Brix Booster - Myles & Julie Ballentine
Hone Program 2
8 May 2023
Introduction
Myles and Julie Ballentine are a husband-and-wife team located in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. As farmers running a successful mixed cropping operation, their goals are to be more sustainable, build soil health, grow resilient crops and while remaining profitable. Their idea and company they are developing is centred around “Brix Booster,” a liquid bio-fertilizer/stimulant developed on-farm.
Hone Journey
Myles and Julie journey is one from Central Queensland farmers to founding a start-up that they are passionate about. Over the course of the Hone Program, Myles and Julie have had many key learnings. They have progressed the development of their business model canvas and refining the value proposition for their liquid bio-fertilizer/stimulant. They have also learnt more about what business structure is required as well as refining their business skills to progress their original idea. In addition, they have developed priority goals and tasks, particularly relating to their go-to-market strategy. These goals relate to setting up and registering a separate company, developing a landing page (currently under construction), implementing a social media strategy, expanding production, purchasing equipment to improve output and efficiency, partnering with suitable microbiological testing facilities/universities, developing QA programs, and implementing field trials and demonstration sites.
“The Hone Program has been very valuable for us in terms of delivering the skills and resources that we didn’t have as producers. It has without doubt helped us fast track our new venture.”
What's Next?
In the last 12 months Brix Booster has gained four new customers, or 32,000 litres sold. These customers are very happy with the product, as is a repeat customer who has purchased 75,000 litres over 3 growing seasons (as a soil drench and Foliar spray).
Over the next 12 months, Myles and Julie have goals to expand production to 250,000 litres and gain 5 additional customers.
Program Partners
