A whack in the guts

IF it hits Australia, a “double whammy” from overseas could gut our fruitgrowers.
Such explains why the hard-working and happy-go-lucky Harding family of Pakenham are walking on tenterhooks. And, if the thought of two international threats – cheaper prices and a tree disease aren’t bad enough – then the shock of a freakish “it will never happen” tornado-hailstorm is.
Many fruitgrowers are still crawling off the canvas after the “it will never happen” tornado-hailstorm did happen on 6 March this year.
“Customers may just be thinking of their pockets if apples from China are allowed into Australia,” David Harding of the family owned and operated Harding Orchard, said.
“They may be able to grow apples cheaper than we can … but they don’t have the strict rules and orders we have to follow in Australia.
“The chemicals and fertilisers they use in China are not permitted to be used here. The apples aren’t as fresh or good.
“Then again, what product sold in Bunnings these days is now made in Australia? None.”
And if Chinese apples don’t pose a big enough concern to our growers, then there’s fireblight, a bacteria which grows on trees – and for which there is no known cure.
“It’s from New Zealand and there have been no known cases here – but that’s not to say it won’t come,” David Harding said.
“Fireblight is a bacteria on trees. They turn black and pears are extremely susceptible to it.”
Only time will tell if apples from China and/or fireblight from New Zealand will gatecrash orchards in Australia. Sadly, a storm of unbelievable proportions did in March.
“We’ll be paying for that for a long time,” David Harding said.
“The storm took out two-thirds of our hail nets … with one-third of that number being totally destroyed.
“It wasn’t covered by insurance, because nets over the fruit is seen as our insurance. The hail and wind totally trashed much of our place – as it did to other growers – and it took profits we may have made this year, next year or the year after.
“Though it has been up and down, this has been our life and we will stick at it. Growing fruit is a little different to growing vegetables, it involves years and not months to the end product.”
Producing fruit is obviously something the Harding family has, does, and will, do very well.
They have been doing such in Pakenham since February, 1979, when Chas Harding, who inherited the orchardist gene from his father when they ran a small but successful business on Harding Road in the hamlet of Wallington – decided his time on the Bellarine Peninsula was up. Because of water.
“Some years the dams and creeks were full, some years they were empty,” Chas, who had an orchard but was mainly growing potatoes, said.
“I was looking towards the southern parts of the state, where the water fall was more assured and the support system better.
“I decided to give the potatoes away – and now there’s not a potato grown on the Bellarine Peninsula.”
The Harding family – who actually took “control” of their Toomuc Valley Road holding on July 1, 1979 – stayed with apples, but have added pears, plums, peaches and lemons.
“We wanted to diversify,” David Harding said.
“We’re not big enough to rely on the one product and you have to have back-up. It’s all about supply and demand. And you just cannot put fruit in and have it grow like vegetables.”
David and his brother live with their families in Pakenham, while Chas lives on the property with his wife Marie, the boys’ stepmother. Their aunty, Melva, and stepmum, are presently travelling Europe.
Chas Harding’s physical shape and mental outlook belie his age – something his sons can vouch for.
He jumps from a truck and onto a forklift as quickly as world champion sprinter Usain Bolt runs 100 metres.
He rises pre-7am each day – and is “on the job” within an hour. It’s much, much earlier on Thursdays, when Chas and Ross attend the Footscray Wholesale Market.
That’s where the Harding family “move” the majority of their produce – to fruit shops and smaller retail markets.
“My job is to drive the forklift around the markets, as we have to deliver fruit to the bigger trucks to take it to where it’s going,” Chas said.
“We make up the orders at home and leave here for Footscray at around 1am and if all goes well, we’re home around 10am.”
The same scenario is played out on Tuesdays, with David riding solo at the helm.
“Thursdays is much busier, so Dad is needed then,” David said.
About half of their offerings are sold to supermarkets via agents – and they also attend various Farmers Markets.
And what’s the best tasting apple on the Harding farm?
For Chas, the most experienced taster, it is the Fuji, while David claims it is the Golden Delicious. However, it was Ross who responded with the best answer.
“For me, the best tasting apple is the one that makes us the most money,” Ross replied.
Hopefully, for them and many others, international apples and diseases will stay where they are. And freak storms and tornadoes will do likewise, so that in a season or two, they may make some money again – regardless of the taste of apples.