Caring for country - Northern and Yorke Natural Resources ...

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4feature The sweet spot Bill Nicholas finds there’s much more to Wirrabara Forest than the trees. The most important quality of any farmland has always been access to water. In pioneering days it was even more important. For a number of reasons there are a number of ‘sweet spots’ or ‘honeypots’ – tiny micro-climates that for one reason or another get more than their fair share of rain and underground water. The pioneers judged the likely rainfall of an area by the size and number of trees growing – lots of big healthy trees – lots of rainfall. One of the best of these early sweet spots was the Wirrabara Forest on the eastern slopes and foothills of the Southern Flinders Ranges about an hour’s drive from Port Pirie. The thickly wooded forest quickly attracted the attention of timber cutters who from the 1850s logged huge amounts of timber for station buildings, fences, homesteads, shearing sheds, cottages, jetties and mines - Charlton, Moonta, Wallaroo and the Burra. As the railways extended to Silverton, Pichi Richi and the far north, they needed millions of sleepers. Wirrabara Forest was such a big success, the government kicked off Australia’s first forestry operation there in 1877 with a tree nursery and plantations of pinus radiata and native gums that has been supplying timber ever since. Besides plenty of rainfall and groundwater, Wirrabara Forest has another big advantage. Tucked in the hills, it is out of the scorching summer north winds that cook apricots on the tree out on the plains. The region is a perfect little micro-climate ideal for growing fruit. In 1878 some 30 acres of forest land in Wirrabara was leased to four market gardeners, including Alfred Curtis, a 20 year-old from Lyndoch, working as a pit sawyer in the forests. His great great grandson, Peter Curtis, still works the block stocked with thousands of peach and other stone fruits which he sells directly door to door in Port Pirie as well as the big supermarkets. Noel Curtis is the only fully commercial orchardist operating in the Wirrabara Forest area as a certified biodynamic producer. He has 2,500 peach trees – as well as quinces, persimmons, apricots and plums – after inheriting the 200 acre block from his father who in turn took over from his father who planted the block in 1921. Noel picks all of the fruit himself and sends the bulk of it to Biodynamic Marketing at the Footscray Markets. Fresh fruit is way more profitable than dried because it takes 10kg of fruit to make 1.5kg of dried peaches. Noel is about to plant another 500 peach trees. He says the average rainfall in the district has fallen from 28 inches to “more like 20” and instead of getting most of it in winter, it now comes more sporadically. So he is using bore water with under-tree sprinklers. Two of his neighbours, Paul and Denise Kretschmer of Taralee Orchards and Jackie O’Reilly of O’Reilly’s Orchard, are now putting the Forest on the map as a source of quality pure foods and interesting B&Bs. Paul Kretschmer discovered the Forest as an Urrbrae student coming up to Booleroo for the holidays. After graduating from Roseworthy he became an outdoor education instructor. Upon the birth of their son in 1996, Paul and Denise, looking for other options, saw the Wirrabara Forest property in the Stock Journal and snapped it up. Of the 1500 fruit trees on the property bought, Paul has replaced 800 with younger ones and kicked them all along with biodynamic soil practices. Kretschmer’s Taralee Orchards is now a commercial, Demeter certified biodynamic stone fruit orchard property. As a certified organic producer, Taralee fruit attracts a useful premium in the wholesale markets in Adelaide and Melbourne. One third of the fruit is sold this way, another third at local growers markets and a third is dried or value-added into sauces, jams, pastes, pickles and chutneys. They’ve invested in a Logisolar fruit dryer which means sulphur-free dried fruit in just 23 hours from tree to packet. Paul says they’re going to stay with fruit despite the current fashion to grub out fruit trees and replace them with grape vines, olives or pistachios. “We’ve diversified into apples, pears and cherries and I’ve even beefed up the quince plantation of 60 trees following the good market acceptance of quince paste, thanks to Maggie Beer,” Paul says. Farm profitability is maintained by two B&Bs which Denise says offers a quiet, peaceful and relaxing place to enjoy the natural orchards and the scenic Southern Flinders Ranges. It is close to both the Heysen and Mawson Trails. O’Reilly’s Orchard began in 1994 as a rundown 40 year old stone fruit garden of around 1500 trees by Jackie and David O’Reilly. Jackie O’Reilly says the investment was based on its clean and stunning rural outlook with a decent quality underground water supply. “It felt like the sort of place we could really enjoy