Heritage orchard restored in Montrose

We are feeling a tiny bit famous after making page 3 of the Saturday Mercury (01/07/18)! 
We are in the early stages of restoring a heritage orchard on our property in Montrose, which once belonged to Tasmanian bushranger Martin Cash.  Read all about Martin Cash here – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Cash .

We also named out Slatherin Sauce after him!

We had an apple tree ring counted by an arborist and he put them at over $100 years old.
That means there is a small possibility that some of the ancient fruit trees still standing may be the remnants of the old heritage orchard planted by Martin Cash himself! 
That would make them 140 years old!

Article on our Heritage Orchard:

“DEDICATION: Corinne Ooms and Chris Chapman, who run Wild Pepper Isle, are restoring the 140-year old orchard once owned by bushranger Martin Cash.
An innovative couple is growing a native produce business and rediscovering a colonial orchard once owned by a bushranger. Chris Chapman and Corinne Ooms run Wild Pepper Isle, where they forage and harvest raw materials through to delivery of their award winning products to market.
The couple has bought a four hectare property in Montrose, Hobart, once owned by colonial bushranger and Irish convict Martin Cash, and they are setting out to restore what remains of the 140-year-old orchard.
They supply a range of Australian native bush food products including spices Tasmanian mountain pepper (berry and leaf), kunzea, wattle seed, lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle.
They value add these native foods into a range of artisan products such as sauces, syrups and tea.
Over the years the couple noticed a decline in pepperberry in some rural areas where they pick.
They aim to plant out a minimum of 1000 plants next year on farms where they wild harvest as part of Wild Pepper Isle’s farm enrichment program.
By restoring colonial bushranger Martin Cash’s old orchard the couple also hopes to build on Glenorchy’s orcharding heritage – from around 1860 to 1930 Glenorchy was a thriving orchard area.
While exploring the property they discovered several old, withered large fruit trees, choked out by hawthorn and consumed by pear slug (sawfly) which they hope to save.

1 thought on “Heritage orchard restored in Montrose”

  1. Hello, I really enjoyed reading your blog. It was very interesting to learn about the labor involved with harvesting & cultivation.
    I have not managed yet, but still very keen to volunteer some time & come along one day.. maybe next year

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