silverbeet.
Mr Miles' commitment to expansion over both his properties has led to investments in new tractors, fertiliser spreaders and mechanical weeders, transplanters etc.
"My overall aim is to become one of the few year-round suppliers of organic produce to the WA market," he said.
He sells to, or will sell to, organic retailers in Perth, including Maus Organics, Organic Collective, Organic on Charles, The Little Big Store and Peoples Produce which operates at stores or farmers' markets around Perth.
The Boat Shed in Cottesloe is also keen to try his range as well.
He said his long experience in the agricultural sector had taught him that you can't rely on good labour, and need machinery to do vital work.
Looking ahead, Mr Miles is keen to set up organic fruit orchards and expand the range of produce grown in his greenhouses and in paddocks.
He has 15 head of pure-bred Angus cattle and would also like to develop that side of the business.
"My overall goal is to help create healthier soils in WA that grow better crops and livestock - which ultimately leads to better food security for everyone," Mr Miles said.