March is the month we prepare for our Pecan nut harvest.
The nuts are developed on the trees ready to fall despite the lack of rain and we need to keep the grass mowed short so we can see the nuts to pick up. Timing is critical to capture the nuts before the birds and foxes or before a flood washes them away down the river like last year. With 70 trees there are a huge amount of nuts to collect so we will be holding our regular Easter nut hunt – Pecan Pick Day Sunday 22nd April.
The Pecan Pick Day is where the public can come and pick as many nuts as they can and keep half of the pickings. PSI sells the other half to food coops and the like. The day commences at 10 am and finishes at 2 pm and you must book in to be eligible. Send us an email or call us to book in. Upon arrival, you will be issued with buckets for the harvest. A short talk will explain the various varieties and information about the trees and harvesting. You are then free to wander through the trees to collect your nuts. At 2 pm the nuts are weighed and shared. PSI dries its nuts for several months and stores in an indoor cool cupboard. PSI packages the nuts in hessian bags and distributes to co-ops or sell in the shop. These can be purchased online and we will post directly to you. Our new nuts will be available for sale from July this year. Our nuts grow on the riverbank of the Macdonald River and are organic. The trees were the first planted in the valley in the late 70’s and consist of several varieties all of which are seriously delicious. You may wish to bring a picnic for your lunch to have on the riverbank as we are in the country and there are no nearby shops. Tea and coffee will be available at Bandusia. Bookings: info@permaculturesydneyinstitute.orgphone: (02) 4568 2036
