Canterbury Branch

Upcoming Field Day at Little River

14th February 2015 at 10 am

Mark your calendar now.
Gilda and Nick (Harmans Track, Little River) are hosting a field day starting at 10 am.

This is an interesting property based on permaculture design principles.  They have a 2 ha commercial orchard of hazels plus native bush, forestry woodlots, large vegetable gardens and fruit orchard.

Gilda and Nick’s house was lovingly owner-built and is an energy efficient, healthy home.  Nick is a Park Ranger and Gilda teaches organics part time.

Find out more at their website: www.permaculturehazelnuts.co.nz

 

Orton Bradley Park Sunday 18th January 2015

Volunteers are invited to a weed control session at Orton Bradley Park on Banks Peninsula. 9 am start.  We will finish at 12 noon so you’re welcome to byo picnic in the grounds.

The native riparian planting is in its fifth year and becoming well established.  It may only need two more years of input from the TCA before it is self-sustaining.
Please bring along any useful tools such as a ‘weed eater’ or sickle, weeding gloves etc.
Contact Dave if you wish to discuss shared transport.

The AGM was held on 8th December. In summary, sufficient members put themselves forward to form a ‘caretaker’ committee so that the branch does not need to go into abeyance in the short term. 
Opinion was expressed that the issues for our branch are similar to those that are currently being discussed nationally – structure, purpose, ageing membership etc. 
It was agreed that it would be prudent to hold off making any local decisions until after the national AGM to be held at Conference (Ashburton, April 2014).

[weaver_html div args=’style=”text-align: center;”‘]ATTENTION Canterbury Branch members. Recommended:
SOUTHERNWOODS Tree Nursery
electronic Newsletter
downloadable as a pdf from their website at
http://www.southernwoods.co.nz/emag.htm
as a way of keeping informed about the many special interest open days that the nursery organises through the year; as well as plant info, tips and nursery news.[weaver_html /div] The nursery-organised events will hopefully compensate to a considerable degree the lack of Canterbury TCA branch-organised field-days this year.

Canterbury members, especially new members, are encouraged to voluntarily subscribe to the Southern Woods’ electronic newsletter.
Southern Woods has had a long association with Canterbury Branch of NZTCA.

TCA Field Day
11 March 2013
Sunday 11.00 am.

Q & A: Apples, Pears and Plums

Varieties, Uses, Cultivation facts, Diseases & Problems.

At the property of Hans and Christina
Hawarden-Hurunui Road
Hawarden, North Canterbury

This fielday will follow the successful format of last year’s Nuts Q and A.

Two speakers will talk about the three fruit crops, and after each topic the audience will have ample opportunity to ask questions and discuss the crops.
After the Q&A, we’ll break for lunch.
Then Hans will show us around his orchards, which some of you may have visited in February 2010. Since the original visit, plantings have matured and been expanded, and the range of fruit tree crops has increased.

The property consists of 15 acres of sloping land in the Amouri Basin, with stunning views. Hans and Christina have now been at the property for six years, and developed it from a completely bare land block.

There are orchards of:
• Almonds;
• Apples; including a large selection of the Heritage Apple Archive varieties;
• European Plums;
• Figs;
• Prune Plums;
• Peaches and Nectarines
• Heirloom vegetables.

How to get to there:
Drive along SH1 as if going to Hamner Springs, turn left along SH7 at Waipara. Carry on until Waikari, but keep on going as if to Hamner springs. Take the second road on the left (after Waikari) towards Hawarden, which is called the Hawarden-Hurunui Rd.
There will be the TCA event sign at their letter box.

Lunch Arrangements:
Hot water available on site, bring your own picnic lunch.

NZTCA Canterbury Branch AGM
Sunday at 1.15 pm 9 December 2012
719 Telegraph Rd.

All email submissions (by Wednesday 5 th December) from any members wishing to bring up TCA issues at the AGM, gratefully received. These will be added to the agenda and discussed.

Also, anyone wishing to join the ‘electronic’ committee (see recent newsletter editorial) should contact Krystina or Margaret via email, by Wednesday 5^th December.

TCA Field Day 9 December 2012 Sunday 11.00 am – 1.00 pm

Diversification & Mixed-Use Block

The field day will introduce a well-planned mature block which is focused on a diverse approach to land use, and will illustrate how dividing one’s block appropriately facilitates ease of management and multiple uses.

Basil’s and Trudi’s Property
Telegraph Rd.
nr. Aylesbury, Canterbury Plains

Basil and Trudi have taken over an existing orchard, added more fruit and nut trees over 4 years, and set up a well-planned grazing system for cattle and sheep. They rear calves, run sheep, keep chickens and have a moto-cross track for the boys.

This is an excellent opportunity for anyone struggling with possible layouts for their bare land block to see an example of a productive block that will only become easier to manage in the future, has no spare ‘unmanageable bits’, and is flexible enough that it can accommodate a number of possible classes of stock and tree crops.

How to get to there:
Travelling west from Chch on SH 73, turn left at Bealey Rd, left at Courtenay Rd and left again at Telegraph Rd. Their property is on the right before the next intersection with Grange/Clinton Rd.

Lunch Arrangements:
Hot water available on site, bring your own picnic lunch.

TCA Field Day 4 November 2012 Sunday 11:00am

Q & A: Mixed Fruit-growing for Farmers Markets.

This field day is aimed at everyone who wants to explore the inns and outs of using mixed fruit orchards on their block to sell their produce via Farmers Markets.

At Jackie’s and Peter’s property
Woodfields Road
Swannanoah, North Canterbury

Jackie and Peter have been managing wide range of apples, pears gooseberries and nut crops for a number of years on their block after purchasing a 9 acre apple orchard 17 years ago. They now sell their fruit via a stall at various local farmer’s markets and gate sales.
They will shortly be moving, so this is our only chance to gain an insight into the horticultural and commercial issues involved in an established mixed-crop orchard block.

The property has mature and varied internal shelter belts that are an excellent example of what succeeds in this area and soil type, and trees for bees.

Among the topics covered:
• which crops have been profitable
• which ones haven’t and why
• which varieties are popular and why
• the workload involved
• some do’s and don’ts
• selling via farmers markets and gate sales
• the economics

How to get to there:
From Rangiora: head out towards Oxford along the Oxford Rd. Turn left at Two Chain Road towards Fernside, then carry on for a couple of km until the second turn on the right, which is Woodfield Rd.
From Chch: Proceed along SH1 until the Tram Rd. turn-off, turn into Tram Rd and carry on until the Tram Rd./Two Chain Rd. intersection. Turn right, then first left into Woodfields Rd. The property is down a shared driveway on the left-hand side of Woodfields Rd.

Lunch Arrangements:
Hot water available on site, bring your own picnic lunch.