Down a long driveway in a quiet suburban street in Fairfield, past waddling ducks and a rusting vintage tractor, sits Blue Willow Blueberries farm.
"A lot of people get blown away by the place," orchard owner Eric Johnson said.
He and his wife, Noreen Johnson, bought the 2ha residential property in Martin Rd from the late Peter Waters more than 20 years ago.
Mr Waters planted about 800 blueberry bushes on the property more than 40 years ago but when the Johnson family moved in the crop was covered with creepers.
The family slowly cleared the invasive bush over the next four years, liberating the berry plants.
Blueberries were picked between family commitments, tending to the large garden on the property around both of them working full-time.
First they sold the berries to an ice-cream business, but the returns were not financially viable so they shifted their focus to selling at the Otago Farmers Market about a decade ago.
Strong demand at the market prompted a decision to plant another two blocks, increasing the total number of blueberry bushes in the orchard to 2000.
A pick-your-own operation was launched about the same time.
As they did not advertise the pick-your-own, the uptake slowly built by word of mouth but things changed dramatically when their daughter, Hannah, began promoting the business.
"It went absolutely crazy," Mr Johnson said.
More than 1000 people could visit in a day and pick all the berries in the orchard.
Some of the neighbours only realised there was an orchard in the street after seeing large crowds walking down the driveway carrying empty buckets, he said.
The number of vehicles parking in the street to go picking had been a concern for them but the neighbours had been understanding.
General feedback was positive, adults enjoying being able to show children where food came from.
"It’s quite satisfying."
The pick-your-own season starts after Christmas and ends when clients tells them the search for berries was fruitless, usually some time in March.
The season would finish earlier this year due to the cooler weather this summer.
This season would be the last for the couple, who have decided to hand the orchard over to their daughter, Hannah Booiman, and her husband, Vinnie Booiman.
"We’re stepping back and they’re stepping up," Mr Johnson said.
When Southern Rural Life visited the orchard last week, the Booimans learnt a resource consent had been approved to allow them to build a house on land near the orchard block.
Mr and Mrs Booiman got married on the orchard.
Life was busy for the Booimans, both working full-time, Mr Booiman as a banker and Mrs Booiman as a nurse, and they had two children, daughter Willow (3) and son Walter (1).
Money was not the motivation for taking on the business, Mr Booiman said.
"It’s a genuine cottage industry. If you worked out your hourly rate, it’d be pretty appalling but we enjoy doing it — it’s a lifestyle."
Mr Booiman said plans for the business included "optimising space" by planting bushes in gaps and improving the performance of some of the existing bushes.
When the orchard opens next season it would be certified organic, a process which had taken four years.
Mr Booiman believed there was value growing organic berries.
"It’s a small orchard, so to optimise the return you’ve got to have a premium product — we are never going to have the scale, so you have to have a premium product."
Mr Johnson said they always looked forward to the season ending as it could be "tiring and draining".
"It’s a pretty full-on couple of months."
Mrs Johnson said a motivation for her during her time at the orchard was its "feel-good factor" and the appreciation from customers.
However, she was looking forward to reclaiming her weekends.
The Johnsons had recently bought a motorhome and were planning to use it in winter, rather than summer.
"Because we’ll probably be helping them pick," she laughed.
SHAWN MCAVINUE@alliedpress.co.nz
