The Orchardist I July 2022

Page 42

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The walnut orchard last autumn

Full potential of walnut industry yet to be cracked Being one of the pioneers of New Zealand’s walnut industry offered plenty of challenges, but for one Canterbury woman, growing walnuts is hugely rewarding. HELENA O’NEILL talks to Dr Heather North about the young industry and its promising future.

Setting up a walnut orchard is a long-term investment, but the industry is young and full of potential, Heather says. In 1998 Heather formed a business partnership with Dr Clive Marsh, starting Lightfoot Walnuts on a 16ha plot near Lincoln in Canterbury. They began planting that same year, with the bulk of trees planted in 2001 and 2002, finishing by the end of 2003. It was a busy time as both Heather and Clive worked full-time jobs. Heather has a doctorate in image processing (measuring the movement of glaciers) and she now works as a contractor on satellite remote sensing to map New Zealand’s agricultural land use. Being 40

The ORCHARDIST : JULY 2022

self-employed allows Heather to set aside time each year to work full-time on the harvest. Clive’s doctorate is in engineering science. He previously worked for Lincoln Agritech and is now a consultant process engineer working in food, medical device and pharmaceutical manufacture. It was a learning experience, Heather says, as they were also sorting shelterbelts and irrigation systems while working their regular day jobs. Getting enough young trees to plant was another issue as there was a limited amount available at the time they were setting up. The orchard now boasts 2700 fully established walnut trees and has been profitable since 2014.


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Articles inside

ThermoMax – frost protection

4min
pages 62-64

Biolchim – Protamin strikes a note with both conventional and organic growers

2min
page 61

Don’t treat your soils like dirt

4min
pages 58-59

New Zealand Frost Fans – Top tips for maintaining frost fans

1min
page 60

Everything about pre-emergence herbicides

7min
pages 55-57

Official opening marks beginning

5min
pages 46-47

Collaboration key for the Tasman’s 2022 harvest

4min
pages 48-49

Yen Ben lemon harvest underway in Northland

9min
pages 38-41

Whiritoa orchard innovating and growing with cover crops

9min
pages 34-37

Continued growth of international cherry market faces challenges

7min
pages 30-33

Avo Update – Connecting again

2min
page 52

Full potential of walnut industry yet to be cracked

8min
pages 42-45

Fascinating history of twin kauri taonga

5min
pages 50-51

Persimmons part of growth plan

7min
pages 19-21

Future leaders shine at industry awards

5min
pages 14-18

Revitalising the family orchard’s roots

10min
pages 26-29

The Chief Executive: Will steady growth be enough?

6min
pages 6-8

Government policy updates

2min
page 10

President’s Word: He Waka Eke Noa – What it means for growers

5min
pages 4-5

A guide to New Zealand’s biosecurity system

6min
pages 11-13

Hawke’s Bay talent garners Young Fruit Grower title

6min
pages 22-25
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