GOOD soil and irrigation water are essential resources for growing fruit.
In the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District (GMID) irrigators have access to a state-of-the-art irrigation delivery network and pockets of sought after sandy loam soil.
This rare blend of superior assets, gives fifth-generation grower, Chris Turnbull an advantage on his orchard.
“The irrigation system we have here is unique and vital,” Chris said.
“What sets the GMID apart is that other growing regions rely on farm dams and run off from rainfall to fill those dams. But here, we have a secure water supply and that’s a major asset, particularly in a dry year.”
Chris, 43, and his brother, Alex, 41, capitalised on the value of the region’s secure water supply and nutrient dense soil and spent the past decade modernising their 300ha orchard through The Connections Project.
“A great deal has changed in horticulture in 50 years. These days, we hone in on benchmarks like how much fruit can we grow per megalitre of water,” Chris said.
“There wasn’t that much demand on the system decades ago so it was viable to run a channel 20km from the main supply to a handful of producers.
“The upgrade concept was visionary and those involved with the early stages of planning it have helped protect our water supply, keep it affordable and available.”
