Earnscleugh Orchards Co Op

OUR STORY

Our family was at the very first Otago Farmers Market back in 2003. Stan Randle started at the market with a bin of organic apples from his orchard on the Earnscleugh, a pair of scales and a few bags which he sold direct from the back of his Hilux truck. Stan continued to bring a wide variety of apples from his Orchard blocks. In conjunction with the support of the OFM he worked with additional larger export orchards to bring a broader variety of Central Otago produce to the Otago Farmers Market.

Stan's passion to bring the best quality and range of fruit from Alexandra, plus to work alongside other growers to do the same and meet the requests of Market goers fuelled the development of the Earnscleugh Orchards Co-op. We aim to bring "ready to eat" quality Central Otago fruit and to help reduce food wastage of fruit that cannot be shipped (marked or too ripe to travel) which is ideal for the Market. 

Sherilee and Rob (Stan’s daughter & son in law) have continued to ensure the Co-op thrives. Our Co-op’s aim is to bring the unique range of fruit from Alexandra direct from the grower to the table. We invite all of our customers to try before they buy and have Free Tastings of all of the fruit every weekend.

Who is involved in the Earnscleugh Orchards Co-op:

• • Harwarden Fruit & The Better Fruit Co –The Randle/Davidson Family
• • Roberts Family Fruit – The Roberts Family
• • Central Organics – The Denniston Family
• • Clyde Orchards – The Paulin Family
• • Elms Apiary - Murray Poole

Each of these orchards has a unique story to tell…

Harwarden Fruit & the Better Fruit Company

Stan Randle, a Dunedin native, is a versatile man with a science background. He graduated from the University of Otago and later became the Head of Science at Dunstan High School in Alexandra. With his wife Daphne, he bought a plot on the Earnscleugh, cleared it, and built the family home where they raised six children. Stan moved from teaching into developing an apple orchard on the property and in 2003 attended the first ever farmer’s market. Stan’s orchard has multiple apple varieties and wild asparagus and mushrooms.

In the early years Stan worked with the Otago Farmers Market to bring more varieties of fruit from Alexandra. Stan worked with local growers in Alexandra to increase the variety of stone and pip fruit available at the Farmers Market.

Stan’s daughter, Sherilee, has been working alongside him at the Market since the early years and as the physical workload increased both Sherilee and her husband Rob became an integral part of the team.

In 2020 when the Covid pandemic hit Sherilee and Rob took over all the Saturday Market work to ensure Stan and his wife Daphne were kept healthy and safe. Sherilee and Rob's four children (Shelby, Brie, Tyla and Keel) have all worked at the Market. Stan continues to work with the Co-op in Alexandra.

We love that we have been involved in the Market from its conception and strive to bring the best quality of tree ripened fruit to the Otago Farmers Market. We work hard with the other members of the Co-op to bring "ready to eat", delicious fruit to the city of Dunedin and are proud that our family has been involved for over 20 years.

The Roberts Family Fruit

The Roberts Family have been in the fruit growing business since 1961. Stan Randle actually taught Harry Senior at Dunstan High School, and they have been friends for years. The Roberts family purchased the Home Block in Earnscleugh in 1961 when Harry Snr was just 13 years old. Harry Snr and Joan took full ownership of the business in 1978, expanding the orchard to grow multiple varieties of cherries, nectarines, peaches, apricots, plums, pluots, apples, pears, berries and so much more. In 2022 Harry Jnr and his wife, Tasha took over the day to day running of the family business. Harry Jr and Tasha’s four children, Ethan, Tain, Celine and Cade have all worked on the orchard in varied roles. From picking to packing and pruning to working the Roberts fruit stall located on Earnscleugh Rd.

Central Organics

Chris and Maree Denniston live on the main orchard block, Springvale Orchard, Alexandra with their two sons Mac and Jake. Chris Denniston has managed Central Organics for over 30 years and has co-owned it since 2012. Central Organics also own, lease and manage several orchard blocks on either side of the Clutha River along the Earnscleugh and on their home property in Springvale. They take pride in producing certified organic fruit in several varieties of both cherries in the summer and apples in Autumn. They produce fruit for the competitive export market in Asia and the United States, plus sell fruit to the local New Zealand market. They also have a huge passion to bring the best quality fruit to New Zealanders and love being part of the Earnscleugh Orchards Co-op.

Clyde Orchards

Clyde Orchards, located on Earnscleugh Road near Clyde, Central Otago, New Zealand, is renowned for producing top-quality cherries and stone fruit. With three generations of fruit-growing expertise and ideal growing conditions, the orchard has earned a reputation for delivering New Zealand's finest fruits—cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches just to name a few Clyde Orchards benefits from an area known for stone-fruit production over the past 150 years. While neighbouring properties focus on grape cultivation for wine, Clyde Orchards remains dedicated to its roots, consistently providing sweet and juicy cherries and stone fruit. Kevin and Raymond Paulin, continuing the family tradition, prioritize growing stone fruit. Over the years, the orchards have expanded to cater to changing markets, now exporting their produce globally, reaching as far as Russia, Europe, and China. During the growing season, the orchards and pack house employ over 150 staff, making a significant contribution to the local economy.

Elms Apiary

Russell Poole has been a beekeeper for more than 50 years. His son Murray Poole took over the family honey business in 2002. Mr Poole owns 700 hives, spread between apiaries in Alexandra, Maniototo and St Bathans, and the family business produces clover, thyme and manuka varieties. The more pasture is available – primarily clover and thyme in Central Otago, essentially the more nectar that is available and the more honey is produced. This creates the unique taste of their Alexandra honey. In January 2015 the beekeeping operation in Alexandra tragically was burned to the ground This accidental fire destroying the processing plant, many vehicles and bee hives. Murray has since rebuilt and continues to provide outstanding honey to the export and New Zealand markets.