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 !

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!

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!

Achieved through…

•  Innovation and a positive attitude towards change!

•  Applied science & technology!•  Better marketing!•  Creating a ‘brand’!•  Hard work!

Photo: Mary Canning

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!

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

Apple blossom in Spring

Summer & Autumn

•  Harvest & Marketing!– Peaches – January – February !– Apples – February - May!

•  Crop protection!

Photo: Mary Canning

Photo: Mary Canning

Photo: Mary Canning

Risks

•  Climate!– Hail!– Rain!– Drought!

•  Pests & Disease!– Apple scab!– Codling Moth!– Fruit Fly!– Fire Blight!!

! !...just to name a few!

•  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) !

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!

Trellis System

•  Support dwarf stock under high fruit yields!•  Improve light exposure!

•  Canopy management for better!– Pruning!– Pest & disease management!– Harvesting!

250 trees/ha Old plantings, large free-standing trees

1,500 trees/ha New Plantings on trellises

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!

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!

Drip irrigation suspended from trellis wire

Large dam provides irrigation water for the whole orchard

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!

Potato crop in early summer

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!!

Photo: Mary Canning

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!

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!

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 !

Photo: Mary Canning

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!

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

GOLD SILVERPLATINUM

BRONZE

WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE 2010 CREAM OF THE CROP COMPETITION