It's just after dawn as a small group of pickers make their way through the rows of perennials at Bioberries Tasmania; time is against them as they work to beat the late-spring heat.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A short drive from Launceston Stuart Thompson and his father Karl have created a technicolour oasis, spread across 20 hectares and filled to the brim with varieties of raspberries, thornless blackberries, blueberries and a small section of strawberries.
Establishing the farm in 2017, the pair have been working toward opening an on-farm sale point and café to sell their delicious, hand-picked berries and other value-added products.
"Looking after the berries is a big job," Stuart said, adding he splits his time between maintaining the family's cattle herd, horses and the berry farm.
"We're waking up early because we need to handle the fruit while it's cool, otherwise you end up with jam."
Harvesting straight to punnet ensures the quality of the fruit is retained throughout the process, from paddock to plate.
"There's normally about six pickers per 1000-1200 plants and we'll walk around with picking frames and the berries will go straight into the punnet. There are other methods but we've found this works best for us.
"We'll transfer complete punnets to the field trays, at which point they'll be collected and taken into refrigeration within 30-45 minutes, weather dependant.
"Once chilled, the berries are checked with an infrared gun and weighed to ensure the quality is maintained."
Once the fruit sets on the bush Stuart said, depending on the variety, they will constantly ripen over the course of about six weeks, "ebbing and flowing through quality and quantity".
With a 50-50 partnership, Stuart said the original production aims outlined in the initial business plan are far removed from the reality of the farm today.
"We're basically doing the polar opposite. We've diversified and are trying to extend the season as far as possible in order to sell fruit at the farm gate."
Currently working on the final design, Stuart said he hoped to see the shop slab poured within the next month or two.
"Our aim is to pivot to selling as much as humanly possible from our front gate [and] we will have a coffee van here in the interim," Stuart said, adding Bioberries Tasmania will also be heading to Launceston's Harvest Market again this year.