Canterbury Branch

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.

TCA Volunteer Day 29^th September 2012 Saturday 9:00am – noon

Desperately seeking some hale and hearty volunteers for a good cause.

The TCA Riparian Memorial Planting at Orton Bradley Park badly needs a clean-up. The whole area has unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, become very overgrown over the latter part of last
season.

The task is to free the young plants put in over the last 2 years which overgrown by long grass, and cut the pathway through the block.

We need some altruistic souls who have heavy-grade weed-eaters to help clear the matted grass and coarse weeds between the tree plantings, as well as some volunteers to carefully remove weeds and grass that have grown up around the NZ native plantings.

Grunty weed-eaters would be the ideal tool but work can be done by hand as well.

The ground may well be boggy in places so water-proof footwear is recommended.

If the plantings are kept reasonably clear of weeds this season they should put on sufficient growth to out-compete the weeds next year, and require minimal maintenance from then on.

TCA Planting Block Location:
To find the block drive past the main entrance to a side road where access is across a small paddock.

Lunch Arrangements:
Bring your own picnic lunch and beverages.

Best wishes for the healing, rebuilding, and extracting some return from those years of insurance premiums