A big thank you to Catherine Fry for covering the next chapter of Newstead Orchard and its future.

A century-old Waikato family orchard business is finding fresh energy to sustain a local treasure.

The future had looked uncertain for Newstead Orchard, the last remaining small commercial orchard in the area, but a new partnership is securing its place and keeping the land in production.

Annie Perkins has bought into Newstead Orchard and is taking on orchard operations and fruit sales, while working alongside long-time orchardist John Woolford and the McMiken family.

“I’ve been a food grower my whole life,” Perkins says, from her early years on the family farm to digging up backyards wherever she has lived.

The orchard is now moving deeper into regenerative agriculture, with a focus on soil health, reduced spraying and keeping bees safe.

As Annie says, “We hope we’ve found a model that allows elite soils close to a city to stay in production, keeping community access to local fruit.”

Read the full article here:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/waikato-news/news/waikatos-newstead-orchard-future-secured-as-new-partner-takes-over-operations/ITG3XSPQ75GFZOHC6FCR3AOSUU/