Red Plateau Organic Produce
Mooral Creek, NSW
Bright future for organic avocado farming family
Sandra Fishwick has been an organic farmer for thirty-two years, operating Red Plateau Organic Produce with her two sons, Joey and Carl Hanly on the NSW mid north coast. Crippling drought followed by a fire storm in 2019 destroyed many of the organic fruit trees on their farm. The ongoing challenges of bushfire recovery and water security will now be achievable thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund.
Early on Sandra planted 700 macadamia trees, adding trees regularly to eventually be picking from 1300 trees, with an additional 300 immature trees. Having seen friends have success with avocados, 400 avocado trees were added, eventually building up to 1000 trees.
Seven years ago, a larger farm was purchased, now planted with 2,000 avocado trees. In recent years drought, fires, and floods have disrupted production and devasted part of their farm.
“The fire storm in 2019 burnt over 40 percent of our original farm and we lost all our macadamia trees, some citrus and avocados. It was devasting,” Sandra added.
Sandra and her sons applied for the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund to assist with rebuilding after the fires and to ensure water security for the future.
“We want to restore our farm to its former glory and will replant and expand with more avocados. Thanks to the grant from Woolworths will be able to move forward at a faster pace to re-build.”
Another significant part of the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund is ensuring that Red Plateau Organic Produce has a secure pipeline to sell their product.
The fund will enable Red Plateau Organic to plant more avocado trees, with the objective of planting a number of varieties to have produce across twelve months.