| 69 T T Bernadette Cooney Five generations of fruit The orchard has grown to span 71 hectares, with 50 hectares planted in fruit trees. This includes cherries, nectarines peaches, apricots and plums. PRODUCTION McIntosh Orchard McIntosh Orchard are a family-owned horticultural business, known for their premium export quality cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and plums – a small but thriving orchard blending sustainability and innovation with a heritage that stretches back to 1881. Under the stewardship of fifth-generation owners Karyn and Mark Walker, McIntosh Orchard at Alexandra, continues a primary producer legacy that began when fruit trees where first planted in 1910. The McIntosh story began amidst the fading gold rush of the 19th century when James Muir, a pioneering ancestor, financed the purchase of the orchard’s land using proceeds from a gold claim sale. Decades later in the early 1900’s Daniel McIntosh and his wife Marion began planting the first fruit trees, leveraging the region’s extreme temperatures to cultivate summer fruit. By the 1960s, cherries were added to the mix, setting the orchard on a path to making export trade contributions. “My family has been here since 1881,” says Karyn who grew up on the orchard before embarking on a 25-year dairy farming career. “Mark and I returned to the family orchard in 2021.” The couple’s university age children and their niece and nephews, represent the sixth generation and all help on the orchard, when not in school. The orchard has grown to span 71 hectares, with 50 hectares planted in fruit trees. This includes cherries, nectarines peaches, apricots and plums. All fruit is hand-picked and packed on-site, a commitment to quality that sets McIntosh Orchard apart. “We’re not the largest grower out there, but we aim for quality over quantity,” says Karyn. A recent innovation for McIntosh Orchard is the exclusive introduction of their Honeywater Peach to market. “We are the only orchard in New Zealand with this variety,” says Karyn, “Since my brother Wayne introduced these from China. This variety gives us a real point of difference.” In another exciting development, the Walkers expanded operations by opening a farm shop in Clyde last December, aptly named 1881. The shop offers direct-to-consumer sales of meat and orchard produce from their farm, reducing reliance on supply chains and enhancing sustainability. “It’s been a steep learning curve,” admits Karyn, “but it’s rewarding to connect directly with our customers and keep our products local.” Its high-quality cherries, are exported to Asia, including markets in South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. McIntosh Orchard also supplies stone fruit, such as peaches and nectarines, to domestic markets, primarily through Auckland. Sustainability is a cornerstone of their operation. The orchard has been recognised for its environmental stewardship, winning the Supreme Award at the 2014 Ballance Farm Environment Awards. McIntosh Orchard are also NZ GAP accredited and are a registered Export Packhouse. NZ GAP is the Good Agricultural Practice program owned by Horticulture New Zealand. NZ GAP certified producers demonstrate their commitment to food safety, sustainability and worker safety. “Sustainability for us means that everything we do today should be able to continue for decades to come,” says Karyn. “The fact the family have been farming here since 1881 is testament to overall sustainability,” she says, “Or we wouldn’t still be here.” Proudly supporting McIntosh Orchard Pleased to support McIntosh Orchard Alan Macdonald Jack Perniskie Erin Howes Caleb Macdonald Stephen Kornyei Gore Winton Queenstown Balclutha T&G Fresh congratulate Mark & Karyn Walker and the team at McIntosh Orchard for their contribution to the Summerfruit industry in New Zealand since 1881 There’s never been a better time to invest in workbased training for your business, with up to 50% o * fees for nearly all horticulture and agriculture programmes – extended for 2025! *Terms and conditions apply, visit primaryito.ac.nz/halfpricefees for more information or contact your local Training Adviser on 0800 20 80 20, or email info@primaryito.ac.nz
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