Wangaratta Chronicle
Avo’s a smashing family hit
A MOLYULLAH farming family are providing a smashing hit as one of only two local avocado producers in the local area.
Peter, Chris and Felicity McGown run their 200 acre property with livestock and an avocado orchard with more than 100 thriving trees producing quality fruit.
Four popular varieties are grown – Hass, Fuertle, Bacon and Zutano – and their different growing season ensure avocados are available all year round.
The trio took over the farm in 2019 from their parents, who originally bought the property in 1985.
“When Mum and Dad purchased the property, they planted 200 avocado trees covering four varieties in the orchard as the location and soil type were ideal for growing conditions,” Peter said.
“Since my brother and sister and I took over the farm, it was paramount to our family that we continue to build and develop it including the production of avocados which over the four varieties, we see the production of our beautiful fruit all year round.
“The dry autumn period has had no affect on our trees as we run a sprinkler system with water drawn by a bore, however, avocado trees are naturally resilient and can tolerate dry conditions.
“The production of organic grown avocados on our farm are a popular hit to locals as we offer some varieties not seen at the supermarkets.
“We sell our fruit at the Wangaratta Farmers Market every second Saturday and Beechworth Farmers Market every first Saturday.”
Peter said the family farm will be looking at expanding, as the quantity of high quality fruit offers options to sell abroad.
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“My niece and nephews Levi, Mitchell and Ava McGown help the farm by taking our fresh produce to Melbourne and Frankston and sell our delicious avocados,” he said.
“Our avocado varieties are popular as they have a creamier fruit with a softer skin… Bacon and Fuerte being our most popular varieties.
“Our family wants to continue working the farm and produce avocados as a legacy to our parents and for our future generations.”
Like all faming pursuits, it’s not without its challenges.
“We have had some ongoing issues with local deer eating the leaves on the avocado trees,” said Peter.
“We do find dead deer the next morning at the base of the avocado trees as the leaves are toxic to the animal.”
Avocados first arrived 1840
ACCORDING to Australian Avocados, the fruit – native to Mexico and Central America – first arrived in Australia in 1840 in seed form and were planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney.
Further commercial imports of seed and plants continued over the next 110 years until by the late 1960s a developing Australian industry began to take shape.
Avocados are high in fat with 60 per cent of this being monounsaturated fats, which research suggests helps to protect against heart disease and lower blood pressure.
They are also an excellent source of potassium, folate and fibre, all of which benefit the heart and cardiovascular system.