ELDORADO Orchards’ pick-your-own cherries has the public tick of approval.
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Stefan Heintjes said the orchard traditionally sold cherries wholesale to supermarkets and markets mainly in Melbourne but branched out to regional farmers and community markets this year.
Pick-your-own was an obvious next step.
“The cherries are big and juicy and we’ve been getting a lot of positive comments from the people picking so that is nice,” Mr Heintjes said after the first weekend of public picking.
“The important thing is that, whether we pick it for market or people come here and pick their own, the fruit still gets off the tree.”
Mr Heintjes works at the four hectare orchard owned by Paul Dahlenburg and Lauretta Schulz who also operate the neighbouring Eldorado Road winery.
They grow eight varieties of cherries, with the lapin variety popular, and public picking is available between 8am and 5pm each weekend, for $6 a kilogram.
“The lapins are ripening this week, they’re nice, big and red,” Mr Heintjes said.
The cherries can be found at Beechworth’s Christmas community market today and on Thursday, December 10, they will be on sale at the Albury twilight market in QEII Square.
The cherry season usually runs from November through to Christmas.
