Six years ago Hillwood Berries grew strawberries on two hectares of soil and sold one kilogram punnets to eager hordes willing to form line up for them at Harvest Launceston.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Last week the operation started planting out the first of 1.2 million strawberry plants on raised tables in hydroponic grow bags, which brings Hillwood Berries’ size now to 34 hectares of berries.
And they have not simply stayed with the juicy strawberries that helped buoy business growth; Hillwood Berries now grows raspberries, blueberries and blackberries too at the Hillwood farm.
Hillwood Berries farm manager Simon Dornauf said the berry operation had been steadily growing for the past three years, but a state government grant injected the funds needed to expand even further to almost double in size.
“At the end of last season we had 18 hectares and next season we’ll have 34 hectares,” Mr Dronauf said.
“It’s been in the making for 12 months. It’s been a fairly massive undertaking and has taken a lot of planning,” he said.
Hillwood Berries has grown so large that its white tunnels are now visible from the East Tamar Highway.
“We’ll produce 1000 to 1200 tonnes of strawberries and 200 tonnes of raspberries this year,” Mr Dornauf said.
“We would be the third largest [Tasmanian berry] farm, and the second largest strawberry producer for Driscoll’s,” he said.
Most Hillwood Berries stock goes to Driscoll’s for distribution to Australian supermakets in South-East Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, but some are still available at farmer’s markets.
“It’s all fresh produce and all done here from the field, then picked and packed. We chill the berries on farm and they’re distributed within 12-14 hours of picking,” Mr Dornauf said.
Despite taking over the neighbouring Hillwood Berry Farm and expanding recently, Hillwood Berries is not just about high volume.
The retail side of the business, in the form of the cafe and pick-your-own operation, will reopen again when the berries start to ripen.
“We’re hoping to improve what we’re doing here. The public will be able to do the pick-your-own system at the start of November as well,” Mr Dornauf said.
So what is it that makes Hillwood Berries so popular that Tasmania has to share them with the rest of the country?
“Our berries are softer and juicier and have a nice, sweet flavour,” Mr Dornauf said.
“We have a consistent supply with the tunnels from early November until the end of May,” he said.