The History of King Valley Walnuts
Hey there! Do you want to hear an interesting story about how King Valley Walnuts came to be? Well, let me tell you about Michael Burston and Carol Kunert. These two moved from the big city of Melbourne to Myrrhee back in 1995, and that's where our story begins.
Michael had a dream of owning his own walnut orchard, so in 1996, he bought a derelict hop garden. Being a horticulturist, he knew exactly how to grow things, and after some hard work, he managed to clear the land and plant 10 hectares with 1500 trees on the creek flats beside the Fifteen Mile Creek at Myrrhee.
Now, you may be thinking, why walnuts? Well, Mike was on the lookout for an alternative to the vineyards that the King Valley is now known for. He saw walnuts growing wild in the area, and together with the good soil, high rainfall, and climate of the northeast, he was confident that he could produce some top-quality walnuts. And he did just that! He named his orchard Karithia Orchards.
As if one orchard wasn't enough, a second one was started in 2004, this time with another 15 hectares and 2000 trees. The tree varieties they grow are "Californian varieties" Howard and Chandler and a French variety called Franquette.
And that's how King Valley Walnuts came to be! From a dream to a reality, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Michael Burston and Carol Kunert.
Can you believe that Mike actually uses sheep to help maintain the orchards? They act as mobile fertilizers and help trim the weeds. It's a pretty ingenious way to keep things tidy around the orchard, don't you think?
In 2005, the trees started producing a crop, and Mike knew it was time to take the business to the next level. So, he constructed the first in-shell processing plant using a combination of new machinery from California and infrastructure from the old hops machinery.
Mike's partner, Carol Kunert, joined him full time after finishing her job, and together they developed the business even further. They expanded their marketing efforts and explored making other products from the walnuts as the amount of nuts harvested grew with each passing year. Carol is particularly passionate about adding value to their walnut products, and her aim is to receive food awards for each of their products. And you know what? They've consistently achieved this goal since 2013!
In 2018, they installed a Walnut Cracking Plant (Shelling Plant) with machinery imported from France. This means that all the processing can be done on-site where the walnuts are growing, cutting down on food miles and the steps to get to the customer.
Their success doesn't stop there! In 2020, they started a third orchard along the main road, which, when fully planted, will have 3000 trees. To ensure these trees thrive, they needed to add irrigation lines to all of their orchards. They draw the water from two dams that are filled in winter and drawn down in summer.
Michael and Carol's commitment to the walnut industry is truly commendable. They've both held long-term positions on the Australian Walnut Industry Association's Committee of Management and have extensively researched walnut growing practices not only in Australia, but also overseas in California, Chile, and China. They're constantly looking for ways to improve and innovate their techniques, and it shows in the quality of their products.
But let's not forget that it hasn't always been smooth sailing for them. The farm has faced some tough times, including the millennium drought in the late 90s and early 2000s, which hit just as their orchards were being established. Then in 2006, wildfires burned paddocks and seven kilometres of fencing. And to top it all off, a mini tornado ripped through the farm in 2020, leaving behind a trail of damaged trees.
Despite all these challenges, Michael and Carol persevere. They understand the benefits of having a farm next to a creek with its plentiful water and rich soil, even if it does flood every few years and wreak havoc on their orchards.Wet spring weather can also cause trouble by spreading a bacterial walnut blight that turns the nuts black. But they remain determined to produce the best walnuts possible, no matter what obstacles they face.
Wow, with 4000 walnut trees, the team at King Valley Walnuts sure have their work cut out for them! Michael Burston and Carol Kunert have truly dedicated themselves to the walnut industry, and their hard work has definitely paid off.
It's amazing to see the care and attention that goes into producing these delicious nuts. Throughout the year, the trees require pruning, fertilising, and treatment for diseases. And when harvest time approaches, the team has to keep a close eye on the 500 or so cockatoos who are keen to steal the ripe nuts! To keep them away, they use gas canons, which I can only imagine must be quite the sight.
Once the nuts are harvested in April, they are taken to two sheds. One shed is dedicated to washing and cleaning them, separating out any unwanted materials like hulls, sticks, stones, leaves, and dust. The second shed is where the nuts are dried to 8% moisture level using a hot air burner and fan. After drying, the nuts are graded into four different sizes and then bagged ready for sale as in shell product.
Alternatively, the nuts can go to a third shed called the Shelling Plant to be cracked and sold as kernel. It's amazing to see how much effort goes into ensuring the nuts meet the quality standards set by the Australian Walnut Industry Association, with four inspection points along the way to pick out any nuts that don't make the grade. Any seconds are then sent to another company to make Walnut oil and Walnut Flour.
One thing I really admire about King Valley Walnuts is their commitment to minimising waste and maximising value. They truly believe in making the most out of every nut, even the waste hulls from the wet process which are composted back into a manure pile and added back to the orchard. The seconds are also turned into oil, flour, or soap. And in the farm kitchen, these pieces of walnuts are used to make flavoured nut products and walnut butter. They even make an English delicacy called Pickled Walnuts, which are handmade from the small green walnut fruit picked in December.
It's clear that Michael Burston and Carol Kunert truly love what they do, and their dedication to producing high-quality walnuts is an inspiration. Even though they've faced their fair share of challenges, from droughts and wildfires to mini-tornados and flooding, they've persevered and continued to produce some of the best walnuts around.
