Number 7 Map 1A Hawkesbury Harvest Farm Gate Trail Maps
"When you have kids who have never seen butterflies," says Bill Shields almost as soon as I have sat down, "or a child who can pick a bunch of four leaf clovers, one for each of her class mates, then it makes it all worthwhile."
Bill tells me of a mother who rang him once and told him her son did not believe that apples grew on trees! Needless to say that mother brought her son to the orchard and was able to prove that apples do indeed grow on trees.
Bill believes strongly, philosophically, that apples shouldn't be priced as a luxury item. The Shields Orchard has been retailing fruit here in Bilpin longer than most and the growing methods are now geared towards pick your own. Hence the tree densities have changed from 250 trees per hectare to 1400 trees per hectare.
He and his wife Julie have tried to stay with the old varieties - Jonathans, Cox's Orange Pippin and Bramleys for example. These are apples that constitute a memory for the customers says Bill.
The Shields family moved to Bilpin in 1955. Bill's father had been brought up on an orchard in Epping. The orchard they purchased in Bilpin is close to where some of the first orchards had been established here. The family started by selling roadside oranges and there has not been a year where they have not retailed fruit in that time.
Bill went to school here and to Richmond High. He worked in the city for a number of years, until his impression of the city as a coliseum grew too overwhelming and he returned to work in the orchard. He took over in 1982 and met and married his wife Julie. He has two sons aged 21 and 19, the oldest of whom is doing his honours in agricultural science and the younger working in the construction industry.
"Will they take over eventually? " I ask.
"My charter to them was to find themselves a good career," Bill responds. He has never actively encouraged the boys to join him, having seen father and son divisiveness on other farms. Having been involved in the Rural Youth Organisation, Bill thinks it is better for kids to get off the farm when they are 20 , rather than being driven off when they are 30.
Bill thinks that farmers find it very difficult to look forward. The successful ones are those who have adapted to change. In his case he has spent a lot of time taking out old trees and restoring to the soil what has been taken out by his forebears.
For customers, English and Middle Europeans amongst them, picking apples is like coming home, a time to contemplate memories. Many of his customers are second generation Australians who are bringing their own children to the orchard to experience what it is like to pick fruit ripe from the trees. It is exciting for Bill to educate this younger generation of consumers about fruit and methodologies such as Integrated Pest Management.
"So you'll be here for ever Bill?" I ask.
"I will be here until I die'" he replies, with great certainty.
Shields Orchard
2270 Bells Line of Road
Bilpin
02 4567 1206
www.shieldsorchard.com
Please visit the Hawkesbury Harvest website.
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