One of the few apple orchards still operating in Greytown is throwing open its gates for pick-your-own harvesting as a way of beating the labour shortage and keeping the operation humming.
Apples were left to rot on the ground last season due to challenges brought on by the pandemic but this harvest the Cooke family has decided to trial PYO at its Molewood Orchard.
It's the first year the Cookes have run the 10.5 hectare orchard since the very early days. They helped plant about 6,500 trees with their business partners more than three decades ago.
Ed Cooke has a passion for Greytown's soils and he does not want to sell up despite the orchard being earmarked for future urban development. Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
After those first few years Ed and Juliet's jobs as lawyers and musicians kept them too busy to be hands-on. The orchard was leased out and apples mostly exported.
That was until Covid hit. Last season it was hard to find pickers and with a lack of chilled containers, shipping became a challenge.
"And so, decisions, decisions as to what we do," Ed said.
"Do we carry on or do we just fold our tents and sell up and make money out of the place?"
Molewood Orchard sits on some of Greytown's most elite soils. Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Ed's passion for Greytown's elite soils, on which the orchard is planted, stopped him from selling up, despite the place being earmarked for future urban development.
The Cookes have existing use rights under the Resource Management Act so the authorities couldn't do anything further about development while they continued with the business, Ed explained.
"So we had to orchard really."
Now with daughter Merran marketing the operation, son Wendell learning to manage the orchard with his father and another son Grayson managing the design side, there's a buzz in the air, although they have still had difficulties pruning and spraying during another challenging season.
Wendell Cooke Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
The family is hoping pick-your-own will be the third stream of income after retail and processing for juice.
"I think its the whole immersive experience .... surrounded by cicadas and birds and you're in the middle of all these green trees. It's just so lush and it smells really nice.
"It's the whole experience of picking warm fruit off the tree and being able to eat them straight away when they're still warm from the sun," Merran said.
Merran Cooke says pick-your-own is an immersive experience reminiscent of her childhood Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Nostalgia is part of the marketing. She remembers being sent off to pick berries for dessert or jam-making as a child and eating as much as you could at the same time.
"It was such an integral part of our childhood."
Merran said she has become fond of the place since the whole family's embraced the new direction for the orchard.
"It would just be terribly sad to see it cut up for houses so I'm doing what I can to keep it going."
Molewood Orchard opens for pick-your-own apples on Saturday 11 March.
Juliet Cooke plucks an apple off the tree testing for ripeness ahead of opening day Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Molewood Orchard is inviting people to come and picnic in the rows while they enjoy apple picking Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
