Our Story

Nut Tree Farm started with a newspaper.

While visiting family in Wellington in 1999, Karen was so determined to get a copy of Christchurch's The Press newspaper she visited three shops.

Listed inside that day's newspaper was 26 acres of bare land near Lincoln. 

Fast forward a few months and Karen and Colin become the proud new owners of that land. But what to do with it...

What ensued was borderline torture for their two young children, Isaac and Jessica. Cold, wet weekends spent trudging around various orchards across Canterbury, laying irrigation, planting thousands of shelterbelt trees and finally the walnut trees. (Although they did have fun zipping around on their quad bikes in the mud) 

Time has marched on and Isaac, Jessica and the trees are all grown up. 

Karen and Colin decided to put the orchard into organic management and became certified through BioGro in 2016. This began their ongoing journey into regenerative agriculture.

With the trees producing more and more walnuts every year it was time for some equipment upgrades. First was Harry the Harvester.

Then came the washing and drying equipment with Vinnie the Vibrator built to size the walnuts. 

When other Canterbury organic walnut growers suddenly found themselves without somewhere to wash their nuts, Karen and Colin decided it was time the washing and drying equipment did some real work. Washing and drying for other orchards sure does make for an extra busy harvest season!

Nut Tree Farm continues to grow with Karen and Colin taking on another orchard's harvest this year.