Growing good food that truly nourishes
Our Seasons: what’s available & when
Our Slow Food Story:
Spring:
Buds burst into blossom, from snow white to dark pinks
Tiny fruit sets & starts to grow
Summer:
Harvest begins - first Cherries, then Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums
Autumn:
Main Harvest of Pears & Apples
First Press of New Season Juices
Winter:
Trees rest and chill, while winter grasses feed the orchard soil
Pruning & Grafting begin
New young trees are planted
Year-Round:
Our slow food story has an annual rhythm, with Springtime and Harvest. Each year, though, the growing Season is variable and unique, with all types of weather, which can affect the size, quality and timing of fruit crops. Once ripe fruit is gathered in, the packing shed becomes busy and our farmgate is open for much of the year.
We’re also busy packing ‘Greenhill’ Fruit and Juice to supply regionally, working with local small businesses.
Growing at ‘Greenhill’
It all starts with good soil, rich volcanic earth. A cool climate, with four distinct seasons. The right tree varieties, thoughtfully chosen. Hard work and careful management, hands on every day. Good stewardship of the land we farm. Valuing excellence and applying practical commonsense. And the satisfying reward of a good harvest, producing food that nourishes for our community to enjoy.
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree”
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Good soil
We’re grateful for rich, volcanic soil and keep working towards optimal soil health and nutrition. Trees planted in this earth have a great start, growing healthy and strong.
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Grasses
A variety of grasses flourish in the orchard rows, feeding soil microbes while the trees rest. Mowed with all the prunings, the mulch returns nutrients to the soil.
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Pollinators
Encouraging beneficial insects and practising good orchard hygiene helps to manage pests and disease in a balanced orchard environment. Our focus is on improving health, resilience and nutrition.
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Growth
We choose varieties carefully, considering every characteristic of tree and fruit growth. Trees are ordered a year or two ahead of planting, then take two to three years before fruit. This is a slow food story.
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Harvest
The busiest time, when we gather in and prepare to share the fruit of our labour. Every piece picked by hand as successive varieties ripen, over five months from December to May.
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Balance
The orchards at ‘Greenhill’ are set in a larger grazing property with a heritage remnant and regenerating bushland, home to a variety of birds, reptiles and animals.
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Nourish
Fine wool Merino sheep are a complementary enterprise. Grazing manages the pastures, and any discarded fruit is fed to the sheep, minimising waste and then nourishing the soil.
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Weather
Extreme weather is a risk every year - drought, wind, hail or frost . Hailnet creates a protective micro climate, buffering temperature, conserving moisture and shielding fruit from birds.