Peter and Janet’s families have been farming in Australia for a combined 290 years. With such a rich history in agriculture, it was natural to move from their former careers as owners of their local Post Office to becoming fully fledged farmers in their own right. In 2018, the Anderson’s planted 13,000 macadamia trees, covering about half of their 80-hectare farm near Childers in Queensland. The rest of the property remains as virgin scrub, which supports a large population of native wildlife and insects beneficial for pollinating the orchard in spring.
Improving the environmental health of their farm was important to the husband-and-wife team, so much so that they named the farm Jubilee Macadamias, meaning ‘restoration’. Like many farms in the Bundaberg region, theirs was previously used to grow sugarcane for many years. After planting the macadamia trees, Peter and Janet got to work regenerating the soil and increasing the organic and carbon content by undertaking a significant composting program.
These farming practices also reduced their reliance on synthetic fertilisers and minimise water usage through soil and tree moisture monitoring and automated irrigation control, leading to long term sustainability. Macadamias are natural inhabitants of the area, so caring for the health of such an iconic Australian crop is a matter close to their hearts. With the Anderson’s initiative and commitment to improving their farm’s overall health, they ultimately produce the best quality macadamias that find their way into your homes.
“We enjoy sharing the pre-cut macadamias with friends and family because they can see the nut with the shell on. Our daughter who lives in Washington DC shares them with friends because they are often unfamiliar with this nut and like to see the hard shell they come in. It is also an enjoyable experience to crack the nuts together while learning about this unique native Australian tree crop,” Peter and Janet told us.
The continued supply of our grower’s premium nut and a shared love of the final product forms a special working relationship, where they become part of the Freedom Fresh Australia family. “We think they have a great proven product with huge potential to expand. Trevor and his team have extensive experience in growing, processing and marketing macadamias and we look forward to a close relationship to improve our production and provide the best possible macadamias on the market.” Although the Australian macadamia industry is still in its infancy, working with conscientious farmers like the Andersons, we share a bright future together.
