2020-2021 President's Report

The 2020-2021 financial year was particularly challenging for our group due to limitations on activities posed by the COVID pandemic. We were restricted in the working bees and other events that we could hold, and our financial situation has deteriorated as a result. However, starting from such a healthy base, its overall effect is not at all serious.

We had a deficit of $1700 for the year, but our bank balance overall is still a healthy $20,000. Despite the restrictions, a large amount has been achieved. We managed to have the 2 rows of poor-quality trees removed, and in their place planted 77 varieties of European and Japanese plums, and more have gone in in this financial year. This has involved clearing the site, setting up the dripper system and putting corflute protectors around each plant. This unfortunately has not completely stopped the kangaroos, and we lost 5 trees over the summer to kangaroo damage.

Space has been allocated to adding another row of apple trees. Trees have been grafted and grown up during the year, and some have recently been planted, in a new Row 2. Row 2 will be a row of double-grafted trees, with a standardised planting to make varieties easy to find. Our thanks to the volunteers who looked after trees over the summer.

Yarra Organics, who lease Pettys Orchard, asked us to graft Pink Lady apple and Moorpark apricot trees for them, and we delivered them in the new financial year, but offset the maintenance charge that we pay to Yarra Organics with some of the trees, and there will be a further offset in 2021-22. 
Our planning for netting the apricot rows has continued, but no start has yet been made to this project. The heavy rains have caused waterlogging of the soil, and consideration is being given to some drainage work in that area.

The nets and supports in row 10, which were in very poor condition, were removed – except for a re-constructed net around our Pitmaston Pineapple tree and our 3 medlars – and the other trees protected with corflute.

We were not able to run our tree and scion sales day in August, so an on-line sales arrangement was set up, and we successfully sold over $1000 worth of trees and scion.

The 2021 autumn was a bumper season for apples, and so apples were sold at the farm gate, to a cider maker, and to a shop selling apple pies, as well as at the three tasting events that we ran.
We had not pruned the apple trees for some years, but in this new financial year we made pruning a priority, and during autumn we managed to prune more than ¾ of the trees.

We have had contact with other like-minded groups, including Heidi Art Gallery, Down’s Farm at Seaford and the National Trust, but contacts have been limited due to COVID restrictions.
Our plans for the coming year include amongst other things – netting the apricots against kangaroos, building a dry store, and replacing the container with a new wet store.

Our conservation and education work could not be done without the assistance of our volunteers, who have performed a multitude of tasks over the year, largely at Pettys, but also behind the scenes in managing our on-line presence, sending out notices, and publicising our events. I would personally like to thank all those who have paid membership, or have worked at Pettys or behind the scenes, for maintaining our organisation as a viable, active and effective conservator of our heritage.

~ Cecilia Egan, President HFS.