It's almost Christmas time and for most of us, that means a nice cold bowl full of cherries. But have you ever complained about how much they cost? Well, our farmer of the week is cherry royalty in NSW and has a lot to say about that. So how do cherries get from the orchard to international clients in just 48 hours? Did you know they are picked and safely stored inside within 20 minutes? It's a fascinating process to bring us the tiny superfruit we all love.
Today we speak with Fiona Hall from BiteRiot! and discuss:
- Fiona shares how cherry crops are tracking for this year including the challenges of weather and pickers.
- How in 2016 BiteRiot! was able to supply 10% of the cherries in Australia.
- She explains the BiteRiot! model and how this benefits many growers in the region.
- Fiona's farm was the first to introduce an optical grader in NSW which ensures consistency.
- The growing market for cherries in China as a luxury gift.
- The hydro cooler, packing, and grading of cherries.
- Fiona shares the pricing structure for cherries and how this can fluctuate year on year.
- Fiona's favourite cherry variety is Samba – beautiful sweet and large and always eaten fresh – and her recipe for a cherry spritzer.
- Fiona takes us through an average day for her and the challenges associated with a short picking window.
- The ideal conditions for growing and the elements which contribute to sweetness.
- Fiona's ultimate dream for the track ahead.
We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers: Telling our Story with Angie Asimus.
Links:
Angie Asimus
Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram
Partnered with Australian Farmers
Follow @australianfarmers On Instagram
Biteriot
Produced by Pretty Podcasts
