Stanley orchardists tend to time-honoured rituals over autumn

The apple harvest is well under way while the chestnut season is picking up pace.

Three-quarters of the Australian chestnut crop is produced in the North East around Beechworth, Stanley, Bright, Mount Beauty, Wandiligong and Myrtleford.

Australia produces about 1200 tonnes of fresh chestnuts a year, available from mid-March to July.

At Stanley, families are working their land, some of which goes back generations.

Stanley chestnut, hazelnut and potato growers Andrew Cook and Anita Mihaljevic bought Andrew's family farm back in 2012 after a 40-year hiatus.

Andrew's great grandfather grew apples, potatoes and chestnuts there since 1864 before his dad Bill had to sell the property in 1969 after an unprecedented, three-year run of frosts and hail.

Andrew said the quality of soil around Stanley was second to none and his farming approach was holistic rather than certified organic.

They planted hazelnuts and chestnuts, and French and English oaks with a view to truffle production.

"We grow the best apples and nuts you'd get anywhere in the country around Stanley," he said.

The couple opened Hillsborough Quality Nuts food store on Boxing Day 2015 to showcase their produce and Ms Mihaljevic's range of relishes, jams and pastes inspired by locally-grown fruit and nuts.

"We make fruit-based worcestershire sauces, pastes and hazelnut oil and flour and preserves," she said.

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Multi-generational Stanley orchardist Peter Chambeyron, whose family have owned Europa Gully Orchard for 140 years, said small growers like himself relied on pick-your-own.

"I'm not big enough to supply the supermarkets and Arnold's can only take so much," he said.

"The small farmers really rely on the public to come and pick our product, support the farmers' markets or visit the farm shops."

Mr Chambeyron said the number of apple pickers had dipped during the past four weeks even though Beechworth had been consistently busy.

He said this resulted in a lot of waste, compounded by wet weather.

"Stanley has the richest soil in the Indigo Shire; it's really ideal for growing quality fruit," Mr Chambeyron said.

Among other Stanley operators are Sinclair Orchards, The Stanley Pub, Snowline Fruits, High Grove Berry Farm, JimJam Foods, The Myrtlerise Walnut Grove, Galgate Nurseries, Tom and Erin Powell's plant nursery, Black Barn Farm and Thompson's Chestnuts and Cherries.

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