Avocados. The staple of the utopian diet, a symbol of modern decadence and a social media sensation.
Our Kiwi love affair with avocados shows no signs of letting up. Loaded with potassium, protein and vitamins, it is a staple in most homes and on café menus – probably why it’s one of the first items we see in the produce aisles of the supermarket. But, if you aren’t an avocado grower, you won’t have seen the rollercoaster of daily life that orchardists have faced in recent years. Covid-19 impacted pretty much all of us in one shape or another, but as climate change threatens typical weather patterns, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to grow avocados and satisfy consumer demand.
The Technical and Grower Services Teams at Trevelyan’s are an eclectic and talented group of avocado specialists that boasts between them an impressive number of agricultural degrees and vast hands-on experience in the industry (Laura was Bay of Plenty’s Young Grower of the Year, 2022).
The team works tirelessly on orchards and in the lab, discussing theories and research with other industry leaders and regularly visiting each of their growers. Support and guidance are shared by way of numerous regional educational workshops, discussion groups, avocado improvement seminars, weekly technical tips and deep-dive analyses. From that initial handshake greeting on the orchard, the working relationships between Trevelyan’s representatives and growers is built on great communication and deep respect.
Trevelyan’s Head of Avocados, Dan Birnie, and Avocado Technical Manager, Dr Jonathan Cutting, are constantly researching, experimenting, and challenging each other and their team, to think outside the box. No two orchards are the same, but with the team’s breadth and depth of knowledge, they always find a best-fit solution.
Dr Jonathan Cutting has a focus on regenerative orchard principles, simply understanding and working with nature. His advice is simple, ‘’The next few years can provide growers with increased profitability, as long as we embrace new approaches, technologies and production systems and adapt to what nature can sometimes throw at us’’.
Jonathan has also been driving the movement to high-density planting- using smaller trees per hectare. Quality issues can be tackled quickly, production costs are dramatically reduced, and fruit to market is increased so that growers’ financial positions are improved.
Dan believes it all bubbles down to one word – ‘connection’. ‘’We want our growers to feel connected to the Trevelyan’s team and see us as an extension of their business. We run events across New Zealand because we want to connect growers within regions and build their local knowledge. We also want them to feel connected to their land, so that they can cultivate high-quality fruit. If you have a good connection, you have trust.’’
The next time you see avocados in the supermarket or consider an avocado delivery subscription, like BayFarms, before you even consider the price, take a moment to remember it takes a connected group of people to bring you each of these avocados. It’s thanks to these committed folk that you enjoy the delights of smashed avocado, guacamole and more. Life without avocado’s would be a lesser experience for us all.
Thanks team.
