Latest news with #orchard
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Thieves target Bay of Plenty orchards for scrap metal
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles Sheet metal from outbuildings and copperwires from frost fans are among some of the things being targeted by thieves for scrap metal amidst an increase on orchard thefts in Bay of Plenty. Te Puke police sergeant Mike Owens said since January they'd had close to 40 such burglaries, adding those were just the ones reported to police. "Items that get targeted are farm vehicles, equipment, tools, diesel from frost fans, other machinery, trailers, solar panels and of course the frost fans also have batteries attached to them as well." He said it was an unfortunately common experience for growers and farmers during the busy harvest season, when many might be travelling between sites or have additional people on-farm. Taking preventative measures was key to deterring these kind of thefts, he said. Things like storing equipment securely away or out of view. "Generally good locks, good security makes it more difficult. "Farmers and orchardists being lovely rural people will tend to leave keys in their vehicle or sheds and equipment unlocked." Owens said some frost fans had been rigged up with sensor lights and alarms which acted as a good deterrence. "I've seen footage where that has immediately deterred, obviously an alarms come one deterred the thief, and off they've gone again." Police recently executed search warrants and recovered a large number of items which they were in the process of returning to their owners. Owens said it was important for growers and farmers to report these kinds of incidents to police. He said it was also helpful to make note of any identifying features of items which might be targeted which might help with recovery efforts.
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: A blossom-laden spring to make up for last year
After five days away near the sun-dazzled Solent, we returned home to a verdant haven. Fruit blossom has dropped with some apples already set; and the 50-year-old Judas tree is covered with purple flowers, vivid against diaphanous beech and swags of native May tree. Before going upcountry, I walked on my mended hip in James Evans and Mary Martin's documented and tended orchard of historic fruit trees (200 apples, 30 cherries and 10 pears). This year's succession of prolific blossom is particularly beautiful, helped by a sunny March, and in such contrast to last year's wet and unproductive spring. Apple is the latest to open, heralded by the large pink and white blooms of the pear apple (Snub Nose). But it is the creamy coloured blossom of pears that came first, including Belle de Bruxelles, now more than 40ft high and laden with blossom to the topmost tips. It was grafted from a twig, cut from an overgrown specimen surviving in the old garden of a pub in nearby Launceston. The spreading Morwellham pear was grafted at the same time from a chance seedling, found growing in the wall of a derelict lime kiln on the Devon bank of the Tamar. Hoverflies dart about its blossom and shiny pale leaves, and there should be a good crop of medium-sized golden-red fruit. The delicate fluffiness of white cherry blossom diminishes among the opening orange-tinged foliage, while avenues of Burcombe, Birchenhayes, Fice, Rumbullion and Smutts form flowering canopies, spread above sturdy trunks. Years of pruning in the winter months has shaped the branches in this maturing orchard to allow occasional mechanical trimming of the flowery sward (sheep were tried at first but they preferred to graze the immature trees). After a three-year dearth of cherries, there is hope for a bumper harvest; perhaps the triple-legged ladders will be erected and another deep freeze needed to store surplus fruit. Further down the valley, in a steep tributary of the Cotehele millstream, the council's Forest for Cornwall are planting a random mix of young trees. Included are old sorts of apples and cherries that will add diversity and mystery to this expanse of future woodland. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
RNZ News
09-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Country Life: Growing walnuts in Canterbury
Heather North and Clive Marsh with a bin full of walnuts at LightFoot Orchard Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes The tree shaker and nut gatherer are cracking through Clive Marsh and Heather North's picturesque nuttery near Lincoln. "The trees are around 25-years-old now, so it's a bit like wandering around in a woodland these days," she told Country Life . By harvest's end, over 30 tonnes of dried walnuts will have been turned into premium products at a local walnut processing facility. The business partners grow two varieties of walnuts at the 16-hectare orchard, Rex and Meyric. The majority are Rex, a disease resistant nut and with a good shell seal. "They're a smaller nut, so they're not so good for in-shell use for a table nut, but they're great for a commercial nut," North said. The walnut trees are reaching peak production Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes Heather North and harvesting machine operator David Livesey Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. Walnuts fall from the trees from late March until the end of April. Under the verdant canopy, a custom-made harvester moves through the dappled sunlight, picking them up. It's operated by retired onion farmer David Livesey, who guides it carefully around each tree. In front of him, a rotating sweeper moves the nuts towards a pickup device that flicks the nuts up off the ground and into a bin at the back of the noisy machine. "We imported that from France. They've got a well-developed walnut industry over there and they have orchards of similar size to us, so they have quite suitable machinery for our orchards," North said. Towards the end of the harvest, a tree shaker, bought from an almond orchard in California, comes out of hibernation to shake the last of the crop down. The walnut harvester leaves a tornado of debris in it's wake Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes Shaking off the last of the nuts Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes North used to work as a research scientist in satellite remote sensing and now she's studying agribusiness. Marsh has worked in process engineering for most of his professional life. They started growing walnut trees in the late 90s. "We both had full-time jobs, so we wanted something that we could do at the same time. So, we decided not livestock. We wanted something that had a relatively low chemical input too and that grows well in Canterbury," North said. Another key factor was a walnut processing factory that was already operating at the time in nearby West Melton. A walnut orchard grows behind the processing factory at West Melton Photo: Supplied Dozens of walnut bins at the co-operative factory Photo: Supplied "It's owned by a cooperative of growers now, so we're one of the shareholders and we sell all of our walnuts to the co-op, and they market them under the Trickett's Grove Walnuts brand," she said. As well as processing the nuts for their kernels, the co-operative also presses walnut oil. A new walnut butter range is about to be launched too. Trickett's Grove is about to release a walnut butter Photo: Supplied Tricketts Grove walnut pieces and oil Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes New Zealand growers don't produce enough walnuts to meet domestic demand, so at the moment a lot of walnuts are being imported from California. Earlier this year, a scenery science expert at Lincoln University conducted blind tasting of the co-op's products against other kernel products on the market. "He found that ours tasted fresher, less rancid, more nutty and all of those tastes corresponded with traits that the customers preferred. So, there was a clear customer preference for our product, so yeah, it was exciting to hear that," Marsh said. A bucket load of harvested walnuts are transferred into a waiting trailer Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes The walnuts are taken to the washing and drying shed in the farmyard Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes After being washed the walnuts are checked before going in the dryer Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes The warm air drier (on right) can dry up to 4 tonnes of walnuts at a time Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes Freshly dried walnuts Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes Learn more:
Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Times
My visit to Anne Boleyn's inspiring orchard
This is a tale of two orchards. One is the ultimate in romantic, a parcel of land dotted with gnarled and twisted trees. This week the apple blossom has billowed and blown as if one of the gods had decided to throw a wild confetti party. The ground dazzles with daffodils. Here grow apples and pears, medlars and quince. It is an orchard fit for a king or, more aptly as this was Anne Boleyn's home, a queen. It's quite the regal setting. I have to say, as I stand in it, that though it isn't required for an orchard to be bordered by a moat, with the small but perfect castle that is Hever in the background, it does give it that certain something.
