The time is ripe for some prime picking at Harcourt’s Tellurian Fruit Farm where the annual Pick Your Own Fruit Fridays are proving popular among those enjoying school holidays.
“We’ve found school holidays are the busiest time of year,” Tellurian owner Ant Wilson says.
While it’s been a great season for cherries at the local certified organic fruit orchard, the focus has now shifted to other fruit that’s now reaching its peak.
“The peaches and nectarines are looking just amazing and the plums as well,” Ant says.
While it hasn’t been a bumper season for apricots, other stone fruits have produced strongly – despite challenges including some extremely hot days.
“That’s the benefit of being so diverse,” Ant says.
“Our briggs red may heritage white peach has been a really good crop this year. It’s just delicious.”
The current season of Pick Your Own Fruit days at Tellurian started earlier last month and are now continuing on Fridays from 9am-1pm throughout the remaining school holidays.
“We get people coming up from Melbourne and we also have quite a few local regulars,” says Ant who also sells fruit at the local Castlemaine Farmers Market.
He says the new Wednesday series of weekly 3.30-6.30pm Castlemaine Farmers Markets are being very well received, with the next Sunday Castlemaine Farmers Market set for February 2.
“I also do the Coburg Farmers Market in Melbourne,” he says.
Ant says their Community Supported Agriculture program is also experiencing strong demand from residents throughout the area spanning Bendigo to Daylesford.
Members commit to buying a fresh produce box throughout the whole growing season, and with about 100 CSA members now signed up to receive their weekly fresh produce box, the current season’s local program is fully booked.
Community members sign up for a ‘share’ of the farm before the start of the growing season, giving farmers the financial security of pre-sales.
Tellurian Fruit Gardens is a member of the Harcourt Organic Farming Cooperative, along with Sellar Farmhouse Creamery, Gung Hoe Growers, Carr’s Organic Fruit Tree Nursery and Grow Great Fruit.
