Long serving members of the Tauranga Farmers Market, Selwyn, Neville and Joycelyn bring fruits from their Te Puna Orchard. Citrus is their speciality with mandarins, oranges and tangelos available bagged in different quantities. Follow the seasons with them as they bring a wide range of products – guavas, rhubarb, unshelled nuts. As original members they still carry their range of handmade children’s wooden toys. Even for the big kids of this world these magnificent life like trucks, farm machinery, trailers, cars, can inspire the youth in all of us.
Kandu organics is a small BioGro certified orchard and garden owned and operated by Kevin Parsons and Ulli Rose. It is situated on the harbour’s edge just North of Tauranga where the mild climate and very fertile soil allow for growing a wide range of nutritious and tasty fruit and vegetables all year round. They pretty much grow everything that they like eating themselves and usually taste all their produce before they go to the market. You will often find taster platters at their stand or pumpkins numbered according to their taste preference. The produce is grown in a sustainable way using organic and permaculture principles. Kandu organics grows many heritage varieties that are high in flavour and nutrients.
Located just outside the city of Tauranga in the country side of Whakamaramara you will find Spring Valley Orchards. Lyn and Neville grow a wide range of seasonal speciality ground crops. Rhubarb is always available at Lyn’s stall. Seasonal tree crops include avocados, a variety of apples, but only small quantities at this stage as the trees mature. Passionfruit and tamarillos are available in varying quantities according to mother natures season. Also available is their very own Avocado oil. If you have something specific you are after, do ask Lyn.
Bob & Robyn-Anne bring berry fruit to the market when in season, normally November and December and also in Autumn a wonderful fresh grape ‘Albany Surprise’.
Lacey Kiwifruit are locally grown in Katikati and have Zespri clearance to be sold in the Market. They are seasonal in the Market arriving from approximately May through till October or until the kiwifruit run out. Both green and gold varieties are available.
Flame Lily Orchard was formally Kurowski Forde Orchard. Located in Katikati in Tanners Point Road, Dave and Pauline carry on with the seasons of superb fresh blueberry and feijoa’s from the orchard. The orchard has 2 varieties of blueberries. The first comes into harvest towards the end of January and the second variety follows on through till approximately the end of May. A wonderfully long season of eating fresh blueberries.
As the cold starts to settle in for the winter months Murray arrives with his bright orange juicy mandarins. Carefully picked and tasted to ensure the correct ripeness, these easy peel mandarins are ready to go. Enjoy the mandarins while they are in season.
Wendy brings some exciting varieties of fruit and flowers to the market when they are available. Not just the colourful Iris plants that they specialize in, but to the seasonal fruits from their orchard in Katikati. Unusual fruits of the Buddha’s Hand Lemon – Citron, Cassimoroas and Cherimoyas to the red Autumn Guava, Winter red and yellow tamarillos. Follow the seasons, from The Amazing Iris Garden.
Strawberries! The iconic spring-summer fruit, loved and devoured the world over. Eat them fresh, drizzle them with chocolate, slice and add to a cracker board with blue cheese; fresh or frozen in a smoothie, dribbled as a coulis over ice-cream, cheesecake or pancakes, and don’t forget strawberry jam and fruit salads! The possibilities are really endless! Field grown just north of Tauranga at Aongatete, where the soil is fertile and the sun abundant.
Here in the tropical Bay of Plenty very few cherries are grown to achieve large volumes. Hence the arrival of Eden Orchards direct from the South Island region of Blenheim in the Waihopai Valley. Eden Orchards is a family owned and operated orchard. They direct market all their fresh fruit and now added to the product list is the cherry juice. The fresh cherry season commences approximately in the month of November – weather dependant – and carries through till the end of January. The cherry juice is the speciality product that is available through out the year. Filled with a natural melatonin hormone, the health benefits of this juice is extensive.
Phillip brings spray free Du Comice pears from his orchard in Ohaupo – Waikato. Delicious eating and great for many uses. Phil has currently registered to the Organic Certification programme and will commence his C1 Under Conversion to Organics. This is stage one and there are a total of 3 stages. he attends fortnightly to the the Market during his season.
On the Tauranga side of Katikati you will find out door early blueberries and raspberries, boysenberries, blackberries grown under cover to protect them from the weather.
