By Dominique Tassell
Now in their third generation of growers, the Nicoletti family has been growing at their orchard in Pozieres for over 70 years.
The family has also been taking care of some Granite Belt history during that time, with a group of apple trees providing a slice of the region’s proud growing history.
Daniel said the trees have been at the orchard for as long as his family has been.
“Those trees were on the land when my grandfather came,” Daniel said.
His grandparents, Guido and Anna Nicoletti, grew Granny Smith and Gravenstein varieties and some stone fruit on the orchard in the 50s.
Daniel’s parents, Aldo and Iole, took over the business in 1973, and Daniel and his wife Toni look after the business now.
Daniel said when his grandfather bought the property, the trees were already there, and he estimates they’d have been around five or ten years old at the time.
The trees are now estimated to be around 75 to 80 years old.
“They’re old trees,” Daniel said.
While the trees are losing the ability to be productive, at the moment they’re still a fixture of the orchard.
“They’ll keep going for years.”
Apple trees take a few years to start producing fruit, and can then do so for decades.
Some trees have been known to live for more than a century, but Daniel said older trees just don’t produce the quantity a young tree can.
Daniel said that, depending on the variety, they renew trees because a new variety takes their place
“We may renew trees after ten to twenty years,” he said. “We prefer to renew them after thirty years.”
Given the cost and investment made in each tree, Daniel said this isn’t that much time.
The trees are not believed to be the oldest in the region but would be amongst the oldest.
With Stanthorpe celebrating 150 years this year, our growers certainly have a long and proud history as well.
