Established in 1993, Meiros Orchard is owned by Craig and Gill Wilson who continue to operate and work on the orchard. It is very much a family business and their son is very hands on in the daily running of the orchard operation, whilst their two daughters have also been employed on the orchard during the busy times of the year.
The first block was planted in the fertile soils of the Dartmoor Valley in Hawke`s Bay in 1993. The owners, Craig and Gill Wilson, had returned to New Zealand after several years abroad.
The orchard started with 10 hectares and 8,000 trees. The warm micro climate of the valley was one of the reasons why the Wilsons established their orchard here, enabling them to produce early harvest apples.
The Wilsons continue to own and operate the orchard, expanding to 40 hectares and 48,000 trees. All fruit at the Meiros Orchard is produced under New Zealand's world class IFP (Integrated Fruit Production) programme. Modern technology is used to monitor soil moisture levels, to ensure the preservation of valuable water resources, and to create crisp, sweet and juicy apples for people to eat.
The harvest starts with the early Gala strains in the middle of February then continues steadily through into autumn, finishing off with the Lady in Red apples in early May.
With a core crew of dedicated workers who look after their crop year-on-year, the Meiros Orchard team focus on quality and take pride in providing great fruit for people in different countries to taste and enjoy. With exports of over 120,000 tces of apples, the 'pick, pack and ship' method of the Meiros Orchard ensures that fruit reaches markets around the world as fresh as possible.
Growing high quality sweet red apples early will continue to be the primary focus for Meiros Orchard. The Wilsons will continue to improve orchard operations with the use of new technology, planting new varieties to suit their customers, whilst always being good custodians of the land they farm, so that the next generation can continue to grow great apples.
