2017-2018 President's Report

This year has been another successful one for the Society. We have gained a number of new volunteers, and have promoted and progressed the conservation of heritage fruit varieties. Approximately 300 apple varieties are in the ground and growing, while there are more than 100 plum varieties ready to go into the orchard next winter, plus medlars, apricots and peaches.

We have finished the year with a financial surplus of more than $3200. We are well-placed to spend money on netting, and are considering the possibility of netting the whole heritage section. Netting certainly needs to be installed before we plant our plum collection next winter.

Three years into our project to collect all the heritage plums in southern Australia, and plant them in at least 2 publicly owned sites, we have a collection of about 120 of the 160 or so varieties we have identified. These are growing in the backyards of some members, as well as a large collection recently planted in the nursery at Pettys, in the expectation that they will be large enough to plant out next winter. This is an on-going project, which we hope will be completed in about two years, and we then expect to sell grafted plum trees and maybe have plum tastings as well. A by-product of the plum project is that we are also collecting heritage apricot and peach varieties, and we are looking at planting in the area to my right, between the marquee and the small gate, as well as north of the current apple rows.

Apple tastings this year were reduced, largely due to the small harvest, but we expect to return to Rippon Lea next year, as well as other sites.

We grafted many stonefruit trees during the year, but our success rate was low. We believe we have identified the problem, and our success rate this spring looks much better.

Our partnerships with various organisations continues strongly. We participate in grafting days at Werribee Park and run our own at CERES as well as at Pettys. We have assisted Darebin Fruit Squad and the National Trust via Rippon Lea, and we are part of the Victoria-wide sharing of scion which occurs every winter. In the new financial year we have begun a partnership with Down’s Farm in Carrum – owned by Frankston Council - who are hoping to duplicate our heritage collection on their property. Our efforts to work with The Briars have slowed considerably, but we are hopeful of continuing the work we have already done – they have about 100 apple varieties supplied by us.

The Committee is very appreciative of the efforts of volunteers to maintain the orchard, and to assist with grafting and tasting days and off-site activities. It is not unusual for people to make small donations when buying our trees or scion, with a comment that they appreciate the conservation work that we are doing.

~ Cecilia Egan, President HFS.