The Post April 2025

Welcome to the April edition of The Post. This month, we are getting to the core of New Zealand’s apple industry - exploring the work of orchardists and covering everything from tree to market.

The first pick in our bushel of profiles is Darlings Fruit, a long-established fruit business spanning 80 hectares in Central Otago. We sat down with orchard manager Stephen Darling to chat about the state of the fruit export industry and life at Darlings Fruit.

Community is key at Molewood Orchard, our second fruitful profile in this month’s edition. We visited Wendell and Merran Cooke at their 10-hectare family-owned apple orchard in Greytown to see how they’re turning challenges into opportunities.

Next, the dynamic duo behind Big Dog Fencing, Andrew McCracken and Matt Slade, show us how mitering a stay into a front block could solve the issue of difficult terrain.

Get your helmets on, it’s all go with our community piece this month. We caught up with Hamish Clausen, founder of Rural Riders, a free nationwide initiative that sees farmers trade their work boots for mountain bikes, promoting physical and mental well-being through cycling.

This month’s State of the Industry article paints a positive picture for apple exporters but highlights some challenges for smaller growers. We chatted to three key leaders who offered their insights into the apple sector.

We intend to continue supplying you with the best stories, activities and techniques in agriculture. If you have anything you would like us to share, please get in touch.