Producer Profile - Dalton’s Beach Orchards
If you’ve enjoyed Tasmania’s short but sweet apricot season this year, you’ve likely eaten fruit grown by Dylan and Tyler Martin on their property at Dalton’s Beach.
Located on the picturesque Tasman Peninsular near Murdunna, the Martin family have been farming here since Dylan and Tyler’s dad and grandfather started their mixed farm 45 years ago. They moved solely into apricots about 15-20 years ago with Dylan and Tyler now taking the business forward into the second generation.
We caught up with them recently to chat about this year’s season.
Q: Tasmania had a slower start to summer this year, has that affected your crop?
A: Everyone in stone fruit struggled with pollination this year, and with the later summer, which did affect our yield. It was a smaller crop but the quality was high.
We started picking on the 20th of December and we’ve just wound up a week ago.
Q: What variety do you grow?
We grow Rivals. They’re a great eating fruit and they look good too.
Q: How do they compare to Moorpark?
A: Well, everyone talks about Moorpark until they’ve had a Rival!
Q: And during picking, is it a family affair?
A: Yes, we have the immediate family all helping, and we have seasonal workers too.
Q: How long have you been supplying Hill Street?
A: Dad has been supplying Hill Street for about 10 years, and now we’re continuing that.
Q: And what do you do on the off-season?
A: We catch up on all the farm work, and we both have off-season jobs too: I’m a carpenter and Tyler is a landscaper six months of the year.
Tyler Martin on their property at Dalton’s Beach