Small scale mechanisation of harvesting and processing
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under its Regional Food Producers Innovation and Productivity Program
14 Dec, 7.15-8.30pm
Renmark Hotel - Board Room, upstairs (Murray Avenue, Renmark)
15 Dec, 9-10.15am
Department of Primary Industries (Irymple) - (Corner Koorlong and 11th
Sts)
The Food Forest is
one of Australia’s largest growers of certified organic pistachios. Its
owners Graham & Annemarie Brookman recently returned from a fact finding
trip to the Mediterranean where they investigated a treasure trove of machinery
for small/medium scale tree crop harvesting and processing and are keen
to share the information with other nut growers
Program includes:
• Showing of professional
video of compact machinery in action
• Info about small-scale
mechanisation options
• Talk about value-adding
and direct marketing by growers
• Discussion of
strategies for pistachio growing in a changing climate
• Info about certified
organic growing of pistachios
Technology to
be covered includes:
• Saw-tooth spindle
grader for splits/non-splits
• Rotary bolt action
pistachio sheller with separator and aspirator
• Umbrella shaker
harvesters
• Mobile nut drier
• Linear weighers
for packing
• Dryers
• Dehuller
• Kernel peeler
Registration is free and includes a copy of the DVD “Pistachio harvesting & processing – Small is beautiful”
RSVP: foodforest@bigpond.com
Further info: www.foodforest.com.au
Contacts:Graham
and Annemarie Brookman ph 08 8522645 mob 0407771985
:
Map of Irymple
Media Release
Small scale revolution
for nut producers
Tree crop growers are generally paid a small percentage of the retail prices of their produce, so to make a reasonable living, many growers on smaller acreages need to find specialist niches or add value to their crops through processing or direct marketing. Short seminars for growers, particularly those interested in pistachios, will be presented in the Riverland and Sunraysia on 14 and 15 Dec by Graham and Annemarie Brookman who run The Food Forest, a 15 ha property near Gawler, growing a wide range of tree crops including pistachios, walnuts and other tree crops.
The Brookmans have
imported and installed small scale equipment for nut grading and packing
and recently made a fact-finding trip to the Mediterranean, where they
visited farms and machinery manufacturers to make a ‘virtual equipment
collection’ and produced a professionally made video of tree crop harvesting
and processing technologies suitable for regional Australia.
On the island of
Sicily they found something they had unsuccessfully scoured the internet
for over a long period – a pistachio shelling system to recover the green
kernels from nuts that have not naturally split.
During the seminars the video will be shown and value-adding options discussed. Other topics include their approach to organic tree crop production, how they see the industry adapting to climate change and how they use direct marketing techniques, particularly farmers markets.
Registration at the
seminars is free and includes a copy of the DVD “Pistachio harvesting &
processing – Small is beautiful”. Further details - www.foodforest.com.au
The information
sessions are on 14 Dec, 7.15 - 8.30pm at the Renmark Hotel, Murray Avenue,
Renmark and on 15 Dec, 9 -10.15am at the Department of Primary Industries
in Irymple (corner of Koorlong and 11th streets)
Register via email:
foodforest@bigpond.com or phone ph 08 85226450 mob 0407771985
Growing
Fruit and Nuts Factsheet