The Halford Orchard is a family run apple orchard located on the edge of Hastings in the Hawke's Bay region.
The original site of the Halford Orchard was developed into a fruit growing orchard in the 1970s. Simon's father Kit purchased the orchard in 2000, and Simon and Kylie took over the operations in 2004. In that time they have introduced the NZ Queen, Jugala and Cherry plantings, along with the development of a commercial Hydrangea plantation. They Hydrangeas have since made way for more Jugala (GEM) trees.
Halford Orchard is committed to growing only top-quality apples that are orchard ripened and grown to suit people's tastes. Grown in the extremely fertile Heretaunga Plains means the apples have a high brix for sweetness, great firmness for a great crunch, and fantastic colour.
The Halfords manage the team that works at the orchard, with Simon being responsible for all aspects of the product, from ensuring that the trees grow great apples, to the delivery of high-quality product to the pack house. Kylie is involved in the financial aspects of the operation, including the marketing with her directorship on the Mt Erin Group board. The Halfords' children have grown up being involved in orchard operations. They have spent many sunny Hawke's Bay summers helping their parents on the orchard during the busy pre-harvest and harvest seasons.
In recent years, plantings have included the New Zealand Queen variety and the Jugala, an early maturing Royal Gala variety (GEM), along with the development of a Cherry block for the NZ market. Further development is planned in 2022. In addition, ongoing developments in sustainable orcharding and technological advancements are planned to ensure that the Halford operations remain future focused in the coming years.
The Halfords will continue their strong commitment to biological farming methods to complement current industry standard growing practices
The Halfords have a strong focus on biological farming methods to complement current industry standard growing practices. They are committed to growing only the very best top quality apples, orchard ripened and grown to market demand.
