Mount Roland Walnuts

In the late 1990s, a Tasmanian Company sought farmers willing to enter into a 25 year share farming deal for walnut orchards. This property was one of the dozen around the state that participated. The original owner was not making money and sold out. It was bought by a “mainlander” in 2007. He had little interest in the 1,600 walnut trees. He loved the view out the cabin window.

The Purchase

In 2010 it was bought by Noel McFarlane. He was able to have the share-farming codicil removed from the land title. At that time, Noel ran a bicycle import and distribution business in Sydney. He went on regular bicycle tours so he was busy. But he had ridden through walnut-growing regions in Iran, Turkey, the Balkans, Italy and France. Now the orchard really caught his interest. The trees produced such superb nuts yet were not fertilised or irrigated. They seemed to love it here and naturally produced one of the best foods known.

But the orchard had been neglected and was overgrown. Noel set about recovering it. The soil is dark chocolate and very deep. Rainfall is quite high. The trees were happy but needed years of work.

Healthy Walnuts

Walnuts contain a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are healthier than saturated fats. In addition, walnuts have alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids, which may have anti-inflammatory effects that keep blood vessels healthy, in addition to having favourable effects on blood lipids.

Summer in Sheffield

Summer around Sheffield is not hot. It rarely reaches 30℃. In La Niña years (such as 2021-2022), the grass does not even brown off in late summer. Winters are mostly mild too. The mean minimum in July at the farm is 3.30℃. Meanwhile, a great swath of inland Australia has colder mornings.

For example, the table below show the mean July minimum temperature in various locations.

This farm’s winter mornings are warmer because of the moderating influence of Bass Strait , only 30km away. People are a bit surprised by this.

Winter in Sheffield

There are some cold fronts that bring snow a few times a year.

Grass grows very well! Unlike most nut orchards, we are not using herbicides to kill or suppress it. We use sheep and mowers. During the winter, any lower branches of the trees are pruned. Mulch is produced which, after a year, is used on the vegetable gardens.

Bursting Walnuts

In the first week of October, the walnut buds burst and it all starts again. From November to March, the new walnuts develop, with little attention from humans. Lots of insects and small wildlife live in the orchard.

Unlike most nut orchards, we are not using herbicides to kill or suppress the grass. We use sheep and mowers. From late December, either side of the trees is mowed with a zero-turn mower. The wiltipoll sheep are in there from May till February.

The Harvest

In early April the husks start to open and the walnuts drop to the ground where they are picked up manually with special rollers made for, amongst other things, picking up golf balls!

Although the freshly harvested nuts look dry, they are not ready for storage. Most commercial farms use gas or electric driers, but we like to use sun drying.

Storage

By late May the crop is stored safely inside, in lug-boxes which ensure no condensation can develop.

Our Process

As much of the process as possible is manual and chemical free. We don’t spray the grass and use relatively little fungicide. The nuts have matured slowly through the mild summer. The trees are deep rooted in the rich volcanic soil and, although never irrigated, don’t suffer stress. The result is very fine nuts, with very few not being good.

We try to coordinate sales with harvest size so we don’t have carry-over. Fresh walnuts are best. We currently sell through independent fruit shops in the area. We also take direct local orders for 10kg bags for $75.