SOME forward thinking and vision to diversify in the early days led the Waddell family to growing persimmons.
Warren Waddell of The Persimmon Place in the Hills district of Galston, NSW specialises in the growing, marketing and selling of several varieties of persimmons.
The Persimmon Place operates from the site of the original Waddell’s Orchard which has existed since 1889 when it was established as a citrus growing orchard.
The family still owns and operates the persimmon business today.
“My father owns the business and I’m a fifth generation grower. In time, Ron Waddell predicted a downturn in the marketability of citrus and took steps to diversify,” Mr Waddell said.
“He and his sons made the necessary changes that resulted in Waddell’s being widely known for their quality stonefruit.
“Then in the 1990’s market conditions and pest concerns brought about more diversification and persimmons were introduced to the property based on their resilience and autumn cropping.
“A trial block was established and research into the most suitable varieties began.
“The orchard went under further transformation when the once 22ha property, gradually reduced in size to the 8ha acres it occupies today.
“The orchard is divided into various blocks with the primary orchard open to the public for seasonal farm gate sales annually between March and June each year.”
The Waddells grow four varieties of each astringent and non-astringent persimmons.
“We have generations of trees from 20 years plus down to plantings from last year,” Mr Waddell said.
“The yields are very heavy and we get a lot for them.
“Consumer acceptance is an ongoing educational process which is where the niche market really is.
“It does work growing in both what is produced and consumed as that education filters through to the general public, and more importantly across cultures.”
“The Koreans are automatically across the products where Anglo-Saxon people may not be but we are seeing consumption increase.
“Koreans are very passionate about the hard, sweet fruit but they do recognise that we actually produce both and are now large consumers of both.
“Also, depending on where you are in Korea as to where you have access to those varieties as well. Fifty per cent of our crop goes to the Sydney markets and 50pc is farm gate.
“We never have any leftover fruit though we wish we had spare product for developing our dried fruit programme.
“We can’t expand in this district as land is too expensive, but we are looking to acquire or gain access to product offsite that we can bring in.”