Shields Orchard - A Hawkesbury Harvest success story by Jonathan Shields
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This is the story of Shields Orchard at Bilprin in the Blue Mountains. Bill Shields in Chair of the Hawkesbury Harvest
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Shields Orchard - A Hawkesbury Harvest success story by Jonathan Shields
- 2. An Introduction… • Shields Orchard is a family owned orchard established in 1955! • Run by Bill and Julie Shields! • Located at Bilpin, in the picturesque Blue Mountains! • Predominately produces apples and some peaches and other stonefruit !
- 3. An Introduction… • Declining terms of trade have driven change in marketing and production over the past 1o years! • Conventional markets have been abandoned in favour of direct selling and “Pick-your-own”! • This has been aided by close proximity to Sydney and people’s growing interest in where their food comes from!
- 4. Goals & Beliefs • Remain economically sustainable! • Increase productivity & efficiency! • Maintain & improve the natural resource base! • Provide fresh, quality produce on Sydney’s doorstep! • Educate consumers about where their food comes from!
- 5. Achieved through… • Innovation and a positive attitude towards change! • Applied science & technology! • Better marketing! • Creating a ‘brand’! • Hard work! Photo: Mary Canning
- 6. A year on the orchard… • While the fruit season only last for a few months there is always something going on in the orchard! • The diversity of varieties means the orchard produces fresh fruit from January to May! • Winter and Spring provide time for a host of activities while no fruit is being produced!
- 7. Winter & Spring • Grafting new trees! • Planting! • Pruning! • Thinning! • Soil nutrient management! • Crop protection! Graft join between root stock and variety wood (scion) of a young apple tree in a nursery bed
- 8. Apple blossom in Spring
- 9. Summer & Autumn • Harvest & Marketing! – Peaches – January – February ! – Apples – February - May! • Crop protection! Photo: Mary Canning Photo: Mary Canning
- 11. Risks • Climate! – Hail! – Rain! – Drought! • Pests & Disease! – Apple scab! – Codling Moth! – Fruit Fly! – Fire Blight!! ! !...just to name a few!
- 12. • Effectively managing risk is just another challenge in farming! • Climatic risk is very difficult to control however the climate in Bilpin is generally reliable and safe ! • Pests & diseases are controlled using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce dependency on a single means of control (eg. chemicals) !
- 13. Fruit Varieties & Root Stocks • Varieties that are popular with the consumer! • Productive, resistant to pests & disease and suited to climate! • Dwarfing rootstocks! – Easier management! – Higher productivity! – Greater resource use towards fruit production by the tree!
- 14. Trellis System • Support dwarf stock under high fruit yields! • Improve light exposure! • Canopy management for better! – Pruning! – Pest & disease management! – Harvesting!
- 15. 250 trees/ha 1,500 trees/ha Old plantings, large free- New Plantings on trellises standing trees
- 16. Soil/Nutrient Management • Key to productivity and producing quality fruit! • Maintain optimum soil pH through lime application! – Key to making all nutrients available to plants! • Maintain ground cover to prevent erosion and build organic matter! – Increases soil’s ability to hold nutrients and availability to plants!
- 17. Irrigation • Drip irrigation system! – Supplies water to root zone! – Reduces evaporation! • Satelite remote sensing! – CSIRO initiative! – Provides information for crop water requirements and scheduling! – Enhances efficiency & productivity!
- 18. Drip irrigation suspended from trellis wire Large dam provides irrigation water for the whole orchard
- 19. Diversification • Increases customer base and interest and helps manage risk.! • 10 apple varieties including:! – Royal Gala! – Pink Lady! – Delicious! – Granny Smith! – Jonathan! • Potatoes! – Grown for the last 3 years! – High value “gourmet” varieties!
- 20. Potato crop in early summer
- 21. Pick-Your-Own • P-Y-O has grown dramatically in recent years ! • People often enjoy the experience of picking their own fruit as much as the fruit it self! • Parents often comment that it’s a great way to show there children where their food really comes from! – Not the supermarket!!
- 23. Marketing • Low returns per/kg and high transport and packaging costs have made wholesale markets and supermarkets unattractive! • A focus on high quality fruit and good value has built a strong customer base and this continues to increase year by year!
- 24. Marketing • This means:! – Better quality fruit for the consumer! – Lower prices than the supermarkets! – Higher returns for the farmer! • People travel for hours for fruit from Shields Orchard!
- 25. Hawkesbury Harvest • Hawkesbury Harvest is a grower organisation which aims to promote agriculture and fresh, quality food in the Sydney Basin! • Bill is the current chairman of Harvest and is passionate about seeing agriculture remain an important part of Sydney’s landscape ! • He is also interested in bridging the divide between farmers and consumers through better education !
- 27. A final word… • The Shields Orchard ‘brand’ has a strong reputation and is continuing to grow! • Producing and selling quality fruit requires a great deal of technical know-how, innovation and business sense! • Bill is passionate about what he does and has no plans of giving it away any time soon!
- 28. More Information Shields Orchard • www.shieldsorchard.com • www.dairyyouthaustralia.com.au/images/AppleADay_CaseStudy.pdf • www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/harvest-boon/ 2010/02/08/1265477561433.html Hawkesbury Harvest • www.hawkesburyharvest.com.au
- 29. WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE 2010 CREAM OF THE CROP COMPETITION PLATINUM GOLD SILVER BRONZE