YOUR INDUSTRY
Chris working on their Karamea orchard
Creative balancing of subtropical crops on West Coast orchard NZ Feijoa Growers Association’s
AGM & Field Day The 2021 AGM & Field Day is being held in Nelson on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th November 2021. The AGM is being held on the evening of the 12th, with the field day on Saturday. Our Conference dinner will be on Saturday night. If you would like further information, please email info@feijoa.org.nz or visit the Association’s website www.feijoa.org.nz. The programme and registration are available from our website. We look forward to seeing you there!
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The ORCHARDIST : OCTOBER 2021
By Anne Hardie
Karamea is the horticulture hub of the West Coast and its temperate climate enables Bakers Creek Orchard to harvest subtropical fruit later than their North Island counterparts to reap financial rewards. Chris Shaw and Chris Partridge grow an assortment of fruit crops on their 5ha of land near the tiny township of Karamea, including tamarillo, passionfruit, feijoas, limes and berries. A few more hectares grazes ‘beefies’ as another source of income. The duo have been operating as a boutique orchard for more than two decades, over which time the business has evolved to counter the challenges thrown at them. Initially, they arrived in Karamea to work as cave guides after meeting in Canada on their overseas travels. A range
