Posted by on
24/09/2026
The Lockyer Valley’s Brimblecombe family, Mitch and Mariah, with children Lucas and baby Bridget, and Melinda and Linton.
Queensland’s Mitch Brimblecombe is refreshingly candid when it comes to sharing the finer details of his Lockyer Valley vegetable and cotton operation, admitting he’s an open book.
“I take a different approach to most people in that I’m a big fan of sharing personal details about our farm to friends and colleagues, I see value in sharing what we’re doing.”
“If you give a little bit, then they give a little bit, and suddenly you’re both learning something.”
Generous in his knowledge-sharing and collaborative mindset, Mitch is equally considered on-farm – and his ability to recognise and realise opportunity recently earned the Brimblecombe family the Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year Award at the 2026 Australian Cotton Conference.
Having farmed in the Forrest Hill district for over a century, for the past five years Mitch and wife Mariah, alongside Mitch’s parents Linton and Melinda, have built cotton into their rotation to complement their fresh produce operation.
It’s an enterprise mix that maximises water-use efficiency, with cotton now leveraging their property’s challenging salty bore water, unsuitable for vegetable production.
“We use freshwater dams to irrigate our vegetables, and five years ago with our dams empty from drought we needed another growing option, and we looked back through the history books for a solution.”
“My grandfather grew cotton here 30 years ago, so we trialled a cotton crop using the salty bore water and saw great potential – for us, it’s a good fit, and today cotton accounts for 70 per cent of our production.”
As a globally traded commodity, and less labour intensive, cotton has built strength into the business.
“Vegetables still account for 50 per cent of our turnover and remain a lucrative source of income, yet the daily price fluctuations can be challenging, and this is an issue we don’t have to worry about with cotton.”
Australia’s top cotton growers recognised
While surprised, Mitch says the family feels honoured to have been named cotton growers of the year, and it’s an accolade they have great respect for.
“Every one of the nominees for the award this year was up to standard, and we all feel very proud to have been recognised by our industry and fellow growers.”
The Brimblecombe family with Rabobank manager, Bruce Alcorn, centre.
The Brimblecombes' diversification into cotton has helped mitigate risk in the dry years, and facilitated an alternative production option during the quieter months of the vegetable season, with additional turnover reinvested into strategic business growth.
“This growth may be through purchasing more hectares, or becoming more efficient on-farm – reinvesting in the business to make things a bit easier.”
With a firm focus on continuous improvement, investment in irrigation infrastructure such as pivots, solar, and pump automation all bolster efficiency, and the family maintains a modern machinery fleet reflective of their progressive, future-fit business.
With an appetite for knowledge and improvement, it’s little surprise that the Brimblecombes are actively involved in cotton and vegetable research and trials, working with organisations including Cotton Seed Distributors, CSIRO, the Queensland DPI and Griffith University, while also running their own on-farm trials to support innovation and better decision-making.
Rabobank proud to support Brimblecombe family
As long-term clients of Bruce Alcorn out of the Toowoomba team, Mitch is grateful for the bank’s support of their business, and their strong relationship with Bruce.
“Farming isn’t always smooth sailing, yet Rabobank has always been in our corner particularly when we’ve needed them in more challenging times – we know Rabo genuinely wants to see us succeed and grow.”
The family’s expansion aspirations were also underpinned by Bruces’s agricultural expertise.
“We purchased additional land in recent years and Bruce could see the opportunity, he knew the importance of timeliness, and the outcome was seamless.”
“In our operation we face risks such as vegetable oversupply issues, or natural disasters such as floods, hail and drought, which can all hit hard financially, yet Rabobank sees the bigger picture for our business, which gives us confidence.”
Recently Mitch completed a Rabo Client Council Financial Skills Workshop, and found the program highly valuable.
“I’m a person who likes to talk about my business, and this workshop didn’t tip-toe around the edges, there was real meat on the bone.”
“Tony Hudson is an excellent facilitator, the case studies he used were relevant, and I’m always enthusiastic for these sort of initiatives where I can gain new skills and knowledge.”
“There are so many opportunities like this that Rabobank and the Rabo Client Council provide our communities, for clients and for non-clients alike – we see it, and we’re grateful for it.”