Hansen Orchards, TAS

Howard Hansen ‐ Managing Director & Owner

Howard Hansen wasn't your typical kid. From the age of twelve he refused to go on family holidays, instead he "preferred to stay home and work on the orchard." Being too young to be home alone, Howard stayed with the neighbours and rode home each day on his mini‐bike to look after the apples.

"Growing up on the orchard I never contemplated any other career." ‐ Howard Hansen

It's no surprise Howard loved the farm ‐ after all, growing has been the Hansen family business for four generations.

Howard Hansen's great grandfather Carl began growing apples in Tasmania in the 1890's at Nubeena on the Tasman Peninsula. In 1944, Howard's grandfather Rupert relocated his family to the Huon Valley with the purchase of an existing apple orchard at Grove. Six decades later, the Huon Valley property is still the heart of the family business, home to the cool stores, packing facilities and offices, not to mention Howard and his family.

While there is a great tradition to the family business, the Hansen's refuse to stand still. In 1994, Howard studied late season sweet cherry production, and in the years since has turned Hansen Orchards into one of the biggest cherry growers in Australia, exporting to more than twelve countries.

Tasmania is known for its orchards. Throughout Australia it is affectionately renowned as the "Apple Isle", while internationally, it's famous for producing some of the world's largest cherries. The island's cool maritime climate and southern latitude mean the cherries and apples are on the tree longer, letting the fruit grow larger, firmer and fuller in flavour, often giving it a longer shelf life.

"The thing I enjoy most about being a grower is producing healthy fruit out of nothing more than sunlight, water and love". ‐ Howard Hansen

Planting a new orchard takes two years of planning, allowing the nursery time to produce the trees, prepare the land and install the irrigation. "It's a long process," says Howard, "usually it takes 2‐4 years for the tree to grow before we can begin harvesting."

During winter the trees are bare, but by early spring they burst into beautiful blossoms that are pollinated by bees and turned from flowers into fruit. Throughout the growing season the trees are cared for with water and nutrition, and kept free of pests and diseases. The cherries are ripe to harvest in January and February, then soon after in March, the apples are ready to be picked.

Howard considers Tasmanian apples the perfect healthy snack food.

"The old saying about "an apple a day, keeping the doctor away" is as true today as it was 100 years ago". Of course, cherries are great for you too, says Howard, "Tassie cherries are large, firm, sweet and dark in colour, they're high in antioxidants and are a perfect snack between meals".

Hansen Orchards annually supply Woolworths with 400,000kg of cherries, but that's a figure Howard expects to double in the next few years. And whilst the company has supplied apples to Woolworths stores in Tasmania for many years, but increasing demand meant that in 2013 the company began shipping its produce to the mainland.

Nobody loves Hansen's apples more than Howard's kids, and they especially love them in his legendary 3‐minute dessert recipe, "You just core an apple, fill the inside with sultanas and drizzle it with honey. Then stick it in the microwave for two minutes, add a scoop of ice cream and away you go!"