54 | Growing apples the family way Craig and Gill started Meiros Orchard in the fertile soils of Hawke’s Bay’s Dartmoor Valley in 1993. Meiros Orchard T T Kelly Deeks With the success of their business dependent in a major way on the weather, Craig and Gill Wilson of Meiros Orchard have a tight rein over the factors they can control. Members of the grower-owned Mt Erin Group, they have their own packing and cool store facilities, their own in-house marketer, and there are some upcoming developments set to secure operations in a long-term way. Craig and Gill started Meiros Orchard in the fertile soils of Hawke’s Bay’s Dartmoor Valley in 1993. Orcharding is what Craig has always done and has always loved since completing his horticulture cadetship as a young man. “I love to be growing and producing apples in our own business,” he says. “There are some peak times where you have to do all your work at once, but if you need to pinch a day and go for a fish, you can do that as well. “We’re masters of our own destiny. That’s why we bring in our own seasonal labour from Samoa, and we’re involved with a packhouse and a marketer so we can control as many of the variables that affect our business as possible.” A true family business, with Craig and Gill’s son in a hands-on role in the daily running of the operation, and their two daughters employed at busy times over the years, the Wilsons are supported by a core crew of permanent Kiwis as well as the dedicated workers from Samoa, who look after their crop yearon-year. Craig and Gill have made a number of trips to Safa’atoa, Lefaga, the village they source their RSE workers from, and have been humbled to see how their employees have used their earnings. “They have bought vehicles, built houses, installed electricity and running water, and started up shops and companies,” Craig says. “We maintain strong relationships with Safa’atoa and our business has expanded because of the work of these boys. Having reliable seasonal staff has allowed us to grow our business and employ more permanent workers, which is great.” Meanwhile, back home at the Mt Erin Packhouse, the implementation of new technology is very much ongoing. AI was installed last year, enabling Mt Erin to enhance the consistency of quality packouts. P rior to this season’s harvest, the Mt Erin Packhouse will be installing robotic apple packing, then straight after harvest the group will start construction on a new cool store in response to post-Covid shipping limitations. “Shipping has been a bit of a nightmare in the past few years since Covid,” Craig says. “This new cool store will allow us to hold our packed product for a bit longer on shore before we have to ship it.” Meiros Orchard has a fantastic-looking crop this year. “The weather has been on our side for a change,” Craig says. “The crop is looking very free of diseases and it’s a very good size at this stage, so we’re on track for good production and good quality.” The warm microclimate of Dartmoor Valley enables Meiros Orchard to produce early-harvest apples normally starting in mid-February, and this season’s favourable weather conditions will see harvest starting even earlier this year, at the end of January. Craig and Gill will continue to rebuild their operation following the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle two years ago, in which they lost half their trees. They rebuild with the future in mind, planting more intensively as they look forward to more mechanical pruning and harvest management technologies. “Everything we do is looking towards the future.” Proudly supporting Meiros Orchard Locally owned & operated, we have been packing summerfruit and pipfruit for local market and export since 2012. Mt Erin Packhouse - proud packers of Meiros Orchard Apples sales@megexports.co.nz www.mterinapples.co.nz 06 651 1335 HORTICULTURE
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