MICHAEL FLYNN, MANAGER

      

Michael has been manager at Balmoral Orchard since establishment in 1988. His multi-skilled background, qualifications and experience fit perfectly in this role, where he enjoys the respect and support of suppliers, staff and customers.

Michael is seen here showing the plantation to  local member of Parliament for Toowoomba South, David Janetzki MP

 

Partners in the business are John Coates (left) and Bill Mair (right)        

            

    John is Partner-in-Charge of agronomy and marketing and Bill is Partner-in-Charge of finance and inventory

 

 

 

TREE TO TABLE - GROWING AVOCADOS ON THE TOOWOOMBA RANGE

  • HEALTHY CLIMATE - sunny days, cool nights and clear air on the summit of the Great Dividing Range provide ideal conditions for exceptionally slow fruit growth and ripening. The high altitude, mountain site has the additional benefit of harbouring less insect predators to harm the fruit.

 

  • HEALTHY TREES - slow ripening allows accumulation of phyto-nutrients in the fruit, producing the distinctive “creamy-buttery-nutty” flavour for which Balmoral avocados are renowned. Optimum tree growth and production of high quality fruit are ensured by Balmoral's consultant agronomists, who oversee tree health and nutrition as well as leaf and soil analysis and fertigation. This ensures optimum tree health and production of fruit of the very highest quality.

Lisa Fyffe, Director and Senior Consultant at Ripe Horticulture, assisted by her agronomy team, provides expert horticultural advice for avocado production at Balmoral Orchard.

 

 

  • HEALTHY SOIL - The freely draining, volcanic red soil at Balmoral Orchard provides an ideal, disease-free medium in which to grow avocado trees.

 

  • PLENTIFUL WATER - An abundant supply of fresh water ensures that Balmoral Orchard is fully “drought proofed”.  Run-off surface rain-water is collected by a system of contour banks into dams and this supply is supplemented by bore water if required. 



Balmoral Orchard - top dam

 
 



     Lower plantation                Bottom dam  

 

 

 

 

  • NATURAL POLLINATION - numerous native "bush" bees are active during flower set in September assisting with pollination.  Also the bees from an on-site apiary aid this process ensuring fruit set.

 

  • FRUIT SET - fruit set in September - October allows fruit to hang for up to 12 months before harvesting, assisting development of maximum flavour in fruit.

          

  • THE HARVEST - all fruit are harvested by hand. The low hanging fruit are harvested by teams of ground pickers, while the high hanging fruit are reached by using Nifty Lift telescopic, slew-boom cherry pickers with a reach of 8m.

                 

The harvested avocados are decanted into bins in the paddock before being moved to the cold-store in the pack-house where they are slowly chilled for 12 hours at 8° C.

 


©Balmoral Avocados 2024