Booma drives regional agriculture boom

Feature image above: Cory Roberston and his partner Linda, on their farm in the Hunter Valley.

15 May 2025
First Nations Affairs  Business Banking

Based in the picturesque Hunter Valley, Cory Roberston and his partner Linda, wanted nothing more than to see their community prosper.

Cory is the driving force behind Booma Food Group and has a bold but simple plan to feed his community and Australians across the country with an innovative approach to farming.

“Our goal is to provide tasty, reliable, fresh, cost-effective food to homes, restaurants, cafes, and pubs across Australia,” said Cory.

Booma’s making a name for itself by integrating state-of-the-art technology, renewable energy, and First Nations principles to grow leafy greens and fresh produce like basil, coriander, and chives, among others.

“We use quick farm technology to grow produce 24/7, 365 days a year, regardless of weather conditions. This makes us much more resilient and reliable for our supply chain – particularly the food service industry and supermarkets.”

“We’re also walking the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) talk by using sustainable principles, including zero herbicides or pesticides, that’s going to help us get better, faster, more affordable produce to family tables,” said Cory.

Booma’s philosophy also focuses on supporting the community that supports them.

“We’re taking agriculture to the people and engaging our community with the right training programs to achieve regional Aboriginal economic development.”

NAB has been a proud supporter of Booma’s journey, providing support to help them grow and serve their customers and community.

“NAB’s commitment to supporting Indigenous businesses has been instrumental in our success. They’ve helped us scale our operations and bring fresh produce to more communities across Australia,” said Cory.

Executive, Indigenous Business, Noel Prakash, believes in the potential of companies like Booma to drive economic development and create a sustainable future for communities across the country.

“We want to be known as the bank that backs Indigenous Business, empowers Indigenous leadership and creates opportunities for Indigenous communities to succeed,” Mr Prakash said.

“NAB is committed to helping Indigenous Businesses to thrive.  We are delivering on this commitment by more than doubling our lending to First Nations businesses and community organisations to at least $1 billion to the end of 2026.”