Where is your farm located?

Our farm is situated approximately 5km South of Donnybrook in the Upper Capel valley at the far the end of Goldfields Road.

Tell us about the history behind your farm!

Set on 300 acres and built in 1939, the original farmhouse was constructed of timber from two small mill cottages for Jim & Bernice Jarvis and their six children. The family first established a small dairy and piggery on the site, these timber buildings are still standing among a mix of large established Morton Bay Figs, Plane and Eucalyptus trees. The Homestead garden features some of the original fruit trees in the surrounding yard that still produce fruit today.

In the past we have been heavily involved in exporting of fruit overseas. Joy's late husband Henry took the first Pink Lady apples to be launched in the United Kingdom along with the then Minister for Agriculture Ernie Bridge. He was also involved with the launch of Pink Lady apples in Taiwan. He spent many years representing the Apple Industry and his work is now continued on by his son Jason

What is the farms set up nowadays?

We farm here while raising the 4th generation, with 200ha of grazing pastures for beef cattle. As a family we maintain a 30ha commercial orchard in the valley with fruit packing facilities. All surrounded by 70ha of native bush with an abundance of birds and wildlife.

Jason's mother Joy manages the Packhouse where all our fruit & eggs are graded for quality and different markets. The colour grader removes any low colour fruit from the grade one line

We grow many different varieties from Granny Smith apples to a wide range of stone fruit, pears & nashi