spending our time on,” says Jackie. “We set about reworking the old trees and grubbing out those that didn’t respond. Along the way we have harvested a great deal of fruit off those original trees which in turn financed a replanting program. “In 1998 we made a decision to stay with fruit after looking around at what others were doing… which included pulling out fruit trees and planting vines and olives.” “Our plantings have increased the diversity of types and varieties and to complement the fruit we have been slowly expanding our summer vegetable garden. Chiefly this has been driven by local consumer demand. Paul Kretschmer (pictured) developed Taralee Orchards into a commercial, Demeter certified bio-dynamic stone fruit orchard “Our basic principles are a sense of purpose, feeling connected to people and participating with them in a positive way.... just doing things that are hopeful while delivering feelings of freedom and spirituality and keeping us connected to the earth.” O’Reilly’s Orchard uses a marketing system of produce akin to what is termed ‘community supported agriculture’ whereby customers elect to buy a regular box of fruit and vegetables at a fixed price and take whatever is in season. About half the turnover is generated this way, with farmers markets another third, and the rest is value-added dried fruits. O’Reilly’s Orchard was, along with Taralee, the first buyer of the Logisolar fruit dryers invented and developed by Dr. Tim Steele in Birdwood. The highly efficient, technology-rich dryers eliminate the use of sulphur, providing intense-tasting dried fruit, for which they have been granted organic certification status. “We never set out with a clear ideal but as our business has grown it has just fallen into place, based on choices made by following our personal values and needs,” Jackie says. In her amusing web-site Jackie says: “Time is often measured by when I look up from what I’m doing and think ‘oh golly such and such is already flowering, I’d better get a move on’ - quite a beautiful measuring stick really.” The O’Reilly homestead is undergoing a $100,000 renovation to cater to their “paddock to plate” affair with food they are beginning to share with people who really enjoy the whole food experience. “Follow your heart, feed your soul and the dollars will look after themselves... I guess that is similar to “count your pennies,” says Jackie. 12 Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board
4feature Jackie O’Reilly at home in Wirrabara’s ‘sweet spot’. Photo: Clive Palmer Photography, Jamestown Organic agriculture Biodynamics is an enhancement of what is generally termed ‘organic agriculture’. It is based on the work of the Austrian scientist and philosopher Dr. Rudolph Steiner, and adapted for Australian conditions by Mr. Alex Podolinsky. It involves improving soil structure and fertility by increasing the microbal activity of the soil with biodynamic preparations, which are produced, stirred and applied under exacting conditions to ensure maximum effectiveness. Soil fertility is maintained by the application of basalt rock dust and rock phosphate, spreading cow manure, growing legumes and returning all plant material to the soil by slashing and brushcutting the orchards. The aim is to maintain and improve soil structure and vitality. No chemical fertilisers, insecticides or herbicides are used. According to the government’s SA Food Centre the SA agrifood industry contributes $12.4 billion to the state’s economy each year – and accounts for 146,000 South Australian jobs. Official statistics for organic and/or biodynamic fruit and vegetable produce are hard to come by but organic wholesalers estimate the local market at about $10 million. Sam Aloisi, a wholesale dealer with Steve’s Organics at the Pooraka produce market, reckons the market for organic produce in SA has grown by about 30 per cent over the past five years. “The eastern seaboard is where the real action is and the bigger local growers send produce to Sydney because that’s the market where consumers are willing to pay big premiums for certified organic produce,” Mr Aloisi said. He estimated there were about 20 South Australian organic growers with enough volume to supply the local wholesale market on a regular basis. “But there are always new organic shops and growers popping up all over the place but as for making serious inroads into the heavy duty retail food business, they are unlikely to compete with suppliers with the firepower that big retailers demand - huge steady stocks of uniform product. “But SA’s organic suppliers have some excellent niche markets – such as the increasingly popular growers’ markets – or direct retail - where they can charge a decent premium for organically grown produce.” Northern and Yorke Natural Resource Management Board 13
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Page 25 and 26: 4coast lines Diving into marine edu
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