Thursday 26th March 2015 4.30-6.30pm
TreeCrops Hawke’s Bay FIELD VISIT: The Figgery
The Figgery, 205 Napier Road, Havelock North
The Figgery is a two hectare long slender property on the eastern bank of Te Karamu stream, and it is the home of Te Mata Figs. Owner operators Murray Douglas and Helen Walker bought the property in 2007 after becoming enthusiastic about fresh figs while living in Australia, and three years later in autumn 2010 they harvested their first commercial crop.
This fig orchard is trained in an innovative practical way, contains an interesting selection of cultivars and is marketed with great enthusiasm through various outlets, including market stalls and an on-site shop. The fresh fig harvest is done daily from mid-March until late May.
When our branch last visited in 2010 there were twenty cultivars of figs in the collection, which had been sourced from Mr Fig, the fellow TreeCropper Eric Cairns, and included Adriatic, Brunoro Black, Oakura, New Smyrna, Macedonian, Lebanon, Mrs Williams, Ventura, Misa, French Sugar and Preston Prolific. On this return visit it will be interesting to learn what has been commercially successful and what has not in the intervening 5 years.
Murray and Helen will walk us through the commercial fig orchard, so we can admire the figs ripening on the trees, study the various leaf forms, learn about pruning techniques and consider the management options which have been used. We will be able to taste different fig varieties and sample the value-added products which are produced in the on-site commercial kitchen.
Sounds delicious – food for the brain and for the stomach.
TreeCrop & Figgery signs at the gate. Vehicle parking on-site.
Rain or shine event. Fig products available for purchase
For further info contact Chris Ryan or email Clare Buckner
Everyone Welcome. NZTCA members free / Non-member fee $10 per person
Join NZTCA for $50 on the day OR join online beforehand at….. treecrops.org.nz/joining/
